The Limestone Way

Q. Hello friends - just a note about a comment on walk d313 Winster, Youlgreave and Birchover from Darley Bridge - it says the Limestone Way connects Castleton to Rocester - I thought it finished at Matlock and can't see any extension to Rocester on the map.

Can you clarify please. Many Thanks.

Ivan Mayrick

A. I've just completed the southern section of the Limestone Way, having done the northern section from Castleton to Matlock earlier in the year. Basically if you liked the northern section, chances are you'll probably like the section from Bonsall to Thorpe - it's very similar in many respects.

However the remaining ten miles from Thorpe to Rocester are quite a different walk - lots of traipsing across flat muddy fields and lacking the fine views of the rest of the walk. The section in Staffordshire (which is most of that section) is appallingly waymarked (there's about ten Limestone Way signs in that section - at most) and Rocester doesn't even seem to know that the walk even exists.

Andrew Bowden

A. We've had a number of comments about this one.

The Limestone Way originally connected Castleton in Derbyshire with Matlock in Derbyshire and is shown doing so on many older maps.

However, according to 'The Long Distance Walkers' Handbook' Sixth Edition 1998, the Limestone Way has been extended to Rocester in Staffordshire with the original route into Matlock now forming a spur to the main path. This new route is 80km (50miles) long.

If anyone out there has walked the extension, perhaps they can let us know what they thought of it.

Mike (Editor)

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