Derbyshire and Peak District Dales

Miller's Dale

Miller's Dale is a lovely limestone dale, along the section of the River Wye from Chee Dale, to Water cum Jolly Dale. It has a village bearing the same name, old quarry works, several mills and an abundance of flora. A long distance footpath, the Monsal Trail runs the length of the dale allowing access to the mill yards. There are foot bridges at either end of Millers Dale allowing access to convienent car parks.

The village, bearing the same name as the dale, grew up in the mid 19th century to provide housing for the rail men and quarry workers and their families and had a large railway station which served the local villages and industries alike. It was part of the Midland Line linking Buxton to London. There used to be a corn mill opposite the Anglers Rest pub in the village but the water wheel was reinstated at the cornmill in Cromford. The mill is now used by a wood workers and craft supply company.

Litton Mill was quite notorious for the appalling way it treated its young labour force, which consisted of mainly pauper and orphaned children. They had often been brought here from places as far away as London and had to put up with long hours, meagre food, cramped accomodation, beatings and general abuse by the owners of the mill, the Needham family. Many died as a result of the harsh treatment they recieved at the hands of Ellis Needham and his sons. They were buried away from the mill to try and hide the truth about what went on, though in reality in those days, few people cared as long as these children were not a burden on local parishes. Litton Mill is now ( June 2003 ) in the process of being renovated into residential units.

There are several side dales running north from the main valley, with Monks Dale being a wildlife reserve with a wide range of vegetation including very old natural woodland and the spring cinquefoil, Nottingham catchfly, and herb Paris. Monk's Dale took its name from the hillside vestiges of a monks chapel. Cressbrook has some beautiful ash woodland. The youth hostel at Ravenstor has a lovely location at the confluence of Miller's Dale and Tideswell Dale, amid dramatic residual evidence of the heaving contortions of that ancient sea bed and note the dark streaks on the crags, a result of volcanic action. Taddington Dale has been provided with picnic sites and a nature trail.

There are many lovely walks in the region and a walk between Millers Dale station and Monks Dale via Wormhill, with its village green, stocks, well, cottages and associations with the famous canal engineer James Brindley is an ideal way to pass a pleasant morning.

Photographs of Millers Dale at Derbyshire Photographs