My third and final day of walking in the Peak District, and my third Peak District YHA. The Peak District has a lot of YHA hostels, perhaps not coincidentally because they are headquartered on the edge of it in Matlock.

Sunday 4th September 2016

Had snorers in the bunk room [at Youlgrave YHA] so not the best night’s sleep. YHA breakfast again – starting to get a bit bored of it! Started walking over farm land (rather muddy), also some nicer stretches along disused railway lines. Lunch at pub – busy because people in for Sunday lunch. I had a cheese and onion pie with chips, gravy, veg. Onwards along more old railway then walked along Dove Dale, a nice touristy stretch with rocky outcrops.

Stayed in Ilam Hall where a YHA hostel is hidden away inside.

Distance: 17.5 miles [view on map]

Ilam Hall was the nicest hostel I had stayed at on the journey so far. It was hard to spot, since there are no signs on the outside of the building, but hidden away inside was a fully equipped and very modern hostel. In term time the hostel is typically booked out by schools. I was lucky to have passed by in the school summer holiday period – had I passed by a day or two later I would not have been able to stay.

The hostel was fairly quiet, so much so that I had the whole male dorm room to myself. I survived the evening by chatting to a young lady on reception. We made small talk about the workings of YHA hostels – I must have been boring her, because she then pulled out a couple of hula hoops, jumped over the desk and gave me a hula hoop lesson. I had a go but she ran rings around me – I decided I should stick to walking!