Hartington / Biggin Dale / Wolfscote Dale / Alstonefield

Got up later than usual, got my sustenance together and left the house just as Niki arrived at the door at 9:30. It only took quarter of an hour to drive to Hartington and there was no-one else in sight, so we booted up and wandered along to the loos and back. By that time Paul was there and Jill and then Phil and Dave pulled up. We headed off up the lane (Hall Bank) and onto Reynards Lane (the way Paul and I have always gone until the other week).

 Looking back across Hartington

Biggin Dale

We turned down Biggin Dale and stopped briefly at the adit for a break.

 Adit entrance in Biggin Dale

Niki and I, with Jill on the first section, went and explored the adit to the forefield - nothing much to see really, but a bit of nice crystal in places and some very nice pick marks.

 Lower Biggin Dale

When we got to Wolfscote Dale, we turned downstream and followed the river and a heron to Coldeaton Bridge.

C

Crossing Coldeaton Bridge

By this time it was trying to snow and as we headed up the steep hillside, it started to come down in earnest.

By the time we passed the YHA and turned out onto the road into Alstonefield, everything was covered in an inch of snow!

 

We headed to the pub in Alstonefield and made use of the benches outside to have our butties, by which it was sunny again and the snow started melting again - strange weather!!

 Walking through Alstonefield

We left Alstonefield on a lane towards Hulme End and then after missing it initially took a bridle path that lead into the fields where Paul and I went doing the Millers Dale/Alstonefield walk last year.

Looking back across the fields

 Looking north towards Hartington

A day of very strange weather!

Instead of dropping down the field though, we stayed up high and contoured around the top of Narrowdale Hill and then dropped steeply down into Narrowdale buildings. From there we followed the route that Paul and I did, down to the bridge near to Frank o' the Rocks caves, along Beresford Dale and back across the fields to Hartington.