The second day begins in Rowsley, a quiet Derbyshire village that once bustled with railway freight and cotton spinning. After breakfast at the Grouse & Claret — a biker-friendly inn with hearty portions and riverside views — you cross the River Derwent via a stone bridge whose origins trace to the 1400s. Beneath your tyres lies the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution: the Derwent Valley, home to Arkwright’s world-changing water-powered cotton mill.

Your wheels then whisper across the River Wye in Bakewell, England’s only chalk stream supporting wild rainbow trout. These fish were first brought here from California in the 19th century — now a thriving native population flickers beneath the surface. With limestone buildings and a market-town charm, Bakewell makes for a picturesque roll-through before the climb begins.

Soon the air sharpens and the sky opens up. You sweep past Ladybower Dam, a 1930s feat of civil engineering that submerged two villages — Derwent and Ashopton — beneath its mirrored waters. At the Ladybower Viewpoint, you’ll learn about the church whose bell now rings in Chaddesden, the wool fairs that once filled Ashopton’s square, and the ruins that resurface in drought. Coffee awaits at the Dam Layby Café, where legends rise with the mist and disappear just as quickly.

As the ride ascends Snake Pass, you follow the glaciated cut of the Ashop Valley — a thread of water weaving moor to moor. Designed by Thomas Telford and once the highest turnpike in England, Snake Pass delivers wide bends, deep solitude, and the wind’s own kind of silence. At the summit, you stand at 510 metres, surrounded by the stark beauty of the Pennines.

Not far beyond lies a roadside plaque, marking the crash of a USAF B‑29 bomber in 1948 — “Over Exposed”, with 13 crew lost. The story adds solemn weight to the windblown hills of Bleaklow Moor.

Next comes Holme Moss Summit, 524 m above sea level. This is Tour de France territory, both in elevation and in sheer spectacle. Then it’s time to refuel — not the bike, but the soul — at Sid’s Café in Glossop, made famous by Last of the Summer Wine. Its biker charm is matched only by the quality of the bacon sandwiches.

You then carve westward into Yorkshire, skirting Haworth Moor, the brooding uplands that gave birth to Wuthering Heights. Heathery wilds and crumbling walls offer a romantic pause before lunch at the Route 59 Café — where riders gather like old friends under garage-style eaves.

The second day’s finale is long and winding, taking you past the soaring 24-arch Ribblehead Viaduct — built by 2,300 navvies over treacherous peatland, many buried in the nearby chapel yard. A triumph of Victorian willpower, it’s more than a ride-by — it’s a salute.

The final stretch flows through Chapel-le-Dale, with its limestone ridges, dry-stone walls, and the quiet hum of ancient geology. As you drop into the Lake District, the Gilpin Bridge Country Inn awaits with hot meals, riverside peace, and safe bike parking. It’s more than a destination — it’s a promise that the third day will continue the magic.