Winster, Grangemill, Longcliffe and Aldwark

From the top car park above Winster, we’ll take a SE path towards Grangemill then follow the Limestone Way up to grid ref: SK 2394 5789 and head towards the Pennine Bridleway for lunch. After passing through the hamlet of Longcliffe, we head back on a NNE path before taking a minor road through Aldwark and then across fields in a north easterly direction back to Winster. Look out for mountain hares.

Historical Context: Winster is a small picturesque village 4 miles west of Matlock and was first recorded in the Doomsday Book (1086). It sits in a broad valley where limestone banks to the south and meets shale and gritstone to the north, so buildings are built from both materials. Famous for lead mining since Roman times, the boom in trade by 1750 turned the prosperous village of Winster into one of the largest towns in thecountry. The last mine was closed in 1935 due to flooding, and its population has reduced by 2/3rds to approximately 630 today.