Pineapple Farm, Thornbridge Hall Gardens, Monsal Head, Little Longstone, and Great Longstone

I travelled on the Bakewell bus this morning and got off at a stop known as 'Pineapple Farm' just to the north of Bakewell. I climbed down the steps to the Monsal Trail and headed to the gardens at Thornbridge Hall, which are free admission until the end of January. As I passed by Hassop Station I noticed that there are now toilets there, so you don't need to go inside to the cafe.

About a mile further on I reached Thornbridge Hall. After exploring the gardens I went for a bowl of tomato and basil soup in the cafe there.

There's a tropical beach hut which is serving as a library and art gallery.

I returned to the Monsal Trail, still heading west, passed through Headstone Tunnel and then climbed up to Monsal Head, this climb was the steepest and most difficult I'd done since my knee injury.

I walked down the road to Little Longstone; the church there is actually a chapel and it's always open so I went inside. I didn't take any photographs this time though because there was a young women inside doing some sort of auditing or surveying work.

I took the footpath going across the fields to Great Longstone. I didn't enter the main part of the village, I just headed immediately back over to the Monsal Trail and re-traced my steps from earlier this morning. I considered taking the path that goes to Bakewell but my knee was aching a bit and I knew there was a stony descent near the end and so continued on the Trail, which is easy going. I arrived back at Pineapple Farm and had twenty minutes to wait for a bus; the number 257 turned up, it goes a really long way round to get to Sheffield but I boarded it because it's a beautiful route...I was rather disappointed that the windows were dirty though.

Tideswell, Litton Mill, Brushfield, Ashford-in-the-Water, and Bakewell

An almost perfect day today; the weather was warm and sunny and ideal for photography, my health was one hundred percent as good as it can be and that's very good these days, public transport ran like clockwork...BUT...it was muddy nearly everywhere I walked. I've brought back several ounces of Derbyshire mud on my boots and trousers...I didn't slip down though.

I got off the bus at the northern end of Tideswell, on the way in, so that I could walk down and take some photographs of the church and whatever else I saw in the area.

I took the path which runs parallel to the road through Tideswell Dale, but is obviously more scenic...but a lot muddier. I then crossed the road into an area of Access Land and the path soon took me up high behind the parking area. I needed to be careful on the steep grassy descent though.

Just past the toilet block there was another path leading onto the Access Land again and I immediately regained all of the height I'd lost, and added a bit more too, arriving at the old quarry...a wonderful spot for wildflowers in the spring and early summer months. It's a sheltered location here and somewhat of a sun trap; it was noticeably several degrees warmer, being protected from the chilliness of the wind on all sides by the sheer quarry walls..

I left the quarry by walking down well over a hundred steps cut into the rock, down to the gravel track at the bottom which comes out just before Litton Mill. These were to be the first of many more hundreds of steps I'd be climbing up and down today...I don't think I've ever come across so many on a walk before.

It was a short stretch along the road to reach Litton Mill - I didn't take any photographs because, despite it being nearly midday, the sun still hadn't risen high enough in the sky to illuminate most of the buildings in this deep narrow valley.

I had to climb up more steps to reach the Monsal Trail, and more still, followed by a difficult muddy ascent up to the rake and then the bridleway which goes to Brushfield.

It was a steady descent of just over a mile to reach the Monsal Trail again, just before the Headstone Viaduct and then the Headstone Tunnel.

After passing through the tunnel I continued for a few minutes before reaching the first path that goes down to Ashford-in-the-Water - there are some lovely views to the north with Longstone Edge looming on the horizon.

By the time I reached Ashford many parts of the village were in shade...but not the church.

The next bus to Bakewell wasn't due for another forty five minutes and so I walked it there taking the pleasant riverside footpath...still more mud to deal with though.

I literally just turned the corner and walked onto the bus at Bakewell, the driver setting off as soon as I'd sat down.

Miller's Dale, Priestcliffe, Brushfield, Hassop Station and Bakewell.

A bad day today for public transport between Doncaster and Sheffield. Although it was misty and not very good conditions for photography, it was fine for walking and I really enjoyed myself - I even took the opportunity to photograph this footpath sign which refers to part of my anatomy.

The were no trains to Sheffield, the regular X78 bus was delayed because of problems with a new ticket machine which needs to scan all concessionary travel passes...and then the bus broke down at Rotherham.

It took over an hour and a half to reach Sheffield, on a service which is supposed to be an express. Obviously I'd missed the bus I was intending to catch at Sheffield, and so had to change my plans.

I caught the Buxton bus and got off at Miller's Dale, walking down the road for a few hundred yards and taking the Limestone Way, up over the hill to Priestcliffe.

I then walked across fields and along the bottom of a lovely little dry valley called High Dale, which reminded me of similar valleys in the Yorkshire Wolds. This section was a joy to walk along; gently sloping downhill with springy grass underfoot.

There was then a short section of road leading to the hamlet of Brushfield, and then a byway of varying standard almost to the Monsal Trail just below Monsal Head - the last few yards down onto the trail is a steep, rocky footpath though.

I walked across the viaduct and through the Headstone Tunnel to arrive at the combined café and bookshop at Hassop Station. I enjoyed a rather nice scone with marmalade, and a pot of tea. I thought it was a bit expensive, but the surroundings were rather posh, and the service polite and efficient.

It was only a short walk into Bakewell where I had enough time to spend a few minutes watching people feed the ducks and geese down by the river, and have a look round a couple of the hiking shops. I didn't buy anything though.