Monyash - Magpie Mine

A nice circular route (which is easily extended to start and finish in Longnor), with plenty of variations to suit your mood and/or fitness. You can park up in Monyash - a very pleasant village with village green, interesting church, pub (The Bull's Head), toilets and tea room - the Old Smithy Tea Rooms - very popular with walkers and cyclists. All things "Monyash" can be found here. As you enter the village from the A515 (Buxton to Ashbourne road), turn left at the crossroads (the school is diagonally opposite) and you will find parking on the left-hand side.

Start your ride by continuing on this road for about 150 or so metres, at which point you will turn right onto Horse Lane.A straight section just over 1.5 km with a longish down and up in the midlle, which will certainly get the muscles warmed up! Give way at the end of this section where you will turn right, with the chimney stack of the mine now becoming visible. The mine is a 19th century lead mine, and is definitely worth a small detour off the main road. The Peak District Mines Historical Society has some interesting information.

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Continuing on about 500 metres from the mine entrance (track to the left), as the road swings round to the right, take the left turn and head towards the A6 (Ashford). This section is a long (2 km) downhill into the Wye valley. You need to decide whether to go all the way to the bottom, perhaps to call into the very picturesque Ashford-in-the-water, and thence to Bakewell on the A6, or turn right onto the minor road that cuts across above the valley and hence above Bakewell. If you do decide to visit Bakewell (the puddings are a real treat) then it all the usual warnings about traffic apply, as it is a very busy market town. To rejoin the route, take the B5055 out of town (heading to Monyash) from very close to the main roundabout in the centre of the town. It is very close to the roundabout, and is an awkward little junction if your are not used to it - so take care. There is a fairly stiff pull up to join the alternative route, and this main road out of Bakewell is busy, and made slightly trickier than normal because parked cars frequently reduce its useable width. The rendezvous with the upper route is at the crossroads about 1/2 km from the town centre, at Shutts Lane.

From the crossroads you head South East to start (turn left from Bakewell, or straight on if you stayed out of the town), and meander a couple of kilometres (gradually heading South) to Conksbury Bridge. Be warned it is a short, sharp-turned, steep descent near the bridge, and I nearly came a cropper here by excessive freewheeling. This area (Lathkill Dale) is very beautiful and very popular, so there will be cars parked up and walkers crossing the road. The bridge is quite narrow, so watch the traffic, and of course, having descended to cross the river, the ascent awaits at the other side.

There is some great cycling territory to the south around the villages of Youlgreave and Middleton if you are feeling energetic. Otherwise, having conquered the climb from the bridge, head along the straight road (the Long Rake, as it is called) through what is very pleasant cycling country towards the A515. Just short of the main road (thankfully!), turn right, and enjoy a gentle slope down into Monyash for well-deserved refreshments. All done!

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