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The Monsal Trail is a cycle, horse riding and walking trail in the Derbyshire Peak District. ==Route description== It follows a section of the former Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway, built by the Midland Railway in 1863 to link Manchester with London. The line was closed in 1968 by the Labour Minister for Transport Barbara Castle, not as it is often thought by the Beeching Axe, and remained unused for twelve years before being taken over by the Peak District National Park. The Monsal Trail is about in length〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Peak District View : Monsal Trail )〕 and opened in 1981.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=What is the Monsal Trail? )〕 It starts at the Topley Pike junction (in Wye Dale, east of Buxton) and runs to Coombs Viaduct, south-east of Bakewell. It follows the valley of the River Wye and runs parallel to the A6. From the Wyedale car park,〔(Access page on PeakDistrict.org )〕 the easiest access point for the northern end of the trail, there is a walk of about , with the last part up steps, to reach the trail.〔(Cheedale page on Cressbrook.co.uk )〕 Starting at the south of the trail, "from Market Place in Bakewell, follow Sheffield Road and cross the five-arched bridge of the River Wye, turn right and ascend Station Road to the former Bakewell railway station and car park on your left."〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Monsal Trail Walk )〕 The trail passes through such places as Blackwell Mill, Millers Dale, Cressbrook, Monsal Dale, Great Longstone, Hassop and Bakewell. In the case of Longstone and Hassop, although a railway station was provided, it was some distance from the village. This route through the Wye Valley was necessitated by the Duke of Devonshire's objection to the railway passing through his grounds (which included not only Chatsworth House, but extensive grounds north of Rowsley). This route meant, for instance, that the line had to pass above the town of Bakewell, rather than through it. The Duke of Rutland, of Haddon Hall, insisted on the construction of Haddon Tunnel to hide it from his view, but he used Bakewell railway station, which was built to a grander design than normal, and carried his coat of arms. The Duke of Devonshire later came to realise the value of the railway, and his offer for the Midland Railway to run through Chatsworth came too late. He was therefore the force behind the construction of Hassop railway station, which, although nearer to Bakewell than Hassop village itself, meant that he did not have to share a railway station with his neighbour, the Duke of Rutland.〔''Railways in the Peak District'', by Nicholson & Barnes, Dalesman Books 1971〕 Great Longstone (simply called 'Longstone' before 1913) served Thornbridge Hall, and the railway station design, with leaded glass windows, reflected the architecture of the hall itself. For many years the trail could not follow the trackbed throughout as tunnels had been closed for safety reasons, such as at Monsal Head and Cressbrook, meaning that the trail was diverted. The tunnels were walked by Julia Bradbury as part of BBC TV's ''Railway Walks: The Peak Express''.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=BBC – BBC Four Programmes – Railway Walks, The Peak Express )〕 Many resulting access points and diversion paths were unsuitable for those using cycles or wheelchairs or with difficulty walking due to steep uneven stone steps or narrow paths. Plans to make the tunnels safe and re-open them to the public were given the go-ahead at a cost of £3.785m,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=BBC News – Go-ahead for reopening of tunnels )〕 and the tunnels were opened officially for use on 25 May 2011 at a ceremony at the Headstone Viaduct (they had been open for use since 13 May 2011). As a consequence, the trail is now virtually level (though the former diversions are still usable, if desired), and can thus be used by wheelchair users with level access onto the trail at Bakewell, Hassop railway station (disabled toilets at Bakewell and Millers Dale railway stations) and Millers Dale. The notorious Litton Mill, downstream from Millers Dale railway station, is where orphans from major cities were abused by Ellis Needham, with the graves of many to be found in local churchyards. William Newton's 1783 Cressbrook Mill (on the site of a herb distillery) was used by Richard Arkwright.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Monsal Trail in Derbyshire and the Peak District )〕 Pedal Peak District, the organisation funding the reopening of the tunnels, hope that it will be possible to extend the trail to create a circular route linking Buxton, Matlock and Bakewell.〔(Sheffield Telegraph )〕 Derbyshire County Council are taking this forward, starting with an extension south through Haddon Tunnel to Rowsley,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=White Peak Loop: Bakewell to Rowsley )〕 then broadly alongside the Peak Rail railway as far as Darley Dale. Both of these are dependent on local authority support and funding; however public consultation in 2014 showed strong support, and planning applications have now been lodged for sections of the route between Rowsley and Matlock. Several miles to the south and south-west of this trail lie two other cycle/horse riding/walking trails, which similarly utilise former railway trackbeds, namely the High Peak Trail and the Tissington Trail. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Monsal Trail」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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