Limestone Way - Day 2
After yesterday’s solo stretch, today brought a whole new energy: family day on the Limestone Way! I was back at the car park in Monyash, along with an eager walking crew—Auntie Elaine, Uncle Jeff, James, Steven C, and Sasha, a black-furred, four-legged companion who was absolutely buzzing to get going. It felt special to have so many family members along, particularly those who hadn’t done a walk like this in a while.
We set off from Monyash village square, which was already lively at that hour. One pub was open and doing a roaring trade (motorbikes and all—pun completely intended). Spirits were high and legs were fresh-ish, though mine definitely had something to say about yesterday’s 14-miler.
Slippery Steps and Scenic Shifts
Our route took us toward Lathkill Dale, a stunning descent where steps worn smooth by decades of boots had become quite slippery in places. Towering limestone cliffs framed our route—dramatic and striking, especially when compared to the more rounded hills of the Yorkshire Dales or Lakes. We paused for plenty of photos and to admire the ever-changing weather, which transitioned beautifully from overcast gloom to scattered blue skies and soft sunshine.
One of my favourite photo spots was the bridge over the River Bradford, complete with a neatly chiseled inscription. A bit further along, sluice gates dated 1890 dotted the water’s edge—clearly part of a historic system to manage the river’s flow. We guessed it was likely for fishing or mill control. Sasha, meanwhile, took every chance she could to dip her paws in the river and cool off. Smart dog.
Not far from the path, Steven found a cave beside the river that extended about 20 metres into the rock. Sensibly, he decided to turn back before it became a crawling situation.
Seek and You Shall... Misdirect
As we walked, Jeff, a seasoned twitcher and lover of all things natural, recommended an app called Seek. I misspoke and asked if it was for “naturists,” which caused some hearty chuckles. “No,” Jeff corrected, “naturalists—very different sort of app!”
I gave it a go and found myself increasingly fascinated (and occasionally misled). We bagged butterflies, trees, and wildflowers—though some of the app’s guesses were a bit... off. Three chickens were confidently identified as a sheep, and Sasha—majestic beast that she is—was somehow labelled as a common mole. Despite my growing scepticism, I kept it installed for the comedy value.
That said, I did get so focused on scanning plants and bugs at one point that I led us a little off course near a farm. A short backtrack later and we were back on the Limestone Way. Blame the botanist in training.
Some Sore Soles and a Lovely Finish
James, breaking in a new pair of boots, started feeling the rub on both feet by mile three. After a valiant effort (and a double plastering), he eventually called it a day and summoned the family extraction squad.
The rest of us carried on toward Youlgrave, where we finished our walk and made a beeline for The George Hotel. I couldn’t resist snapping a photo of the pub’s sign—purely for George’s benefit, of course.
We ordered refreshments, found a table in the sun, and toasted to a cracking day. A few challenging ascents, a bit of slapstick app comedy, and great company. My legs were tired but happy, and I was genuinely proud of the whole group for taking on the trail with such good humour.
A day off tomorrow as we have friends coming through to say Hi, as well as a smal distraction due to the England Womens football team rather annoyingly getting in the way of this trek but getting to the Finals of the Euros! Go Lionesses!!!!