All photos in & around Ashbourne

Old machinery at the side of the High Peak Trail

Looking back down the incline up to Middleton Top

Junction of High Peak Trail and branch to Carsington

High Peak Trail, view of embankment

Junction of High Peak Trail and Green Lane

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There has long been talk of the Derwent Valley Cycleway being extended southwards from where it currently ends just N of Matlock, through the Matlock gorge to Cromford and beyond. Completion of this stretch is long overdue, to ensure that cyclists don't have to use the busy A6 and its heavy truck usage.

Not sure how good closing one side of a very busy road will be, would a one way system for pedestrians work better? I'm concerned about traffic flow however it would slow the buggers down!

Re-route or rebuild NCR 54 to / from Ashbourne it is narrow and steep and dangerous

A closure for motor traffic a new housing estate is / has been built and the road is narrow and unsuitable for volume of traffic that will potentially use the road it is the only minor road route for cycling into Ashbourne and involves a steep down and uphill

It would be great to extend the uttoxeter to doveridge cyclepath to sudbury Hall. It would be well used by families. An ultimate goal would be to cycle all along the a50 safely, as it works brilliantly uttoxeter to doveridge

The A6 from Bakewell to Rowsley is very popular with cyclists but is also very busy. There is an under-utilised footpath (in poor condition) which could be resurfaced to become a shared use footway / cycle path.

The road surface through Snitterton and Oker is very poor. Potholes appear and are patched to a poor standard resulting in their regular reappearance. Consequently cyclists are forced to avoid hazards and are in danger of oncoming traffic. A 20mph speed restriction would help.

The existing pavement is rough and irregular. A widening improvement to add a cycle lane would connect Clifton with Ashbourne safely. There has recently been a fatality on the road involving a cyclist and the road is full of HGV traffic here.

Heavy usage by lorries & cars .Road used by pedestrians & cyclists, no pavement. Road wide enough for shared usage to get to quieter lane & pennine way route. Used by lots of cyclists & walking tourists too

A safe cycle crossing required from A515 to Aston Lane, linking popular cycle routes on south side of A50 with lanes on north side.The A50 is a barrier with few crossing places for cyclists.

Bamford to Hathersage cycle path just stops on the edge of Hathersage, forcing cyclists back into the very fast main A-road traffic flow to get into Hathersage centre. Really it’s at the busy/congested points like this that cyclists need the most protection. Such a shame when a good quality separated path built to encourage cycling between the Hope Valley villages and railway stations but doesn’t actually join them up or keep users safe into the village centres, deterring much wider use by less confident cyclists. Reroute a car-free path/spur into the village?

The present footpath from Cavendish Road across Cavendish Fields to Farley Hill needs improving to allow cyslists to use it. This would save the bigdrop down to Smedley Street and then climb up to Farley Hill which is a real off-putter for cyclists in the upper parts of Matlock. From Farley Hill there are many routes towards Chatwsworth, Sheffield, Chesterfield on the high plateau area.

The old trackway between Lumsdale Middle Pond in Matlock and Tansley Village needs to be improved to make it suitable for cyclists, cycling on it. Currently it is in a very poor state and even difficult to push your bike due to broken surfaces, ruts and inclines. Opening this up would avoid cyclists having to use the busy main Matlock to Alfreton road to access the many excellent cycling routes to the East of Matlock.

Via gellia is extremely dangerous for cycling. Understandably not much can be done in terms of new infrastructure due to space/terrain limitations, but the pavement could easily be slightly widened and resurfaced and changed to a shared use path. It's not ideal but it would certainly improve safety and encourage alternative modes of transport.

Link to Chatsworth Estate from bridge at Carlton Lees

Create safe cycle route through Chatsworth Estate to avoid B6012 which is extremely dangerous for cyclists.

Looking down NCN54 (High Peak Trail) towards High Peak Junction

Pump & tool station

Poem on a plaque under a bridge over the Tissington trail. The surface is good enough for a road bike in most seasons as long as you're not too precious about it.

View from the Tissington trail

Tissington trail through the old railway tunnel under Ashbourne

Map of Peak District cycle routes

Cycle parking and rental shop on the High Peak Trail (NCN route 68) at Parsley Hay

Details of cycle rental at Parsley Hay on the High Peak Trail (NCN route 68)

Cycle rental and toilets on the High Peak Trail (NCN route 68) at Parsley Hay

Route sign on the High Peak Trail (NCN route 68)

The High Peak Trail (NCN route 68)

Start of the cycle track up the east side of Carsington Water

Warning sign on the Carsington Water circuit (location inexact)

Junction on the east side of Carsington Water

Cycleway on the east side of Carsington Water

Junction of cycleways at the north end of Carsington Water

Cycle track beside the road on the west side of Carsington Water

Separate tracks for walking and cycling (NCN route 547) on the west side of Carsington Water

Separate tracks for walking and cycling (NCN route 547) on the west side of Carsington Water

Cycle track approaching the Carsington Water visitor centre

Route sign at the end of the Carsington Water dam

Road crossing at the end of the Carsington Water dam

Cycling around the walkers and dogs on the Carsington Water dam

A tempting track below the Carsington Water dam

Junction of cycle tracks at the south end of Carsington Water

NCN route 547 on the west side of Carsington Water

Cycle parking at the Carsington Water visitor centre

Cycle track north from the Carsington Water visitor centre

Cycle track north from the Carsington Water visitor centre

Cycle track past the bike rental shop, Carsington Water

Cycle and boat rental at Carsington Water

entering the south end of the Ashbourne tunnel

snow blocking the way in april

the road comes to a ford there is a bridge for cycles to the left which is lucky as I chickened out of this crossing. The path to the bridge is not ideal for road bikes but then neither is the road.

nice little spot to stop toilets round the back of the building.

the path is a fairly decent surface i have even seen people use road bikes not that I would advise it.

Nice little hut to duck out of the wind a moment or maybe even sleep the night. Close to a snack bar that is open during spring to autumn, so you can grab a nice bacon roll in the morning plus toilet facilities with cold running water.

Top of the hill. take care descending the hill, other path users, it is a popular area, and you will pick up speed quite quickly.

view from the bridge north toward Middleton

A new, yet to be installed cycle toastrack at Hathersage lido.

Racks outside Hathersage's open air pool.

A steep road with handrail.

This is a three mile cycleway alongside the main road between Bamford and Hathersage, as mentioned at: peakdistrictcycleways.co.uk/blog/

This is a three mile cycleway alongside the main road between Bamford and Hathersage, as mentioned at: peakdistrictcycleways.co.uk/blog/

This is a three mile cycleway alongside the main road between Bamford and Hathersage, as mentioned at: peakdistrictcycleways.co.uk/blog/

This is a three mile cycleway alongside the main road between Bamford and Hathersage, as mentioned at: peakdistrictcycleways.co.uk/blog/

This is a three mile cycleway alongside the main road between Bamford and Hathersage, as mentioned at: peakdistrictcycleways.co.uk/blog/

Stanage, where there is a bridleway (to the left) as this sign confirms.

This is a great walking and climbing area:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanage_Edge

Hathersage

Leisure route planned on the Bike Hub app.

North of Uttoxeter is a cycle path that was once a minor road. It runs parallel to the A50, with trees and shrubbery surrounding it.

Rutland CC ladies @ Monsal Head. Circa 1950s. - t.co/bJPpjC8LbC

Brown signs directing the 'wheeled route' into Bakewell from the Monsal Trail.

'Wheeled' because cyclists are asked to dismount.

Another apparently pointless obstruction on the path from Coombs Road into Bakewell.

The path where cyclists are asked to dismount (see #45880 and #45922) skirts this cattle-market car park.

Path where cyclists are asked to dismount, but that cycling does not appear to be specifically prohibited.

Un-necessarily narrow gate on this path into Bakewell town centre.

Bakewell town end of the Monsal Trail.

No dropped kerb here, and cyclists requested to dismount on this path to a car park.

The road into Bakewell from the end of the Monsal Trail.

A viaduct beyond the end of the Monsal Trail.

A public bridleway.

Eastern end of the Monsal Trail.

Coombs Road info board

The former railway station at Bakewell.

The track bed seems to have been raised to be level with the platform.

Monsal Trail

Blackwell Mill Tuck Shop and Cycle Hire.

We hired our bikes from this friendly operation.

www.peakblackwellcyclehire.com/

Info board on the Monsal Trail.

The western end of the Monsal Trail.

The end of the Monsal Trail.

'Walkers' can proceed down the embankment to the car park.

Riders on the Monsal Trail.

We were surprised at how popular the route was even on this autumnal Tuesday. Lots of couples and small family groups on bikes. We also saw several big groups of walkers, a couple of what looked like school groups and even an abseiling school group.

Info panel explaining how explosives were sometimes used to create these railway cuttings.

Cressbrook Tunnel

Info panel at Cressbrook on the Monsal Trail.

Great view of this old mill (now an apartment block), from the Monsal Trail.

Superb viaduct over the river Monsal.

Monsal Dale info panel

We hired these Giant Twist electric assist bikes for the ride.

As we whizzed passed other riders they unanimously called us 'cheats'.

Inside the Headstone Tunnel on the Monsal Trail.

The tunnel was built wide enough for two trains to pass but only the central section is tarmacked, with gravel either side. There are white lines at the edges of the tarmac. The tunnel is lit during daylight only.