Bec and I took an afternoon walk in the Peak District this hot, sunny Saturday. We started in the small village of Foolow and followed footpaths through the fields to Grindlow and then up Hucklow Edge, where we spent a while watching gliders being winched into the sky from the Camphill airfield over lunch.
Then we traversed around to Abney Grange and descended into the head of Bretton Clough. We followed the valley down as far as Stoke Ford, admiring the various knolls and hollows left behind by past landslides, then doubled back up the tracks onto Eyam Moor, gaining good views back up Bretton Clough and across to Abney Clough, and then higher up towards Mam Tor, Win Hill, and Kinder Scout beyond.
Bec in Bretton CloughLooking back up Bretton CloughCotton grass on Sir William Hill
From the top of Sir William Hill, it was just a short walk down to Eyam Edge and back along the lane to Foolow for a welcome cold drink at the Bulls Head.
Ruth decided to take her new car for a trip and visit me in Derbyshire for the weekend. We walked not far from Bakewell both days, just the two of us on Saturday and with Bec on Sunday.
Saturday’s walk started in Ashford in the Water and took us up the fields to Sheldon, then through luxuriant wild flower meadows to the head of Deep Dale. We followed the valley back down to the Wye valley then walked up Monsal Dale, past the weir and viaduct, and up Upperdale to Cressbrook Mill. There we forked right into Cressbrook Dale, taking our lunch break on the valley rim near Wardlow. Our return route to Ashford was over Longstone Moor, always a good viewpoint over this corner of the Peak District.
Ruth under Monsal Head viaductRavensdale CottagesCressbrook Dale
On Sunday, I dropped in for my second dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccination at Derby’s Arena, then we met Bec in Baslow around half past nine – the first time she and Ruth had met. We started by heading south through Chatsworth Park to Beeley Lodge. From there, we followed tracks up the side of the valley to the earthworks of Hob Hirst’s House, then north across the moor to Robin Hood. We followed the paths up to Birchen Edge, having lunch below Nelson’s Monument, where we were unexpectedly bothered by a few midges! After lunch, we continued over the moor, north then west to Wellington’s Monument, from where it was only a short walk down the track back to Baslow.
Chatsworth HouseBec and Ruth on the lane above Beeley LodgeBec and Ruth on Birchen Edge
Bec and I took a lunchtime stroll at Clumber Park, about a decade since the last time I walked through this area! We parked on the Lime Avenue and circumnavigated the lake in an anticlockwise direction, pausing for lunch at the refreshment van in Hardwick. Lots of people enjoying the forest trails, swans and geese on the water, colourful rhododendrons, and fine reflections near Clumber Bridge. And pleasingly, none of the forecast showers arrived.
Bec on the weir below Clumber BridgeSwans on Clumber Lake
Bec and I took a Sunday walk from Taddington village, enjoying the warm and bright weather. Our route initially took us west, over Sough Top to Chelmorton village. From there, we dropped down the valley to Churn Hole – I’d forgotten how impressive this little gorge is – into Wye Dale.
Meadows above ChelmortonAn unlikely place for a large tree to grow!
The next few miles were following the river downstream, initially on the riverside path through Chee Dale, which winds its way below the overhanging limestone cliffs, and is forced onto unusual stepping stones along the river in a couple of places where there’s no gap between the river and the walls of the gorge. This is usually a quiet place, but today was definitely the busiest I’ve seen it with walkers, wild swimmers and rock climbers in abundance!
On the Chee Dale stepping stonesBec under the overhanging cliffs
Once we reached the lane at Miller’s Dale, we climbed up to join the Monsal Trail disused railway for a few miles, passing through two tunnels and over the viaduct to Monsal Head. From there, we dropped down to the weir, finding lots of people picnicking on the riverbank, and continued down the riverside path to the bottom of Deep Dale. That just left the final ascent back up to Taddington.
Bec and I went up to the Dark Peak for the day, hoping to dodge the showers after a very wet Saturday spent indoors. We parked in Hope village and took the direct route from there up to the summit of Lose Hill, enjoying the views towards Mam Tor and Winnats Pass. We were surprised that the path was deserted until we were almost at the top.
Mam Tor
Once we’d taken in the views over Edale for a few minutes, we had cooled down in the breeze and continued along the ridge, over Back Tor and down to Hollins Cross. The section from Back Tor onwards has recently been improved with new stone pitching and gravelled sections, which should help manage the very heavy foot traffic that this ridge sees!
Edale and Grindsbrook from below Back Tor
From Hollins Cross, we followed the bridleway down to Edale village, then re-ascended the other side of the valley, taking the path towards Grindsbrook then branching right on the zigzags up to Ringing Roger, where we paused for lunch in a spot behind the rocks that was much less sheltered than we hoped! The sun did come out for some good spells though.
Edale from The NabBec on Ringing Roger
After lunch, we continued east along the edge of Kinder Scout, pausing briefly to admire some pretty cascades in Jaggers Clough, then descended the path east to Hope Cross. The gentle ridge back up to Win Hill made for easy progress, with just a few spots of rain falling on Hope Brink. This just left a final steep descent via Thornhill back to Hope.
Looking over Ladybower Reservoir to Derwent Edge
A good day in the local hills, pretty much entirely dry despite the forecast of showers. The air clarity was particularly good, making for excellent views of the Hope Valley, Edale, Woodlands Valley and Ladybower all day.
Bec invited me to meet her two sisters and their partners on a walk from Rushup Edge. We got an early start and met just after 8am in a layby above Rushup Hall. From there, we took the ‘Chapel Gate’ bridleway up onto Rushup Edge then down to Barber Booth.
Descending Chapel Gate
Then we followed the Pennine Way up Jacob’s Ladder to Edale Cross, and back down the other side into the Sett valley – a route that brought back memories of many visits on CUHWC trips to Edale.
Looking back to Edale from Jacob’s LadderThe Sett valley
The final section of the route took us back up onto the ridge north of Mount Famine, then followed the traversing track south of the peak then north of South Head. We returned to our start point via the deep gully of Roych Clough – a path I’d only followed once before, and that way back in 2010!
Re-ascending towards Mount FamineRoych Clough
A good walk in warm and sunny weather, and also lovely to meet some of the people Bec has talked about a lot.
Following the recent relaxation of lockdown restrictions to allow local day-trips, I was keen to spend as much as possible of the Easter weekend enjoying the great outdoors a little further from home than has been possible so far this year.
On Good Friday, I headed to the Peak District for a walk from Monyash, which I found to be very quiet despite starting at midday on a Bank Holiday! Apparently others are not yet making the most of their new freedoms! My route went down Lathkill Dale all the way to Conksbury. I enjoyed the limestone crags, mossy boulders, and the very clear waters of the River Lathkill.
The most dramatic stretch of Lathkill DaleThe small waterfall on the Lathkill
I then doubled back along the rim of the dale to Over Haddon, pausing for lunch on one scenic overlook. From the village, I took to footpaths across the pastures to Magpie Mine – my first visit except one at running pace on a recent Peak Raid event – then through Sheldon and down into the Wye valley near Ashford in the Water. From there, I followed the footpaths up the valley through Shacklow Woods, then ascended Deep Dale right to its head, finishing with a few more upland pastures back to Monyash.
Looking up the River Lathkill from my lunch spot above ConksburyA classic White Peak pastoral scene, near Monyash
After the walk, I met up with Bec for a run around the parkrun course at Brierley Forest, followed by fish and chips for dinner.
The next morning, Bec drove down to my house mid-morning so we could travel up to the Peak District together for a walk over the ‘Dragon’s Back’, starting in Longnor. We started by crossing the Dove valley by Beggar’s Bridge, then ascended via Hitter Hill to Earl Sterndale. From there, we turned west to descend to the foot of Parkhouse Hill, which we traversed by the crest of its narrow ridge. I was glad that Bec enjoyed the easy scrambling and awkward, steep gravelly descent.
Chrome Hill, from Parkhouse Hill
After Parkhouse Hill, Chrome Hill, although larger, always feels a bit of an anticlimax. It does offer better views though, both back to Parkhouse Hill and ahead towards Hollins Hill. We paused for a leisurely lunch part way along the ridge.
Looking back to Parkhouse Hill from Chrome HillLooking northwest past Hollins Hill from our lunch spot
We looped around the western slopes of Hollins Hill to descend to Hollinsclough, then used a mixture of bridleways, lanes and footpaths to return to Chrome Hill, crossing the River Manifold on improvised stepping stones. A lovely day out in the sunshine with good scenery and great company.
On Easter Sunday, I met up with Jeff, Helen and Amina for a 15km trail run on Cannock Chase. We started at the main visitor centre and headed into the southeastern corner of the Chase, slightly extending a route I ran in the autumn. Afterwards we went back to Amina’s garden for bacon sandwiches and cake.
Monday was another sunny morning, although with a bitterly cold wind and few early snow flurries! I drove up to Thorpe for a morning walk around the rim of Dovedale, avoiding the main valley path to keep away from the crowds. Just short of the car park, I noticed the car had reached 100000 miles, so paused to record the occasion.
100000 miles, just outside Thorpe!
The visibility over Dovedale and the surrounding pastures was superb as I walked along the footpaths past Bostern Grange and then down into Milldale, with great views of Wetton, Gratton, Narrowdale and Wolfscote hills. Once I’d crossed the river and climbed back up the other side of the valley, I headed back south, the cold wind now behind me, via Bunster Hill and Thorpe Pastures, and so back to the car.
Milldale, Wetton Hill, Narrowdale Hill and Gratton HillLooking through the trees to Hazelton ClumpThorpe Cloud, from the slopes of Bunster Hill
To conclude the Easter weekend, on Tuesday I drove up to the north of the Peak District for a walk with my sister, roughly midway between our homes. Ruth and I met in Old Glossop at 10am and began by walking up the Doctor’s Gate path to reach the Pennine Way south of Bleaklow, in warm sunshine.
Ruth on the Doctor’s Gate path
We took the scenic detour across the moor to Higher Shelf Stones and its B-29 plane wreckage – a site that has become a bit of an unexpected tourist honeypot in the last year of travel restrictions – then continued north to Bleaklow Head, pausing in one particularly sheltered grough for lunch out of the very cold wind. The cloud gradually built as we continued, and the sunshine less warming!
Ruth among the wreckage on Higher Shelf StonesThe summit of Higher Shelf Stones
From Bleaklow Head, we descended the Pennine Way all the way into the Crowden valley, with light snow now falling much of the time, then took the disused railway path down the valley past the reservoirs to Padfield. From there it was just a short walk along the lanes at footpaths back to Old Glossop.
A good day in some wilder hills, and it was great to spend a few hours catching up with Ruth, not having seen her since Christmas. We agreed to meet again on Sunday, the last day of her Easter holidays.
I’ve been trying online dating for the last few months and have recently been forging a friendship with a lady named Bec. After six weeks or so of regular video dates through lockdown, we decided it was acceptable to meet up for a couple of walks near the Derwent Valley, roughly half way between our homes.
For our first face-to-face date, we met in Wirksworth and walked along the High Peak Trail to Harborough Rocks, returning via Brassington and Carsington villages.
Harborough RocksLooking back to BrassingtonCarsington Water
The following weekend, we met again in Crich and walked both sides of the valley via the memorial, Holloway, Lea Woods, Alderwasley, Shining Cliff and Crich Chase.
Daffodils near WakebridgeThe Cromford CanalCrich Chase
I drove a few miles for a Sunday morning stroll north of Derby. My route started through Allestree Park, the golf course still quiet but lots of families enjoying the perimeter paths.
Allestree Park Lake
Then I passed through Quarndon, which brought back memories of the two years I spent renting a studio flat at Quarndon Hill when I first moved to Derby – a very exclusive address for such a low budget! From there, I dropped down through the fields to Duffield, with good views over the Ecclesbourne Valley.
Looking up the Ecclesbourne Valley from below Quarndon
The final stretch was along the Derwent riverside path back to Allestree: rather muddy in parts, and sadly they have recently felled a lot of trees alongside the railway line. Nevertheless, it was good to be out in the fresh air somewhere slightly different for a couple of hours, and with only a few spots of rain.
The River Derwent, near Burley Hill. Particularly brown today!
I reached the weekend with 24 miles left on my ‘Run for the Trees’ challenge, and settled on a 14-mile walk on the Saturday, to leave a final easy 10-mile run with the bubble on the Sunday. With an invitation for lunch with the bubble in Hartshorne, I decided to drive the few miles to start my walk in Milton, which gives access to a good range of undulating trails in the northern reaches of the National Forest.
I started by heading across the fields to pick up the bottom of Red Lane, and followed that up to Repton Shrubs, where I took a scenic detour through the middle of the woods, rejoining Brook Street for a bit before making another detour through Hartshorne Woods to the village.
Me in Repton Shrubs
After lunch and an extended chat, I continued on my way, initially southeast towards Smisby, then northeast through Pisternhill Plantation and down into Calke Park – a popular spot for a lockdown walk and social distancing requirements meant getting stuck in slow-walking traffic in places!
Calke ParkA colourful tree-stump
Having left the park at Ticknall, I followed familiar bridleways through the edge of Robin Wood, then down to Foremarke Hall and back over the fields to Milton.
Foremarke Hall. The school has recently been re-branded as ‘Repton Prep’.
After 11 weeks of intensive marathon training, I finally picked up a minor injury and needed to rest my sore right ankle and calf. Happily, after a few week-days of proper rest, it felt strong enough for some long local walks, which meant I was still able to make use of the first warm and sunny weekend of 2021.
On Friday afternoon, I tested the ankle out with a short walk around Hilton village and back through the Nature Reserve.
Hilton Nature Reserve
Feeling no ill effects from Friday’s stroll, I committed to a long Saturday walk to the bubble’s house in Hartshorne and back. Heather had also suggested meeting for a stroll and chat, so I took the outward route via Burton, reached by a route I trod often last Spring: along the lanes through Egginton, along the Trent and Mersey canal, then through the streets of Burton. There was a lovely display of purple and white crocuses in the churchyard at Egginton, and I enjoyed the reflections all along the canal.
Crocuses in the churchyard at Egginton
Heather joined me for the next few miles of my walk towards Hartshorne, as far as Bretby, before returning home alone while I continued. It was great to catch up having not done so face to face for a couple of months.
Heather, in a deserted Burton Golf Course
Once at Hartshorne, I spent 90 minutes or so chatting with Jeff and Helen over lunch in the garden, before hitting the trails again for another three hours back home, via Foremark Reservoir, Repton, Willington, and another section of the canal, and finally the lanes back through Egginton.
Me by Foremark ReservoirWith no boat traffic and no breeze, the reflections on the canal were just as good in the afternoon
On Sunday morning, I decided to drive a few miles north of Hilton to start my walk in Longford and explore some unfamiliar bridleways north of there into Osmaston Park. These were muddier than I expected and not, as I had hoped, suitable for incorporation into my long road runs from home. They might make a good summer trail running route though! The sections through Osmaston Park were very attractive, with the deciduous woodland, parkland, watermill and lakes.
The mill at Osmaston ParkOsmaston Park
To conclude the weekend, on Sunday afternoon I popped over to Repton for a stroll with Dave, plus three-week-old daughter in sling. This actually included quite a few footpaths I had not previously trodden, over Askew Hill, and the fields southwest of the village. Baby conveniently slept for almost the entire walk!
It’s felt strange to spend a week on holiday at home in Derby – something I don’t think I’ve ever done before! I entertained myself with a mixture of running and walking, including two snowy walks in the Peak District that I’ll discuss here!
On Wednesday 30th I headed to the southwest of the Peak District, hoping to find snow on The Roaches. To avoid driving on ungritted minor roads, I started my walk in Leek, which had a fair amount of snow even in town. It’s not far from the edge of town to Tittesworth Reservoir. I followed the perimeter path along the eastern shore then ascended through farmland to Upper Hulme – and decided the road would actually have been fine!
Sadly the cloud base was low and my walk over Hen Cloud, The Roaches and Back Forest was in mist throughout: nice crunchy snow underfoot but no views! I dropped out of the cloud for a while as I descended to Danebridge and followed the River Dane down to Gig Hall, then climbed back up via Gun End to Gun (back in the mist). That just left a gentle descent via Gunside and the Hillswood farms.
Snowy and misty on The RoachesI dropped back out of the mist near Hangingstone FarmLooking towards The Cloud from the slopes of Gun
On Saturday 2nd, the forecast was for a sunny morning, gradually clouding over, so I got a prompt start. I fancied walking in snow again, so I headed up to the high ground of Bleaklow, starting at the car park just up the road from the Snake Pass Inn. I ascended onto the ridge by the path up the rim of Oyster Clough, then worked my way northwest through the snow over Over Wood Moss to eventually reach the Pennine Way – it felt a long way on this rough, pathless ground in a good covering of snow!
Sunlit clouds over Kinder ScoutOver Wood Moss, with Grinah Stones in the distance
I was surprised see see that there was a well used and heavily trampled path through the snow up to the B29 wreckage on Higher Shelf Stones – apparently this has become a bit of a lockdown tourist attraction! This made the ascent much quicker and easier than I expected. I continued north to Bleaklow Head, then turned back south to follow the Pennine Way all the way down to Snake Pass and back up across Featherbed Moss to Mill Hill. The sections within about 1km of the pass were very heavily trodden with the snow compacted into very slippery ice, so I mainly walked beside the path on this stretch!
Heading towards the Snake Pass and Featherbed Moss, with low cloud draped over Kinder Scout beyond
Light snow began to fall as I crossed Featherbed Moss, and had become heavy snow by the time I reached Mill Hill. I had planned to stop for second-lunch here, but thought it better to press on down the Snake Path through Ashop Clough to the car before the road got too tricky! I found a couple of inches of snow on top of the car but was relieved to find the road still easily passable with care. Slushy roads and overly-cautious drivers made for a slow drive home!
Heather and I met up for an afternoon walk and chat in the Derwent Valley, starting in Crich village. We started by walking up to the Memorial, and were surprised to find the tower open for visits, with good views all around from the very windy top!
Looking over the Derwent Valley from the top of the Memorial tower
We then continued around the rim of Cliff Quarry and descended into the valley via Duke’s Quarries and the Cromford Canal.
Heather in Duke’s Quarries
Having crossed the river, we took the lane up to Alderwasley then made our way through Shining Cliff woods to Ambergate.
The Park Plantation at Alderwasley
That just left the climb up Crich Chase back to the village, the clouds finally breaking to give a little evening sunshine and a little redness in the sky before sunset. Great to catch up over a muddy stroll in the woods.
Heather in Crich ChaseAlmost sunset at Chadwick Nick
The MWIS forecast teased that there was an 80% chance of the higher summits in the Peak District being above the cloud today, although the Met Office mountain forecast didn’t make the same prediction. I decided to take the chance and opted to walk around the Edale skyline, starting near Mam Tor as it’s the quickest point to drive to.
The initial ascent to Mam Tor brought disappointment as, although you could see clearer skies above, the summit was not quite high enough to get any views. Quite a few photographers had set up with tripods and were waiting patiently for improvement, but I decided to press on along the ridge to Lose Hill and hope for better luck on the higher ground later in the day. I did get a better glimpse of the inversion from part-way down to Hollins Cross.
The best view I got from the Mam Tor ridge
I dropped out of the mist part-way down Lose Hill and had an hour or so in the clear as I crossed over the valley. I chose not to visit Win Hill today, instead ascending the easy-angled track from Fullwood Stile up to Hope Cross, with murky views up Edale.
Edale
I re-entered the cloud on the ascent of Crookstone Hill and the first few kilometres along the edge of Kinder Scout did not bring any improvement. However, as I passed over Upper Tor, the skies to my right (over the plateau) started to clear and my hopes of good inversion views were raised. The section from Grindslow Knoll to Edale Head gave the best conditions, mostly above the cloud, and I enjoyed some dramatic cloudscapes over Crowden Clough and upper Edale.
The plateau was clear near Grindslow Knoll, with Grindsbrook Clough full of cloudLooking over the inversion from near Pym ChairInversion over EdaleDramatic cloud conditions below Edale Head
Descending to Edale Cross took me back into the mist, and visibility remained poor for the remainder of the traverse over Brown Knoll and Rushup Edge. Overall, a lot of walking in mist today, but well worth turning out for the one hour of views in the early afternoon!
Today I went for a long walk in the Dark Peak, starting in Bamford and circumnavigating all three of the Upper Derwent Valley reservoirs. The walk started just before 9am with a steep ascent up onto Bamford Edge. Some heavy drizzle blew through as I walked along the Edge, producing a rainbow in front of Win Hill for a while, but had mostly passed by the time I got to the classic viewpoints over Ladybower Reservoir.
A rainbow in front of Win HillLadybower Reservoir, from Bamford Edge
I dropped down to cross the A57 near Cutthroat Bridge then re-ascended the bridleway onto Whinstone Lee Tor to gain the easy path along Derwent Edge, which gave rapid progress all the way past the various rocky outcrops to Back Tor, my high point for the day. By this point there was a lot more sunshine around, and I enjoyed good views over the Howden Moors as I descended past Lost Lad towards Howden Dam.
Howden Moors, from Lost LadHowden Dam
I followed the reservoir tracks right around the north end of Howden Reservoir and back down the west side as far as the track up to Alport Castles, which I followed, pausing for lunch half-way up. With only a couple of hours until sunset I didn’t hang about long admiring the crags, but pressed on down the easy ridge to Lockerbrook and from there down the track past Hagg Farm before re-ascending the other side of the Woodlands Valley to Hope Cross.
The Tower at Alport Castles, with Alport Dale belowEarly-evening sunshine over Edale and Kinder Scout
The steep ascent now done for the day, I made quick progress up the easy ridge to Win Hill, reaching the summit around half an hour before sunset. Another drizzly shower passed through at exactly the right time to give a very intense rainbow, one end over Ladybower Reservoir and the other in front of Bamford Edge. Once I’d taken this in for a few minutes, I was just left with the steep and muddy descent to Thornhill and across the fields to Bamford, trying to strike the right balance between going fast to get back before dark and not falling over in the sticky mud! I succeeded in not falling over and was just able to reach the car without needing the headtorch!
A double rainbow over Ladybower
A long day out, 38km in total and over 1100m ascent, but plenty of easy tracks and paths meant it only took 7 and a half hours. The low autumn sunshine and rainbow-producing showers made for a very scenic day in the hills.
Ignoring the MWIS’s warning of hail showers, I assumed the regular weather forecast for sunny spells would be correct and headed up to the Eastern Peak District moors for a long trail run from Baslow – my longest run ever, in fact, at 31km! I’ve signed up for my first marathon at the end of March (Covid rules permitting) so I’ll need to do lots more long runs in the next few months.
It’s always good not to have too many navigational breaks when out running, so I followed a route that was mostly very familiar from past walks. This started steeply uphill to Wellington’s Monument, then crossed the moor to White Edge, quite cold today with a strong southwesterly breeze.
Wellington’s Monument
The slight descent to Longshaw brought some respite before climbing back up again along Burbage Rocks and around to Overstones at the southern end of Stanage Edge.
Looking up to Carl Wark and Higger Tor, from the south end of of Burbage RocksThe trig point on Overstones, with Kinder Scout in the background
From there, I descended via Higger Tor, Over Owler Tor and Millstone Edge to Grindleford Station, then ascended back up through the woods to the northern end of Froggatt Edge. That just left the relatively easy run along Froggatt, Curbar and Baslow Edges, with a bit of a zigzag on the final descent to get the distance over 30km!
Looking up the Derwent Valley from Millstone EdgeThe woods above Padley Gorge
A good day to be out in my local hills, with plenty of sunshine and no showers. The running was pretty hard going with lots of mud, uneven rocky ground, and around 800m of ascent and descent, so my pace wasn’t that fast and the 31km took me around 3h10, plus about 15 minutes of short stoppages for water, snacks and photographs.
After a very wet Saturday, the forecast suggested that Sunday might be mostly dry in the Peak District, with a few afternoon showers, so I ventured up for a walk that could be extended or shortened to suit the conditions. It was overcast as I started in Stanton-in-Peak and walked over the northern end of Stanton Moor to the stone circle and tower, but some glimpses of sunshine started to break through as I descended the path to Stanton Woodhouse and Rowsley.
Patches of sunshine in the Derwent Valley
From there I followed the Derwent Valley Heritage Way past Lindop and on through the Chatsworth Estate to Baslow, the weather steadily brightening to give plenty of sunshine as I passed Chatsworth House, making for some good photography conditions.
The upper weir, and Chatsworth House in the backgroundChatsworth Bridge and House
Bouyed by the brightness, I opted for the longest version of my planned work, making a loop on the quiet footpaths to Hassop, Pilsley and back into Chatsworth Park at Edensor.
Looking over Baslow to Curbar Edge and Baslow EdgeLongstone Moor, from near Pilsley
From there I took a hillier route back to Stanton, over Calton Pastures and Lees Moor then down to Haddon Hall, over the low ridge to Bradford Dale, then back up again to the car. Overall a very enjoyable day out in better-than-forecast conditions. Having not needed waterproofs all day, a heavy shower arrived just as I’d sat down in the car – perfect timing!
To celebrate my birthday (a couple of days early), Helen, Jeff, Heather, Heather and Amina joined me for a day spent around Bakewell. We met at Hassop Station for a 10am run along the Bakewell parkrun course – one I hadn’t previously visited and one that I hoped could be fast as it’s an out-and-back course on the Monsal Trail, a dismantled railway. I was disappointed at the pace I could manage on the first 2.5km into a moderate headwind and slightly uphill, barely below 4:00/km, but was pleased that the return leg, downhill and downwind, felt much easier and I could get closer to 3:30/km, to finish in just under 19 minutes. The others ran well too, with 5k PBs for Amina and Helen and best times of 2020 for both Heathers.
We then headed into Bakewell to visit the café at the Original Bakewell Pudding Shop for refreshments, happily arriving before the lunchtime rush and being able to get a table without queuing.
The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop
After that, we took a short drive to Great Longstone for an afternoon walk through Monsal Dale, heading over the pastures to Monsal Head, down to the weir for a picnic, and back up the other side to Brushfield. We continued over the ridge to Litton Mill and returned by a more direct route along another section of the Monsal Trail, passing through three tunnels and over the Headstone Viaduct, with great views of Miller’s Dale and Monsal Dale.
Amina, Heather, Heather, Helen and Jeff at Monsal HeadPicnic lunch by the WyeHeadstone Tunnel
Helen had very kindly baked me a cake, which we enjoyed on the village green back in Great Longstone before heading home.
After a morning run around the Sutton Park parkrun course, I spent a couple of hours exploring more of the park at walking pace. It’s an attractive mixture of heathland, lakes and woodland. The area is only 35 minutes from home and is often used for orienteering but, surprisingly, I’ve never managed to make it to an event. Definitely looks like a good area for orienteering.
Starting at Banners Gate, I headed across the Longmoor Valley to Bracebridge Pool, returning via Blackroot Pool, Keepers Pool and Holly Hurst wood.
Longmoor ValleyHorses in Sutton ParkBracebridge PoolHolly Hurst wood
I spent a varied day in the Peak District, starting off with an enjoyable run round the smartphone orienteering course in Matlock, a very hilly and intricate challenge! It will be interesting to see whether anyone beats my benchmark time.
With two thirds of the day left to fill, I decided to tour round the three recently-identified Derbyshire Tumps (hills with over 30m of prominence) in order to re-complete the county (again!). First up was a challenging one in the disused Darlton Quarry, near Stoney Middleton. Three sides of the hill are quarried cliff-faces, and the other side densely wooded. Following advice from several other baggers’ logs, I ascended by scrambling up a very steep, vegetated rake at the western end of the hill to reach the overgrown summit area, then descended north through the woods. The views over the old quarry were quite spectacular: worth the effort!
What remains of the hill in Darlton Quarry!Looking back across Darlton Quarry and down Middleton Dale from near the top
Next up was Dove Holes Hill, located just outside a large still-active quarry. I parked in Dove Holes village and ascended via the interesting earthworks at Bull Ring Henge. It turned out that dog-walkers’ paths led most of the way to the summit, making it easy work. The blue lagoons in the quarry below were an interesting feature of the view!
Blue lagoons in Dove Holes Quarry
Finally came Waterswallows Hill. It’s marked as a quarry spoil area on the map but it felt pretty natural. If it’s artificial it’s been thoroughly returned to nature! This was a straightforward and quick up and down from the nearby lane.
It was still only mid-afternoon so I broke the journey home with a short walk from Monyash, along the footpaths to One Ash Grange then down Cales Dale and back up the top part of Lathkill Dale – always a pretty spot and plenty of others were enjoying it today!
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