Around Lathkill dale & Bakewell

The forecast wasn't good, but as always, I decided to go anyway. Again, they were wrong. Although the day started with a little bit of 'mistle', or light rain, it soon stopped. A cool wind blew while I was on the tops, but the day was lovely.
We started in the small village of Sheldon. There's a pub there, with the comical name of 'The Cock and Pullet'. I visited there after the walk, but for now - onward!

After leaving the village and crossing just a couple of fields, the Magpie mine came into view. It was, up until quite recently, the last working mine of its type in Derbyshire.
It does, and will for a long time, make a striking sight as you approach it.

The headstocks in a brooding light. The cage the men were lowered down in is still sitting atop the (now capped) main shaft.

Ready to be lowered.
You can see the breather grate on my right for the concrete capped shaft.

In an adjoining field, is the area where the ore was crushed, usually by a horse walking around in circles, driving two large crushing stones. The stones are shown in the picture below this one.

For some reason, I saw more Jews ear fungi today than I have ever seen before. This first lot was on a broken branch. Trauma usually heralds a new growth of fungi. They are called Jews ears, because some of them are exactly like an ear. Why Jews were 'chosen' to name the fungi is anyone's guess. I know - it's because they are the chosen people!

They are very soft after rain (which hasn't been in shortage of late). In dry conditions, they dry up into hard, black lumps, but today they were as floppy and soft as could be.

Really good specimens

The sheep have taken great advantage of this tree, blown down in recent storms, to scratch their itches, leaving a lot of wool behind!

Across the next road, we came to Haddon fields farm, and this superb wall. The thing is, that tree doesn't look very stable, does it? I'd have either felled the tree, or run the wall around the back of it, as it doesn't look like it will be there for much longer.

An angry sky welcomed us into Bakewell. Still lucky, and hoping to stay that way with the weather.

Bakewell church.

Beautiful wall patterns on the plateau above Monsal dale.
These walls look even better with a skeleton of snow along them.

Here we go, the BLUE SKY we've been waiting for all day!

After a few more ups and downs, we returned to Sheldon, and the warm fire in the Cock & Pullet.
Here is the pub, complete with old telephone box.

A very grand fireplace and, although you can't tell in this picture, a lovely warm fire was going in the hearth.
(The barmaid had JUST stoked it up). Note the HUGE pendulum on the right. There's an impressive clock attached to it.

The locals enjoy a pint and a giggle with the barmaid.

After a pint of best bitter, it was home, with another lovely walk tucked up in the memory bank.
Cheers!

A walk with Stephen around Alstonefield

This is Stephen, my pal. I am SURE he has hacked blogger! I was going to include him in the middle of the blog, but his image (this one) mysteriously disappeared, so I had to add it at the end - and that means it get put at the TOP of the blog entry!

Handsome beast, isn't he?

"OK Les, it's a date - see you about 09:00"

This was what my friend, Stephen, said when I invited him to walk 'abroad' with me. I say abroad, because Stephen lives in Cromford, and the walking from his door is super, so this was the first time I had managed to tempt him from his locale. It was a perfect day, and the recent snow promised good pictures. It was a shame Mavis, Steve's significant other, could not join us. The old war wound was playing up, I believe! So - it was a 'boys jolly' today.

This is where we started - the centre of Alstonefield, an archetypal Peak district village. This is the village green. We would end up in the George pub for a pint of wheat beer later, but for now - we had a walk to do!

We soon left the lovely village, and slipped down a track, past the youth hostel (a misnomer, these days, as they are usually frequented by older walkers and families).

This poor duck was sitting in the unfrozen border of this frozen dew pond.

Not a great situation, but fabulous views!

As we got to the end of the track, Gypsy (am I allowed to say that???? not PC these days) bank loomed ahead. We had a slippery-slidey descent to the dale below to continue towards Lode mill, and the snowdrops.




When we reached the bottom, the snow had gone! These dales are a little warmer than the tops, and of course, less wind gets here, so they tend to be protected from the worst of the snow.




After a while, we got to Lode mill. The snowdrops here are breathtaking, but we had come a week or so too early. They WERE in evidence, but not quite at their best yet.



After the ridge walk (on which you see Steve at the beginning of this entry), we reached Milldale. How LOVELY is this eh? You can get a nice, hot beverage, or a cup of soup at Polly's cottage. There is also a National Trust barn, with lots of info' about the area. It's just over the famous 'viators bridge'. This bridge is mentioned in 'the compleat angler', by Izaac Walton.


We walked along the (surprisingly) quiet Milldale until we came to Ilam Rock, a HUGE Limestone tower in the dale. I know - where's the picture? Well, I have sevreal, so I didn't record it! Anyway, we walked up the stiff climb to the top, overlooking the ancient Dovedale woods, and sat on a log, and consumed a most agreeable lunch.
That done, we pressed on to Air cottage. this picture is just before there.
You can see Thorpe Cloud in the middle there.
The stepping stones in Dovedale are just below it.

The afternoon got really good, as you can see. HUGE blue skies, warm sun, and a contented soul! I make no apologies for what follows - a skyfest of pictures!

I really can't remember where this view is - I COULD find out, but hey - a rose by ANY other name..................

WHY is blue and green so emotive? I was just in picture heaven today!

Clouds, limestone, sky, grass............HEAVEN!

As with the last entry, here's my beloved old tree!

PLEASE leave a comment, as I really DO think they are so photogenic.

Am I wrong?

After we climbed out of the dales, we crossed the tops, and got here, the head of Deep dale.

Very rare I pass this dale, as it's really lovely to walk up or down.

Just look at these fields, aren't they lovely? I can't put into words what a walk on a day like today is like. All I know is, I usually walk with a smile on my face. I MUCH prefer this to Summer walking.

Snowdrops again, this time at Stanshope.

On the lane out of Stanshope, I got this low shot of the snowdrops.

A wall, snow and the fields.

This is a classic shot, and one they'd tell you to take on a photo course.

'Lead the viewer into the subject'

Off you go, viewer!

After this, we re-entered Alstonfield for that pint!

The Roaches - click on this title for an information link

RIGHT - now I've got your attention...........

Hi all,
well, as you all know, February is usually very drab and there's not much to see, at first glance, in the countryside. Too late for foliage, too early for flowers. Although today there was the odd bunch of Snowdrops, and I DID see two Daffs poking their heads up. I was eager to get out, as I have a NEW (well - new to me) camera!!! My old one gave up the ghost, so I got another one from Ebay. It's almost the same as my other one, but a later model. It has a few more refinements, but looks and feels the same and, as I loved the old one, I love this one too.

You can have a look at the spec' etc here; http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/fuji_3800.html
Well, the day came, and it was GORGEOUS! A PERFECT day for a walk like the Roaches, so I had chosen well. We saw surprisingly few people out, I would have expected crowds as it was SUCH a clear and lovely day.
This is my first view as I top the ridge at the Mermaid pub. It always excites me to see this, The walk started just the other side of that hill, Hen Cloud, and went along that ridge on the right, the Roaches. I then walked in that far valley around Gun End.

The walk starts straight up the hill, and along the western flank of the Roaches (from the French ' Roche', meaning 'rocks'). You are usually protected from any of the strong winds the Roaches are noted for on this section, but soon turn right, up a gully, and into the teeth of the gale, if there is one!





The view of Tittesworth from Hen Cloud.

The sun glints on Doxey pool. A lot of legend and lore surrounds this pool. Some say it's bottomless, some say it is connected to the Mermaid pub. Some say a Mermaid called Jenny Greenteeth appears here at certain times (usually to do with the moon) to lure walkers to a watery grave, and some say it is cursed. I must admit, it's true that I've never heard birds singing here, and that's another part of the legend! For more information, click here;

http://www.cressbrook.co.uk/visits/ludschurch.php

This is the 'smooth side' of the Roaches. The other side rises up in a cliff face, this side is more rolling and gentle, with far-reaching views of the surrounding countryside.

How's THIS for magical??? Light reflects as I look back to Doxey pool.

The rocks are eroded in some really strange patterns, and it doesn't take much imagination to 'see' various things.
This one on the right is a mans head looking up to the sky.

Last time I did this walk, we sat on this tree to have lunch.
Today, the tree WAS lunch - to marauding fungi!

Luds church. So called because the Lollards, who were followers of John Wycliffe, an early church reformer, are supposed to have used this as a secret place of worship during the early 15th century, when they were being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Lud's Church may have been named after Walter de Ludank or Walter de Lud-Auk who was captured here at one of their meetings. A wooden ship's figurehead from the ship Swythamley formerly stood in a high niche above the chasm, placed there by Philip Brocklehurst, then the landowner, around 1862. It was called 'Lady Lud' and was supposed to commemorate the death of the daughter of a Lollard preacher.

http://www.cressbrook.co.uk/visits/ludschurch.php

This shows what a lovely day it was. I never can resist a gnarled old tree to use in the frame.

Look - the farm sign was loose, and....well........... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

This rock is known as 'hangingstone rock'. Yes - they DID used to take poor unfortunates up there and throw them off with a rope around their neck. Looking down, I would think a lot of them would have been decapitated, as it's a long drop.
Ironic really, that your last view of this world should be such a lovely one before the horror of the act.

This was MY view - thankfully, not my last.
The Roaches looks especially lovely in this rare, purple light that you get in winter.

Looking back from above Gun End. this dwelling is called Gun End barn. SOME BARN!
With views like this, I'd never want to go out, if I lived here - just sit, and stare.........

And that was the end of a very, very good day. A week ago, we were enveloped in snow, this week, it was like a spring day. Lots of wild flowers are getting into their stride now, and the birds are really singing their little hearts out. The promise of REAL spring was heavy in the air today, and it turned what could have been a wet, dreary and drab walk, into a magical foray to the Roaches!