Walk around Matlock

Having changed my working days, I was able to join Paul Chandler and other friends on one of his midweek walks.  We met at the cable tramway shelter in the edge of the park near Crown Square.  Frankly, if Paul, Peter and Rich hadn't already been there, I wouldn't have had a clue where we were supposed to be meeting, I'd never realised that the funny little building was a tramway shelter, but apparently it used to stand at the bottom of Bank Road, where the tramway used to run.

We waited for a while for Martin and Paul's cousin and his wife, but ended up setting off before they joined, Martin part way up the hill and Mark and Vicky near the top.  From there we turned west along the hill...

View south towards High Tor

climbed a bit more, went along a sports field and dropped down through Hackney to cross the A6 and drop down to the river.  After a pleasant wander across the fields, we emerged between the Square & Compasses pub and the bridge in Darley Bridge, crossed the bridge and stopped by the river for a cuppa (and, in my case, half my lunch!).

We shortly left the road again and headed southeast up and over the hill behind Oker, passing Graces Well on the way.  No-one knew anything about it, which is unusual... research needed!!  [Couldn't find much on the interweb, but it was apparently named after a Grace Greatorex and was, indeed, the water supply for cottages in the area before mains water.]

Crossing the road, we re-entered the fields and emerged on the road again right next to the turn off to Snitterton Hall, which Martin, in particular, knows well.  We took the track that heads up the hill towards Leawood Cottage, the old Op Mole HQ and then straight up the side of the hill, which was pretty steep, and suddenly everything started looking familiar - we'd arrived at Jug Holes.  Most of us went exploring into the main large entrance and had a poke around at the entrance into the lower series, where a large crack has appeared in one boulder above the climb, looking extremely dodgy.

Rich and ?? - I think he was after Paul's sandwiches (the dog that is!)

After a spot of lunch, we continued up the path to Salters Lane, crossed over and picked up the Limestone Way, which we followed over Masson Hill and back down into Matlock.

Looking northwest towards Entoven's

Matlock Bank