Walking
Winster has excellent walking in every direction. Armed with an OS Map, you can build anything from a 45-minute circuit to a full day's walking. If you are looking for books, there are many available, including a range by John Merrill, who lived in the village for many years. Winster Post Office has a selection on sale; for mail-order (post-free) try bestwalks.com

The Bus Service is very useful for walkers, offering the chance to walk from Winster and come back by bus (or vice versa) - Wensley, Elton, Birchover and Stanton-in-the-Peak are served throughout the day, and there is one bus per day from Middleton-by-Youlgreave and Youlgreave (see below) which can be used in conjunction with a late-afternoon bus from Hartington.

There is a more limited service on Bank Holidays, and no service at all on Sundays.

If you are thinking of driving to Winster for a walk, here is a map showing where you can most readily park. Summer Sundays can get very busy (and watch out for road closures during Winster Carnival and extra traffic for our Secret Gardens weekend).

Particularly recommended walks

Winster-Youlgreave (sometime spelled Youlgrave) via Limestone Way - take the path through the top of the church yard, cross the "New Road" (B5056), and turn right when you meet the Limestone Way. Follow this via Dudwood Lane, Robin Hood's Stride and Harthill Moor Farm. About 90 minutes each way.

As an extension, follow the river for about a mile-and-a-half up the valley from Youlgreave to Middleton-by-Youlgreave; a splendid walk with a waterscape that alternates between running stream and still ponds - and plenty of shade on a hot day. There are buses on route 171 every couple of hours back from Middleton (not Sun or BH) to Youlgreave and Bakewell, and one bus on route 172 at around 5.30pm through to Matlock via Winster (not Saturdays or Sundays, but it does run on Bank Holidays).

Grattondale (beyond Elton on the road to Middleton-by-Youlgreave - very limited parking) and Longdale, returning by Middleton-Elton road (which is very quiet).

Winster - Stanton-in-the-Peak via Birchover and Stanton Moor. Time it right and you can use the bus one way and walk the other. There is a variant of this walk (with some excellent photos) on the SnapThePeaks website.

Winster-Wensley via Clough Wood (path leaves Winster-Wensley road about 100m beyond Winster School).

There is an excellent cafe in Elton (open weekends all year, and some other days in summer) which makes a particularly suitable destination if you have children in tow.

YHA has several hostels in the area, and the good path network means that you can readily build linear or circular routes that involve overnight stops at their hostels. YHA Hartington would make a good stop for a one-night excursion; for a longer trip, you could carry on down wonderful Dovedale to reach YHA Ilam.

Excellent traffic-free cycling available (with hire facilities where marked with *) on trails (mostly old railway lines):

• High Peak Trail: Middleton Top* - Grangemill - Parsley Hay*
• Tissington Trail: Tissington - Hartington Station - Parsley Hay*
• Mainfold Trail: Waterhouses* - Wetton - Hulme End (near Hartington)
• Derwent Valley reservoirs*