From The Archives: Calton Lees

Calton Lees is a hamlet about a mile from Chatsworth House. Chatsworth Garden Centre is located here; there's a decent cafe, and toilets of course, which you can use without needing to go inside the cafe.

Just to the west is an extensive grassland area known as Calton Pastures, a type of landscape that's unusual in the Peak District.

The photograph I've chosen depicts Jasmine Cottage, one of the many properties in local villages that are owned and managed by the Chatsworth Estate. The blue/green colour on the 'Jasmine Cottage' sign is used on all the buildings; gates, railings, doors, windows, and drainpipes are all painted the same colour.

Tideswell, Litton Mill, Monsal Head, Little Longstone, and Ashford-in-the-Water

I got off the bus at the first stop in Tideswell so that I could walk the entire length of the village. I popped inside the church for the first time; it's got some nice stained glass windows, but nothing much else.

By the time I reached the main shopping area I was impressed by the number of pots and containers planted with colourful flowers...even this early in the year.

There were plenty of the usual seasonal flowers; daffodils, crocuses, primroses, and snowdrops. However, attached to one sheltered south facing wall I noticed a hanging basket with some trailing petunias in it; maybe they were plastic. I forgot to reach up and have a feel.

I left Tideswell by taking a path I'd not walked along before, coming out onto the road just above Tideswell Dale.

Tideswell Dale was looking pretty in the bright sunlight; near to this spot is where I ate my sandwiches.

About twenty minutes later I arrived at Litton Mill and took a short path that runs at the back of some of the houses; I hoped to get some interesting shots but some washing on the line blocked what would have been the best photograph. The ones I've included were taken a bit later on, back down on the main track.

  

There's a concessionary path going along the river to Cressbrook. Sometimes, as today, it is flooded and a diversionary route has to be taken. When I reached the flooded section at Rubicon Wall the water wasn't too deep, only about six inches, and perfectly safe to wade through. As a precaution I rolled up my trouser legs; it looked like I was going paddling.

Here's a link to a short video. I'm walking slowly because obviously, I'm filming - and I didn't want to splash cold water on my bare legs....this, of course, would be better than ending up with my trousers getting soaked. It's easier to dry my legs than the trousers. 

I crossed over the weir and climbed up the path to the Monsal Trail. I didn't stay on here for long though, climbing up even further to Monsal Head.

I thought I'd walk down the road to Ashford-in-the-Water and catch the next bus to Bakewell. However, just beyond the long stay car park and the toilets there was a new sign advising walkers not to walk along this stretch of road because there are no grass verges. I therefore took the suggested longer cross country route, across the fields. This diversion meant that I missed the bus, but having nearly an hour to spare I took my time enjoying a pot of tea and a slice of fruit cake at the Aisseford Tearooms.

Kings Wood and Bawtry

I spent a couple of hours out this afternoon with my support worker. We ate our sandwiches in the car park at Kings Wood and then went for a short walk through the wood. It's rather scrubby and unattractive, but there is a good view of the railway line, the busy East Coast Main Line.

By contrast, Bawtry is a pretty, prosperous, small market town with several independent ladies' fashion boutiques, upmarket restaurants and tearooms, and a couple of places offering expensive and rather unpleasant sounding medical procedures.

Maltby, Hooton Levitt, Carr, Slade Hooton, Brookhouse, Laughton en le Morthen, Letwell, and Langold

Today I was back to wearing my favourite boots; on my previous walk I couldn't wear them because the laces were digging in to my right instep as soon as I put them on. After prising open a couple of the hooks on my right boot with a pair of scissors the laces aren't so tight now and the boots are just as comfortable as they've always been.

It's only twenty five minutes on the bus to Maltby, a good base for starting walks from. As soon as I got off I walked the few yards over to the Wetherspoon's pub, The Queen's Hotel, and ordered a large breakfast.

I started by walking along the High Street, buying a couple of Scotch eggs for later from one of the shops. The church is a few hundred yards further on; a good opportunity to take some photographs.

It was only a short walk across to the other side of a small valley to reach Hooton Levitt. The only shot of the village I've included is one that I took as I was leaving.

It was a pleasant walk, partially along the top of a ridge, to the hamlet of Carr. I needed to walk along the road for a while until I reached Slade Hooton. I was joined for part of the way by a local man out walking his two Alsatians. One of the dogs kept walking in zigzags, in fact it couldn't seem to be able to walk straight at all. I think it was quite unwell; he said that it had always walked like that since he found it as a stray...he described it as 'being like a typewriter.'

When I reached Slade Hooton there wasn't much to see. I specifically wanted to go there though because of its name; there are four 'Hootons' in this part of the county, Hooton Pagnell, Hooton Roberts, Hooton Levitt...and of course, Slade Hooton. I've now visited all of them.

The path to Brookhouse went right alongside the railway line for part of its length. I didn't see a train; I doubt that's unusual though since it's only a single track freight line that's now little used since the collieries closed.

The footpath from Brookhouse was near to the pub and almost leads right to the main church at Laughton en le Morthen. This church has been granted Grade I listed building status due to its outstanding architecture. I don't think it's anything special myself; I saw three other churches today which I thought were much prettier. The photograph's in black  and white because it was cloudy, unlike most of the walk, which was undertaken in brilliant sunshine.

At the other end of the village there's another old church, St John's. I much preferred this building...and the overgrown churchyard.

The walk across the fields to Letwell is quite flat; it's three miles though and so takes some time. The approach to Letwell up a sunken lane is lovely and the first building I saw at the top of the hill was the church; a perfect location.

After visiting my fourth church of the day I walked through the village and took photographs of some of the more impressive properties.

I'd walked nearly nine miles by this point and was feeling a bit tired and so continued walking in an easterly direction until I reached Langold. I would have liked to have taken the longer route back to Maltby via Roche Abbey, but after Sunday's walk in the Peak District it was bit too much for me.

Brough, Bradwell, and Castleton

I couldn't wear my regular boots this morning; my right boot didn't fit, it was too tight - the laces were digging in to the top of my instep. So, I wore another pair, an older pair of Berghaus boots which are no longer fully waterproof, but still very comfortable. I'm wondering if this problem with my instep might be connected to the bone spurs I've got growing on the back of my heels which have been causing tightness and pain in my Achilles' tendons.

I got off the bus at Brough and immediately took the wrong path, the path at the wrong side of the river. It didn't take me long to realise my mistake and cross over the bridge and find the correct path. There were some nice views as I was walking along this path towards Bradwell, an easy low level route. I've selected a photograph I took of the Hope Cement Works which were brightly illuminated by the morning sunlight.

A few minutes later I was taking photographs in the village of Bradwell and called in the shop and bought some sausage rolls to eat later.

I climbed up the steep path and steps to eventually reach the road that leads to Pindale and Castleton. There were some lovely views as I got higher...not from every viewpoint though because in some places the unattractive roofs of several of the buildings in the small industrial estate can be seen.

The next section was flat, walking across limestone grassland and well-maintained tracks suitable for vehicles.

When I  was still quite a distance from Mam Tor I could see there were a lot of people on the summit, the most I've ever seen...there were also many vehicles parked on the various approach roads.

I didn't climb Mam Tor today, I turned right and walked down Winnats Pass, which is always spectacular. None of my photographs were really any good; the contrast seemed to be too high and much of the detail was washed out. The image I've selected, because I do like this one, was taken right at the bottom of Winnats Pass after I'd been to the toilets which are hidden away at the back of one of the ancillary buildings next to the car park for Speedwell Cavern.  

When I got down into Castleton it was very busy too; I'm thinking that this might be because it's Valentine's Day today, the weather was fine, it's a weekend...and Chatsworth House is closed until the end of next month due to the renovation works. 

I was hungry, and unusually for me I queued, for ten minutes, for some chips and mushy peas. I wasn't this hungry though.

Due to roadworks at both Hathersage, and Bamford, the bus was fifteen minutes late. The latter part of the journey back to Sheffield was rather cramped and uncomfortable...and potentially dangerous. A large bouldering mattress nearly fell on me and I nearly had my eye poked out by the point of another walker's walking pole.