Bakewell, Ashford-in-the-Water, Monsal Head, Little Longstone, and Great Longstone

I had planned to go walking in the area between Chesterfield and Matlock today; however, when I reached Sheffield Interchange the number 218 bus was at the stand and just about to leave. So...I hopped on, sat down and re-folded my map for a walk starting from Bakewell.

The bus arrived on time at Bakewell at 09:05: I took some photos, went to the toilet, and bought something to eat from a couple of the shops.

I soon set off, walking along Buxton Road until I reached the footpath across the riverside pastures to Ashford-in-the-Water. The sun was at my back and I was able to take some good photographs.

The toilets at Ashford are quite good - there's even a painting hanging above the sink.

After leaving the toilets I checked the map; there are several routes across the fields to Monsal Head...and I managed to navigate my way there without having to refer to the map. The weather was still quite nice as I left Ashford, but was becoming increasingly cloudy and cold. It was still pleasant enough when I reached Monsal Head for me to sit and enjoy the view...whilst struggling to get my tongue at a Ribena icepop.

This was the view from where I was sitting.

After I'd finished the icepop, and my sandwiches, a middle-aged couple asked me to take some photos of them posing in front of the viewpoint. To be honest I don't think the results would have been very good, they were too far away and standing in the wrong place anyhow.

As I was walking down the road to Little Longstone I began to notice that my thigh muscles were beginning to ache; it felt like I had walked three or four times further than I actually had. Earlier in the week I was running a high fever - although I never really felt ill - I'm assuming that my tired muscles must be an after-effect of that viral infection. Eating my emergency supply of chocolate seemed to ease things about half an hour later; I did take every opportunity to sit down though, and give my thighs a good hard rubbing down.

I passed the Packhorse Inn, which seems to be very welcoming to hikers, and then walked across the fields to Great Longstone.

It was then easy walking across more fields until I reached the Monsal Trail. I passed by a house which is marked as 'Toll Bar House' on the map; maybe it should be re-classified as a gatehouse though - it certainly has one above the first floor window.

There was plenty of time for me to call in at Hassop Station Cafe for a restorative pot of tea and some chips. As I was walking along the Monsal Trail for the last few hundred yards to the bus-stop at Pineapple Farm a very nice, and attractive, middle-aged woman started talking to me. As I was struggling up the steps to get to the road she suggested that she wanted to help me by giving me a good push. I pretended not to hear...I didn't know what to say.

The bus was twenty five minutes late, giving me plenty of time to think about what had just happened.  Maybe I should have continued walking with her back to Bakewell, as she was hinting at [I think.]

Because of my Asperger's syndrome I'm hopeless with women, or in any other social situation; I never know what to say or do, or what people's motives are...or what's expected from me. I'm very good with ideas and concepts though and a project that I've recently initiated for the autism group here in Doncaster is going very well. It looks like it will be continued and even expanded, helping a lot of vulnerable people in the process...so, all is not lost.

So, I thought about that instead, making more plans for the future.

Tideswell Dale, Litton Mill, Ashford-in-the-Water, and Bakewell.

I forgot to take my hay fever tablet this morning and ended up suffering with all the symptoms; runny nose, runny and itchy eyes, sneezing spasms,  and a tickly throat. I looked in my basic medical kit and there weren't any tablets in there - something I'll have to rectify later. The hay fever wasn't too bad though; it used to be debilitating when I was younger...it's just annoying and slightly inconvenient now.

On the bus I couldn't help but overhear the conservation between two older men sitting across from me: one of them was reminiscing about how many buses had to be put on to take trippers, mainly family groups,  back to Sheffield from the Burbage Valley and Fox House area of the moors when he was a youngster and few people had their own cars. Later on he told a couple of interesting anecdotes about when he was an Army Cadet and was taught navigation skills and range finding techniques by a retired Great War officer...I didn't catch the details.

The bus arrived at Tideswell Dale on time. I got off and went to the toilets and then got out my transistor radio to listen to the cricket commentary. The first thing I heard was the fall of the second South African wicket. A bad start for them, and their day didn't get any better; England easily won.

I walked along the gravel path at the bottom of the dale and then decided to take a concessionary path which isn't marked on the map, up to an old quarry which is now a lovely spot to sit and relax; a wildflower meadow with the quarry face as a stunning backdrop to catch the eye.

The path looped round and returned to the bottom of the dale. I then turned left and walked along the road to Litton Mill, bedecked with hanging baskets and floral displays. I continued alongside the river to reach a section of the Wye Valley known as Water-cum-Jolly Dale famous for its overhanging rockface, Rubicon Wall. Quite often the river floods this section; it was okay today, but the last I was here I had to take the high level diversionary footpath.

I then took the path which climbs gently up to the Monsal Trail. I briefly considered climbing even higher up to Monsal Head for refreshments, but I wouldn't have had the opportunity to walk along some footpaths I hadn't used before, and so stuck to my original plan...refreshments at the Old Station Café at Hassop.

I walked over the viaduct and through the tunnel and soon took the first path on my right leading down a lovely small dry valley towards Ashford-in-the-Water where I enjoyed a  glass of diet Pepsi at the pub, it was expensive though

It didn't cost me anything to take a nice photograph of the church.

I left Ashford by the road which heads to the north, finding the path that would take me back to the Monsal Trail, a bit further along the route. There were some lovely meadows and a formal parkland area, probably belonging to Churchdale Hall. At one of the farms I noticed an unusual sign; I was hoping it was French for 'bizarre dogs', but, as I suspected, and have now checked, it merely means 'beware of the dogs.' 

Putting the sign on the gate is a bit bizarre though.

I arrived at the road just before a roundabout, and even though I immediately spotted the railway bridge that carries the Monsal Trail over the road, the access wasn't well signposted.

I arrived at the café and bought a pot of tea and then lingered a while at a nearby picnic table listening to the cricket commentary before continuing on my way to Bakewell.

The bus was ten minutes late. As it approached Sheffield city centre the reason for the delay was understandable, a series of very complicated roadworks on Abbeydale Road.