Overview:
Date: 29 June 2024
Location: Peak District, England
Total distance: 11.5 kilometres (7.1 miles)
Elevation gain: 360 metres (1181 feet)
Summary: A circular hike from Matlock passing forests, fields, and two waterfalls. Map available below!
Trip log:
At the end of June, I took the train north for a long-weekend reunion with friends from my undergraduate degree at the University of East Anglia. It had been years since we’d spent much time together, so we were all looking forward to a proper catch up. It was also my first time visiting the Peak District, so I was excited to explore a part of the country I’d never seen before. On Friday afternoon, we met up on the train to Matlock, a town on the edge of the National Park, where we'd be spending the weekend. From the train station, we hiked up the hill to our accommodation: March Cottage, a charming cottage on the edge of the town.
On Saturday morning, we got up early to get a bus to Elton, where we were hoping to do a hike in the Peaks. The bus station was undergoing construction, so we waited at the temporary bus stop opposite the bus station. The bus didn’t arrive on time, and when we checked online, it appeared the bus was already on its way to Elton. Oops! With the next bus not for another two hours, we agreed to change our plans and do a more local hike. I pulled out my phone and opened up Komoot, an app that lets you find routes or plan your own. We had previously agreed we wanted to visit the Lumsdale Waterfall, so I found a route that would take us there.
After walking through the park in downtown Matlock, the route led us along a decently large road. I was a bit worried that this walk wouldn’t be the most picturesque, but it quickly dipped off the road and into a park. We continued on through forests and parks, before crossing the stream and following a quiet road up towards the waterfall.
The falls are nestled amongst the ruins of a historic water-powered mill. Walking up the footpath through Lumsdale Valley, we passed ruins covered in thick ivy, many of them fenced off for their protection. According to Historic England, "Lumsdale has been the home to industry from at least the 17th century when the available water power was used for the smelting of lead."
The Lumsdale Waterfall was lovely, with two great viewing spots. I enjoyed getting my tripod out and playing with some slower shutter speeds. Some blogs claim that Lumsdale Valley is a "hidden gem" of Matlock, but it's safe to say that it isn't all that hidden, at least not any more. The footpath was busy with other visitors, which is perhaps unsurprising considering that a visit to Lumsdale Valley is one of the top 5 things to do in Matlock on Tripadvisor.
At the top of the park, we had a decision to make: we could go back down into Matlock, we could catch a bus to Crich Tramway Village, or we could continue hiking to a second (less well known) waterfall that I'd spotted on Komoot. We agreed to continue hiking and I used Komoot to plot the route. I felt a bit nervous – I was planning the route on the fly, so didn’t have a chance to make sure the trail conditions were suitable. I was putting all my trust in Komoot’s route planning capabilities and ended up being pleasantly surprised!
We followed the road past the charming Pond Cottages, enjoying the sweet-smelling roses lining the road.
We followed the small road until it reached the A632, which we crossed. From there, we walked up into some fields, bordered on both side by historic drystone walls. We said hi to the cows lounging in the neighbouring field and made sure to give the horses in our field a wide berth!
The route led us into a forest, where we stopped in the shade for a snack. The trail was overgrown and steep, and I was worried that this route wouldn’t connect. After a kilometre or so, however, we joined a more legitimate path that traversed the tree plantation. When the view opened up, we could see out over the surrounding countryside. At one point we could even see the imposing, dark towers of Riber Castle in the distance.
Leaving the forest, we hiked along a road for a few hundred metres before joining another footpath that led us towards the bottom of the valley. We passed farmers’ fields before dipping back into a forest – this one, much wilder than the plantation we’d just spent an hour traversing.
When we reached the stream, we ignore the footbridge, instead taking the footpath to the left, following the water as it flows downstream.
The narrow trail was elevated above Sydnope Brook, but after a few minutes, we could hear the tell-tale signs that we were approaching our second waterfall of the day. Turning a corner, it was visible in front of us. We were all impressed with its scale. Personally, I liked this secret waterfall more than the iconic (and thus, crowded) waterfall at Lumsdale Valley.
We ate our lunch on the rocks opposite the (creatively named) Sydnope Brook Waterfall: bagel sandwiches, crisps, and apples. We were surprised at how quiet the area was. The whole time we were eating by the waterfall, we didn’t see another person, despite it being a warm Saturday afternoon! Taking advantage of the isolation, I took the opportunity to shoot some self-portraits on the waterfall rocks, bracing against the cold splashes of water.
We took some portraits together, then packed up our bags. Although it was cloudy, the air was warm and muggy, and I warmed up as soon as we continued our hike. Quickly, we found ourselves high above the stream, which had flowed into a still reservoir. We passed a cave that appeared endless in the dim light of our phone torches and laughed at the name of the second reservoir we passed: Fancy Dam.
The sun peaked out from behind the clouds and filtered through the trees. Sam taught us the Japanese word “komorebi,” meaning the scattered light that filters through when sunlight shines through trees.
The path continued to wind through the forest, never far from the river. After passing what appears to be a large disused quarry, we began the gentle climb up out of the forest.
The trail finally reconnected with a road and we knew we were getting close to the end of our hike. We enjoyed the expansive views out over the surrounding countryside.
The country lane connected with a larger road, and we followed the pavement back down towards Matlock. Passing through Farley, we enjoyed spotting numerous cottages with colourful flowers overflowing the walls and pouring into the road.
When we reached our cottage, we were surprised to see we’d hiked over 14 kilometres! Although we were all fairly exhausted, we agreed that it had been a wonderful hike – and perhaps even better than the original hike we’d planned!