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!