No, not what you think.

I’ve just hired some group accommodation for a weekend this summer from Derbyshire County Council in Cromford, just off the High Peak Trail.

They’ve sent the confirmation through with the stipulation that I have to be at the property inside office hours to pick up the key and get the guided tour of the toilets. Problematic if I’m driving since I live in Skipton and my kids don’t get out of school until just before 4pm…I’ve not had this difficulty with rented accommodation before, but this is local government and you live and learn. 🙂

Now thinking I may be able to catch a train early in the day to somewhere in the Hope Valley by 11am or so, have a decent ride and make it to Cromford in time, leaving my wife to drive the kids down at her leisure.

Any suggestions for a good half day’s ride southwards from, say, Hathersage, Bamford, Grindleford way?

This is a nice idea I normally ride from Edale or Cromford… I Could instead start from one and ride to the other.

It is very snowy round Hathersage and Bamford today, main roads now pretty clear. Also very snowy while I read this in Wirksworth, but I’ll check on your cottage when I drive back out on the A6, if it’s the one I think it is 😉

for a weekend this summer

Think the snow might have melted by then.

Reading OP properly fail!

Where do you need to pick the keys up from Peak Junction or Matlock?

Most likely at the place, which is at Cromford Wharf.

A lot of the tracks between the hope valley & cromford are mile munching rather than fun but if you started from Grindleford I would try and link: The woods round stoney
High Rake to Rowland
Then either: Chatsworth Park/Beely Moor/Rowsley woods/Northwood then head from Wensley across to Bonsall & descend into Cromford round the back of Ball eye quarry then along the canal to to Wharf (Peak Junction).
Or Manners wood before descending into Bakewell or Rowsley then via either Youlgrave or Stanton Moor (cheeky) to Birchover and across Bonsal Moor to Bonsal to join the other route.

Both routes are more or less linking bits from the vertical brain guide books.

Thanks Richie.

From Grindleford, is the route across the top of Froggatt/Curbar/Baslow edges then onward from Baslow a possibility/any good? I could throw in a nostalgic solo of Three Pebble Slab…

I could throw in a nostalgic solo of Three Pebble Slab

Shudders.
Did anyone else get their foot stuck in the pocket?

I understand that most of the pebbles have fallen off now, anyhow…

Its not bad (the first bit from Grindleford to Froggat is very wet and boggy at the moment) but is cheeky with lots of walkers even on week days. If you are going to do that you may as well go the whole hog & ride white edge (the ridge behind froggat then join up with Gardoms and then the path from Chatsworth edge to Beely moor (Cheeky with the chance of game keepers/estate workers) then work your way through the plantations on Matlock Moor into the top of Matlock. You could would be virtually off road for all but 3 miles but as I say those three miles would be the only 100% legal bit (Someone used to use this as a commute from Sheffield, although only did the bit through the back of Chatsworth once or twice in dry conditions (not me honest officer)). If your tempted I would recommend riding up to Riber (You won’t thank me for that bit its a Road Hill Climb) and descending to Lea Bridge that way (30% cheeky) which comes out about 400m from the Wharf

Hmm. That might be pushing my luck a tad. I’ll get the map out and look at your other suggestions.

there’s an awful lot of riding from the door at Cromford wharf, just pick one of the hills in fron of you.

Yep, looking forward to that with the kids and friends over the weekend. Just have to get there before 5pm using public transport and bike, so may as well make a day of it.

There’s always the new bridleways across Longshaw and then Froggatt and Curbar Edges – all nicely signed as concession bridleways so when you meet the grumpy types you can be all chirpy about how nice it is that they’ve opened up the paths to riders… Just don’t shoulder-barge any walkers!

Plenty of folk on here local to Cromford who would collect keys for you I’m sure. Only if you and DCC were comfortable with that. I would without a problem but would be dependant on date of course.

That’s a kind thought, thanks! I’m named as ‘group leader’ on the booking though, and I can’t see DCC having a lot of flexibility over the matter.

Besides, I might get a day pass for a peaks ride out of it! 🙂

Your welcome, there’s loads of local riding from where you’re collecting the keys, well worth exploring whilst you there.