Parked up at White Lodge car park, crossed the A6 and followed a path up the very end of the hill opposite and out onto tracks to Priestcliffe. It started raining as we got out onto the tops and I didn't have a particularly warm top on under my waterproof top and very quickly got cold, to the point where I couldn't stop walking or I'd chill right off. By the time we reached Priestcliffe, I was seriously flagging because I was desperate for food and quickly running out of energy, but I couldn't stop. We trudged on and by the time we reached the A6 (having missed a short cut across to Taddington) it had more or less stopped raining, which was a relief.
In the end, we crammed ourselves into a tiny, stone built bus shelter in Taddington, I put my coat on over my waterproof and got the hot chocolate and butties out. Once revitalised, we continued on down through the village. I tried to spot the YHA Camping Barn, which a group of us stayed at in February some years ago - not a good place to go armed only with a two-season sleeping bag, I wore nearly all my clothing and was still frozen! - but I must have missed it, can't even remember for sure which side of the road it was.
Below the village we followed a lane, which became a track past Taddington Field Farm, which became a very steep, very muddy, very slippy path back to the car park. Near the bottom, perched above a deep gorge, the start of Deep Dale, we stopped to finish off our hot chocolate and then continued to where we'd left the car, with a quick exploration of a small cave on the way.
Quite a good weekends' walking, all in all. Yesterday 9 miles, today 6 miles, a total of 15.
Sunday 22 November 2009
Saturday 21 November 2009
Tissington, Shining Tor & Parwich
Drove out to Tissington in very thick fog and even put a high vis vest in my rucksack, just in case - we had a road section later. It wasn't actually raining really as we left the car park on the Tissington Trail, but we knew it would be later. We followed the trail south, crossed the A515 at the top of Tissington Hill and then shortly after came to another bridge, where we turned northwest and headed off through a caravan park. We saw a weasel on the track right near the buildings.
We dropped down between two stands of young trees to a stream, which we crossed and headed up the other side of the valley. After some confusion as to our way on, which wasn't too clearly marked, we got out onto the road and followed it to a ninety degree bend, at which point we took a series of small steps up a bank and into a steep field, across another lane and back into the fields. Across the fields a strange building loomed out of the mist, which we debated was a barn or quarry building. I make have to go back for a closer look!!
As the rain began to arrive in earnest, we reached a magnificent lime kiln next to a quarry, where we managed to find enough shelter to stop for a hot drink and a snack.
From our snack spot, we continued out onto the top of the hill and followed the very top along to Bostern Grange Farm and from there near to Shining Tor with fabulous views up the Dove valley.
We dropped into a small valley, which leads down to Green Lane. Having reached a sheltered spot, we decided to stop for lunch and had just got our sandwiches out and I'd commented on the fact that it was dry again, when it started snowing!! After our break we followed the small valley down to the lane. I remember plodding very slowly up this valley some months ago and thinking how long and steep it was, but I must have been very tired that day, because it really isn't!!
We followed Green Lane up to the A515, turned right and walked a short way along the grass verge, which was quite wide (I didn't need my high vis vest after all). Then at a point on the road that I know well, which must catch quite a few people out because it's a blind high point with a bend thrown in for good measure, we left the road and hopped over a stile back into the fields and under the Tissington Trail. The last section of our walk was across fields and into valleys and villages that I've often looked at from the A515 on my way to and from work and longed to explore. Somehow it wasn't quite as exciting as I'd hoped it might be, but that may have been because of the rain, which started to come down in torrents for the last couple of miles of our walk.
There was one deep, steep-sided valley between Parwich and Tissington, on the Limestone Way, that was really hard work, but the reward was a really dinky squeeze stile with a tiny gate at the bottom.
We dropped down between two stands of young trees to a stream, which we crossed and headed up the other side of the valley. After some confusion as to our way on, which wasn't too clearly marked, we got out onto the road and followed it to a ninety degree bend, at which point we took a series of small steps up a bank and into a steep field, across another lane and back into the fields. Across the fields a strange building loomed out of the mist, which we debated was a barn or quarry building. I make have to go back for a closer look!!
The strange building, which appears to be for kind of storage.
As the rain began to arrive in earnest, we reached a magnificent lime kiln next to a quarry, where we managed to find enough shelter to stop for a hot drink and a snack.
The lime kiln.
Dove Dale (left of centre) and our way on directly above Paul's head.
We dropped into a small valley, which leads down to Green Lane. Having reached a sheltered spot, we decided to stop for lunch and had just got our sandwiches out and I'd commented on the fact that it was dry again, when it started snowing!! After our break we followed the small valley down to the lane. I remember plodding very slowly up this valley some months ago and thinking how long and steep it was, but I must have been very tired that day, because it really isn't!!
We followed Green Lane up to the A515, turned right and walked a short way along the grass verge, which was quite wide (I didn't need my high vis vest after all). Then at a point on the road that I know well, which must catch quite a few people out because it's a blind high point with a bend thrown in for good measure, we left the road and hopped over a stile back into the fields and under the Tissington Trail. The last section of our walk was across fields and into valleys and villages that I've often looked at from the A515 on my way to and from work and longed to explore. Somehow it wasn't quite as exciting as I'd hoped it might be, but that may have been because of the rain, which started to come down in torrents for the last couple of miles of our walk.
The view across the valley from just below Parwich Lees.
The village of Parwich.
There was one deep, steep-sided valley between Parwich and Tissington, on the Limestone Way, that was really hard work, but the reward was a really dinky squeeze stile with a tiny gate at the bottom.
The squeeze stile.
The last section of the walk was along lanes back into Tissington village, through very muddy and wet fields. The ducks in Tissington were having a wonderful time sploshing around in the puddles on the road, they didn't need the pond!!
Sunday 15 November 2009
Abney, Abney Clough & Eyam Moor
Drove over to Sir William Hill Road and parked. It was heaving with people about to do an orienteering event, starting on the route over the moor that I’d originally thought to set off on, so we opted to go around the opposite way. Actually I think it worked better.
Finally left the hordes at Nether Bretton, where we continued a short distance and dropped down through the fields, back into their busy-ness for a short while and then up the other side of the valley.
We climbed quite a way up through the bracken and then stopped for a quick drink of hot chocolate and watched the ants going about their orienteering below. Passed to the east (right) of Cockey Farm and into Abney. I felt pretty knackered by that time and was wondering how I’d manage the climb up from Stoke Ford. From there we dropped down into the delights of wooded Abney Clough, what a pretty, peaceful, place it was too.
We stopped about a hundred yards above Stoke Ford (luckily) and had our lunch.
By the time we headed on down to Stoke Ford and started on the long climb up onto the tops of Eyam Moor, all the nutters had disappeared (thankfully) and we took our time.
There was a bit of a debate about which route to take once we reached the moor, the one we took from Leadmills the other week, or the one we’d intended to take that morning, but eventually went with the latter. Lovely walk.
Looking across Bretton Clough, Hathersage in the far distance.
Finally left the hordes at Nether Bretton, where we continued a short distance and dropped down through the fields, back into their busy-ness for a short while and then up the other side of the valley.
The top end of Bretton Clough with Cockey Farm and Abney in the distance.
Strange ant-like people apparently running around in circles. I'm sure they think cavers are mad too!!
We climbed quite a way up through the bracken and then stopped for a quick drink of hot chocolate and watched the ants going about their orienteering below. Passed to the east (right) of Cockey Farm and into Abney. I felt pretty knackered by that time and was wondering how I’d manage the climb up from Stoke Ford. From there we dropped down into the delights of wooded Abney Clough, what a pretty, peaceful, place it was too.
Abney Clough, peaceful and pretty, but also very shady on the north side of Abney Low.
We stopped about a hundred yards above Stoke Ford (luckily) and had our lunch.
Near Stoke Ford.
By the time we headed on down to Stoke Ford and started on the long climb up onto the tops of Eyam Moor, all the nutters had disappeared (thankfully) and we took our time.
Looking southwest up Bretton Clough.
There was a bit of a debate about which route to take once we reached the moor, the one we took from Leadmills the other week, or the one we’d intended to take that morning, but eventually went with the latter. Lovely walk.
Thursday 5 November 2009
Bradford Dale
After our usual lunch at Byways Cafe in Bakewell, Joan and I went for a wander in Bradford Dale and passed within a few feet of this beautiful heron.
It was a little damp (!) during our walk, but we had the whole dale all to ourselves. Delightful!
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