Calver, Deep Rake, Coombs Dale & Stoney Middleton

Drove over to Calver Crossroads and parked up on the triangle, next to the field with the tent display! Walked over to Outside for breakfast and then kitted up and set off up the Hassop Road before turning off to the right on a footpath that became a track leading up the end of the hill and onto the tops.

 Curbar Gap and the village of Curbar below it.

The area to the track appeared to be an extension of the rake that had been returned to stony pasture. As we reached the rake proper, Deep Rake, we left the main track and started heading down into the valley.

The track up to the open part of Deep Rake

This was lucky considering the speed that six motor cyclists came hurtling along, they must have been doing 40 at least, making a hideous racket. And all this despite the fact that the sign just back down the track clearly prohibits any motor vehicles along that part of the track.  And they wonder why people get racked off with them!!!


We realised at about that point that we'd actually taken the wrong path and retraced our steps and took the gently sloping track down to Black Harry Gate and the upper part of Coombs Dale. Once in the dale we made good time following it back down, past Sallet Hole Mine, the entrance to which we investigated briefly - it appears to be rather a lot more secure than the last time I visited!

We were just leaving when two very large dogs came bounding into view and one of them headed straight up to us and barked loudly. It made me jump and I shot round the back of Paul (very brave!). I'm not very keen on dogs in general, big dogs in particular, but this one seemed a bit territorial, which I didn't like very much. Shame I'd just put my walking poles away and couldn't give it a swift poke! Anyway, it's owners must have heard me yelp and called their dogs back to them. As we approached the guy had the other dog on a lead, but the woman was standing over the one that had barked at us, no lead, not even holding him, saying "good boy, there's a good boy".  Good boy!... hah!!!!!!!!!!

Soon after we came to the unnamed valley on the right (south) where the mines are that we explored on a 'womble', but we continued on down the Coombes Dale and took the footpath leading off to the left. At the top of the cliff we sat down on an outcrop to eat out butties and admire the view, both up the valley and across to Curbar Edge and Curbar Gap.

 Looking northeast towards Froggatt Edge

From there we continued across the fields, onto Middleton Lane, down into Stoney Middleton and then past the Roman Baths (that aren't).

The 'not so Roman Baths' in Stoney Middleton.

We continued to follow the route that I took on a womble onto the main Calver / Grindleford road. This time, however, we crossed the road and headed down to the river and turned right (south) along it back towards Calver Mill. It was very pleasant along the river, if a little on the muddy side and we spent some time looking at the nature reserve signs for lampreys, crested newts and harvest mice. Once we reached the mill, now rather exclusive looking flats, it was just a matter of a short walk back along the Baslow Road, back to Calver Crossroads and another visit to Outside for tea and cake.