Stoney Middleton, Wardlow, Cressbrook, Upperdale, Ashford in the Water, and Bakewell

According to the roadside sign only a few feet away, the place I got off the bus this morning is in Stoney Middleton, Google Streetview disagrees though and says it's in Calver. Well, I walked down the road back towards Calver and then up Coombs Dale, not a particularly pretty or interesting dale, but it's the nearest Peak District limestone dale to Sheffield and so is relatively easy to reach on public transport. 

At the entrance to Coombs Dale there are three separate signs indicating that it's a public footpath, a concessionary bridleway, and a private road. At the top of the dale, two miles further on, is the beginning of the old quarry workings, which are securely fenced off.

On a rather murky day it was a pleasure to see some garden primroses growing on an embankment next to the slurry lagoon...as well as some daffodils. I took a more interesting photograph of some daffodils later though.

I continued heading to the west using the quarry road; I overshot the footpath going across the fields to Wardlow because I was jogging down the gentle incline, and so I had to enter the village using the road...en route I didn't get the opportunity to meet the kind, gentle, sociable people who lived here with their noisy aggressive dog.

The daffodils in Wardlow were growing upright, in the right direction...and there were a lot more than forty of them.

The path leading down to Cressbrook Dale was easy to find and then I passed through the lower part of Cressbrook.

I crossed over the river at Upperdale before briefly using the Monsal Trail. Just before crossing the Headstone Viaduct I dropped down to the riverside path, which I stayed with until I reached the car park at Lees Bottom. 

It was a couple of miles through the woods and then I arrived at Ashford in the Water.

I noticed that dogs and muddy boots were on the menu at the tearooms; I prefer a pot of tea and a scone, but I didn't treat myself today.

I hadn't checked the new summer timetables and so didn't know what time the buses from Bakewell were going back to Sheffield, and so the last couple of miles along the riverside pastures weren't against the clock today - I didn't see the point. 

Stoney Middleton, Rowland, Great Longstone, Ashford in the Water...and Sheffield

When I got off the bus at Stoney Middleton I immediately noticed this wayside shrine to Saint Bertram, I think it's only been recently added.

I then walked up the High Street, reputedly one of the steepest in England, and it wasn't long until I was several hundred foot higher than the bottom of the village.

I took a footpath over to my left, leading down into Coombs Dale and then up a side valley heading south towards Rowland.

After passing Rowland it was an easy flat walk to Great Longstone.

My boots weren't muddy at all and so I went inside the church.

I then walked down the road towards Thornbridge Hall, passing by the old railway station.

A few minutes later I got some glimpses of the hall.

I continued down the road and a stretch of footpath to Ashford in the Water; I didn't have long to wait for the bus to Bakewell, from where I caught the next bus back to Sheffield.

An early finish today; a blister had formed in the little toe of my left foot and was rubbing sore. I had a full puncture kit in my rucksack, corn plasters, fabric dressing, and lint, but didn't fancy continuing any further. Today has been my third day in a row walking and I'd had enough.

I got off the bus a few stops early in Sheffield and got some bargains from the indoor market, some fish, a bag of clementines, some scones...and a couple of large Bakewell tarts.

I also took some photographs in the city centre as I walked down to the railway station.

Calver, Rowland, Great Longstone, and Bakewell

Since I've started losing weight as a result of taking my tablets I've noticed that I'm feeling the cold a lot more, particularly cold winds. Well today has been one of the coldest days of the winter so far, only a couple of degrees above freezing, and so I put on an extra two layers of clothing on top of the additional layers I'm already wearing. It worked though...I was fine.

Today has been a mainly sunny and full-colour day for photography - in contrast to Thursday's trip to Lincoln. When I reached the railway station at Doncaster I walked over to take a picture of the newly opened Platform 0, the only platform that doesn't have any overhead wires - it's used by the local diesel-only trains out to Hull and beyond.

I caught my first glimpse of the snow as I was sitting on the train a couple of miles north of Rotherham; it was glistening on the hilly parts of Sheffield, only a few miles from the city centre. I'd be seeing a lot more snow later...and walking in it, several inches deep in places.

I got off the bus at Calver and took the bridleway that leads up Coombs Dale, but I soon found the footpath that goes up through the woods. I noticed a lot of damage to the trees caused by the recent strong winds...especially to the trees bedecked with mistletoe.  This path took me along a route I hadn't explored before until I reached the top path which goes over some grassy pastureland as I headed off towards the old quarries. There was plenty of snow to be walked in here...and some pretty views too.

It was a gentle descent down Hardrake Lane to Rowland. I met some Highland cattle on the way...and a couple of Landrovers a few minutes later.

I'd been aware of the Landrover coming down the hill behind me being driven very carefully along the icy single track byway, stopping a couple of times to open and close the gates, but at the point where I needed to get out of his way another Landrover suddenly appeared from around a corner...coming up the hill. I immediately turned around and put my hand out, signalling for the driver behind me to stop, and then assessed the situation. Having already walked where the Landrover coming down the hill had driven I knew that there was nowhere convenient for him to reverse up so that the other vehicle could pass so I jogged down to the other driver to see what they wanted to do. Fortunately the hill wasn't too steep where he was and there was a suitable passing space no more than a distance of thirty feet behind him, and he had already  put his vehicle in reverse before I reached him. I know that reversing downhill isn't considered safe, but he was obviously a confident and competent driver, and must know the area well and had decided that this was the best option. I signalled for the other driver to approach; I didn't get out of the way though - I walked a few yards in front of him until we had passed the other Landrover. One honk and a wave for my efforts. I regretted not having a red flag.

Once I was free to concentrate on my walking again there was more beautiful countryside for me to take photographs of.

The track led down to Rowland. I'd barely entered the village though before I took the first footpath which went across the fields to Great Longstone. There are a lot of criss-crossing paths in this area.

I headed straight for the church at Great Longstone, hoping for some good opportunities to take photographs. The angle of the sun was okay and this was my best effort.

I took the footpath that starts as a narrow ginnel between the houses, then passes the recreation ground and a housing estate before walking across a couple of fields until I reached the Monsal Trail.

After about a mile I left the Monsal Trail and walked back to Bakewell along the path, which was quite muddy in places...there was no snow here. I got to Bakewell with enough time to visit the toilets and have a stroll along the waterfront. Before crossing the road to go and wait for the bus I took a photograph of 'The Wheatsheaf'. This image well illustrates something that I've noticed for the last two years - the large number of pubs that all have very similar minimalist grey and white signage.

On the train coming back to Doncaster a young woman got on at Meadowhall, sat opposite me and immediately got out her copy of Cosmopolitan magazine. She flicked through a few pages until she found an article that she was interested in. The title of the article was 'Have You Got Vegan Wrinkles?'

I have enough difficulty as it is with reading people's facial expressions without having to cope with this additional imposition. 

I'm doomed!

Calver, Great Longstone, and Hassop Station

When I left the house this morning at 7:30 it really was quite uncomfortably chilly; however, by the time I reached Calver it was pleasantly warm and sunny, with a refreshing breeze - excellent conditions for walking...and taking photographs.

I started by walking up Coombs Dale; the nearest of the limestone dales to Sheffield. It's not the prettiest, or most interesting of the Derbyshire dales, but it does have some delightful spots, some old mine workings...and dangerous slurry lagoons near to the head of the dale as well.

After passing by a forest of 'Danger', 'Do Not Enter' and  'Prohibited' signs I turned left and climbed uphill towards Longstone Edge. Two of the largest cows I have ever seen, probably six foot tall, briefly blocked my way before deciding to move on. I briefly considered ducking underneath their udders...there was certainly enough room. (The Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow is tonight - I wonder if ducking beneath stationary cows is ever likely to feature?)

I needed to cross one of the quarry roads before reaching the top of the climb, holding back for a few seconds as a giant earth moving vehicle passed by, stirring up a large cloud of dust.

The views from the top of Longstone Edge were spoilt today by the hazy conditions down on the plain.

The path down from the edge was difficult, very narrow, eroded, and steep, with brambles clawing at my boots from one side, and gorse bushes trying to poke out my eyes from the other side. There was certainly nothing to hold on to to steady my balance, and I had to get down on my backside a few times.

Taking this route down the approach to Great Longstone is along a short dry valley; I first had to pass through a gate - it was broken before I even touched it, there wasn't much left at all after I'd attempted to open it. (The photograph was taken before I passed through.)

I stopped for refreshments at one of the pubs in Great Longstone, a glass of Diet Coke, and as I left the village I posed for a selfie [of a sort.]

After a few hundred yards I was on the Monsal Trail...and then a pot of tea at Hassop Station Café. I didn't linger; I wanted to catch the 2:30 bus so that I'd arrive back at Sheffield to make sure I wouldn't be caught up in any traffic congestion caused by this evening's cycle race in the city centre.

The bus journey was very comfortable, it wasn't crowded and the vehicle was quite new, so the engine didn't struggle with the hills at all.

However...my journey home to Doncaster on the train was one of the most uncomfortable and unpleasant I've ever experienced. Even as we waited in the station the engine was growling, roaring, and snorting like an angry wild animal . When we started moving things got even worse; every chair, table, luggage rack and fitting was rattling and shaking from side to side as the floor and walls of the carriages were twisting and warping as if they were being pulled into another dimension by an all-powerful evil empire...and my poor genitals...my testicles and the area around my anus; there was a deep thrusting vibration throughout the entire train, resulting in me experiencing a very distressing sensation which felt like that I was being forced to undergo a rare and unusual medical or cosmetic procedure where every hair on my testicles and within striking distance of my anus was being individually pulled out using tweezers...but not using any anaesthetic. 

I walked home from the railway station doing a passable impersonation of John Wayne...and I'm still a bit sore as I'm sitting on the chair typing up this blog post.

Thank you, Northern Rail.

Stoney Middleton, Great Longstone, Hassop Station, and Bakewell.

On Monday I bought a couple of laminated maps which cover all of the Peak District. I needed some new maps, and they seemed to be a bargain.

They should last a lot longer than my old maps, but I did have some problems with them. They are even more difficult to fold than the ordinary paper maps, and won't fit in my map case.

It was annoying having to stop, take off, and unzip my rucksack just to look at the map. After a few stops I'd had enough and decided to stuff the map down the front of my trousers. It was held securely in place, but was restricting my movements a bit when going uphill. I think the best option might be for me to get a cagoule with a large enough pouch at the front.

I got off the bus at Stoney Middleton and took a steep footpath up through the village which was followed by a flatter section of farm track across fields and down into Coombs Dale where I spotted a temporal spacial portal leading to an infinite number of parallel universes.

Deciding to stay in this universe I climbed out of Coombs Dale along a side valley which isn't named on the map, and then took the track which leads down to Rowland. I didn't go to Rowland though; instead I branched off along Hardrake Lane, a well-defined footpath half way up Longstone Edge with good views in most directions. By now the sun was breaking through the clouds and so I was able to get a few decent photographs.

The first was taken along Hardrake Lane looking back at where I'd just come from, and the second, looking back again, this time at Longstone Edge just as I was about to enter a small dry dale to the north of Great Longstone. Since reaching the area where these two photographs had been taken my camera had been warning me about the battery needing recharging: I managed to take a few shots of the church as I entered the village...but that was it.

I crossed the main street in Great Longstone and took a footpath leading towards the Monsal Trail: there are several. This one, in places was a ginnel, and in other places was a snicket. Both of these words are used in Yorkshire dialect and so I don't know how far south their usage in Derbyshire might reach.

I soon reached the Monsal Trail, and then Hassop Station, where I stopped for refreshments; a pot of tea and a scone.

There was no rush to catch the bus and so I sat on a bench just beyond the old station. After a few minutes two women walked by, chatting loudly. Suddenly one of them stopped mid-sentence and pointed at me and told her friend that she had planted the tree behind me many years ago, and then, in just as strident a manner informed her companion that they've now put a bench in front of it...the bench I was sitting on.

I didn't hear either of them make reference to me though, but I didn't know what to say, or do; so I said nothing and did nothing - I just continued sitting where I was until it was time to walk to the bus-stop at Pineapple House Farm.

As I was waiting for the bus I noticed a small mammal run across the road, something long and slender: a stoat, weasel, polecat, or ferret. Take your pick; I don't know the difference.