Join our annual Christmas Walk in the beautiful dales around Bakewell, taking in Monsal Dale, Deep Dale and a riverside walk along the River Wye. This sociable walk is the perfect way to round off our walking year, with festive treats, a Christmas quiz and prizes. We’ll start and finish at Thornbridge Hall with its wonderful Christmas Market*, leaving plenty of time to browse the festive stalls. It’s a Christmas cracker!
*Optional entry to Thornbridge Hall Christmas Market (approx. £8).
£45.00
Christmas Cracker! Guided Walk 2026
Route: Our walk begins at Thornbridge Hall >, a Grade II listed stately home set in 80 acres of stunning parkland near Ashford in the Water – and sometimes called “the quirkiest stately home in the UK”! From here we head onto the Monsal Trail, passing through the 343-metre-long Monsal Tunnel on this former Peak District railway line. We emerge onto the light on Monsal Viaduct – a magnificent arched railway bridge over Monsal Dale. Dropping into the Dale, we walk along the banks of the River Wye with its tumbling weirs, reaching a car park with toilets at the foot of Deep Dale… and maybe a Santa surprise too!
Walking up through the remote woodlands of Deep Dale, we emerge onto moorland pasture, passing through Sheldon and skirting high above the dales, woods and edges before dropping down to the River Wye in the charming village of Ashford in the Water (more toilets here too!). From Ashford, it’s a walk up the hill back to Thornbridge Hall, where we finish.
The walk will include a Christmas quiz, surprise treats along the way, and an optional visit to the Thornbridge Hall Christmas Market.
Thornbridge Hall Christmas Market
Filled with festive cheer, live entertainment and mulled wine, the market has over 40 festive stalls featuring local makers, bakers, creatives and traders. This could be the perfect place to find your unique Christmas gifts! Optional entry to the market: Approx £8 (not included in your walk booking – pay on entry).
Free Lift Option
We will have a ‘free lift’ option along the walk route. If you want to do a shorter walk, with a lift back to the start, please contact us > – we’ll make a plan with you.
Want to ask a question about the Christmas Cracker! Guided Walk. Please Contact Us >
Pictures are used with the kind permission of:
| Walk Date | Saturday 5 December 2026 |
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Here’s an Essential Kit Kist for all our walks >
We meet at Thornbridge Hall, Ashford in the Water, Bakewell DE45 1NZ. There may be a charge for parking and we’ll let you know, before the day.
Important:
Coming by Bus or Train?
We’re keen to support public transport use and reduce emissions. If you’re arriving reasonably nearby we’ll give you a free lift. Just ask us when you book.
There are no toilets at the start of the walk. However, there are toilets at Ashford-in-the-Water Village Car Park (Postcode: DE45 1QG) – only two minutes’ drive from the Thornbridge Estate. These are Operated via an honesty box (20p donation). Google Location Map here >
Bakewell is an historic market town bustling with shops, cafés, restaurants, hotels and the famous Bakewell Pudding shop. Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall are both close by.
This is a Moderate Walk at a moderate, sociable pace, with breaks. Here is our walk difficulty guide >
We will have a ‘free lift’ option along the walk route. If you want to do a shorter walk, with a lift back to the start, please contact us > – we’ll make a plan with you.
We have created a separate page of the most frequently asked questions here >
Click here > to see a Google map of accommodation near this walk’s start.
We have also created a page of Peak District accommodation we recommend here >
We all want to respect, protect and enjoy the fragile upland environments where we walk, so that they can be enjoyed by generations to come. Following The Countryside Code really helps…