Over Haddon, Youlgreave, Elton, Birchover, Stanton In Peak, Pilhough, and Rowsley

I got a bruise on my shin before I even started walking today, I whacked my leg against one of the tables on the train as I was sitting down - I'm used to getting bruised though, it happens on most walks.

I travelled to Over Haddon to start my walk today; it's only ten minutes on the bus from Bakewell. I took my time and looked round the village before going down the hill into Lathkill Dale and climbing out of the valley again up through the woods at the other side.

Despite the 'Welcome' sign, the church at Over Haddon was locked...or I couldn't fathom out how to get inside.

I walked across the fields to Youlgreave, approaching the village from a direction that was new to me.

I walked down into, and then up and out again, of my second dale of the day, Bradford Dale, before heading off towards Elton.

I easily got inside the church at Elton, there's nothing much to see though...and Elton's certainly not one of my favourite Derbyshire villages.

After walking through Elton I reached the narrow, overgrown road that heads to the north but soon noticed a footpath over to the right, the Portaway, which led me to another road, much wider, busier, and better surfaced than the previous one. After checking the map though, I realised I should have continued travelling northwards on the other road; I'd added about half a mile on to my route to Birchover. The sun briefly popped out as I was walking along here and so I was able to enjoy the nice views. 

I didn't stay very long in Birchover; I took the path that starts right opposite to The Druid's Inn pub and goes through the wood to the car park on the Stanton road. I walked along this road for about a mile, at least, until I reached Stanton In Peak and then continued down another road, passing through the hamlet of Pilhough and then reaching Rowsley. Buses go to Bakewell every thirty minutes from Rowsley; my timing was bad because I had twenty five minutes to wait...and then another thirty five minutes to wait in Bakewell for the bus to Sheffield.

The journey back into the city took ten minutes longer than it should have because the driver kept stopping the bus so that he could blow his nose, catch his breath, and clear his throat...he seemed to be quite ill. He was making some really loud and worrying coughing, sniffling, spluttering, and wheezing noises - so was the vehicle's engine though as well and I wasn't sure which was older and more likely to break down first, man or machine. I got back to Sheffield safely though and caught the train back home to Doncaster...but it was so slow.

Middleton-by-Wirksworth, Brassington, Carsington, Hopton, Wirksworth...and Bakewell

Unlike anywhere else I know of, some bus routes in Derbyshire are numbered using a decimal point: this morning, after getting to Bakewell I caught the 6.1 service to Middleton-by-Wirksworth. 

When I got off the bus this was what immediately greeted me.

I found the lane that leads up to the High Peak Trail and soon reached Middleton Top.

About two miles further along the trail I reached Harboro' Rocks - the spelling with the apostrophe is the official version. My experience here was spoiled by a noisy industrial plant right next to the trail and the rocks, something to do with limestone I should think; making a constant syncopated hum interspersed with loud screeches and hissing...very annoying. There are some ruins at the foot of the rocks...and a large cave higher up the hill.

I caught my first glimpse of Carsington Water as I climbed high up on the rocks [not to the top though] and would get a better view later on...none of the photographs I took was any good.

After exploring the rocks I took the footpath that leads down to Brassington; it was raining now but not so much that I'd need to wear my cagoule - it was quite cold though. I needed to walk along a couple of stretches of road before I reached the village...and I did need to stop, reach into my rucksack and pull out my cagoule a few minutes later when the weather turned quite unpleasant, and stayed that way for over an hour.

I spent longer than I should have drinking my pot of tea and eating a packet of salt and vinegar crisps in the Miners Arms pub; initially I was the only customer, but eventually the village chimney sweep, an American, came in and ordered a Guinness. He had a fascinating conversation with the barmaid; I couldn't work out if he was trying to get inside her knickers, or up her flue.

The church is just across the road from the pub.

It was a gentle walk across the fields to Carsington, where the church there was also open and  some of the photographs I took inside here turned out okay.

There was then a stretch of road to walk along, passing through Hopton and then across the meadows and down to Wirksworth. When I arrived at the bus stop and was studying the timetable a man told me that the buses weren't running to timetable - up to half an hour late. One was due imminently, it might have even already gone, so I spent the next forty five minutes standing in the same place like a statue, concentrating on the road ahead making sure that I didn't miss the bus.

I had another forty five minutes to wait at Bakewell for the Sheffield bus, but at least I was able to look round the town and take some photographs.

My Peak District Highlights

BAKEWELL: Not just puddings and tarts. A substantial town with plenty of shops, and the unofficial capital of the Peak District. I love the many courtyards, Bath Gardens, and the waterfront walk.

BLEAKLOW:  Appropriately named - it's bleak up there. It's the largest continuous expanse of land over two thousand foot above sea level in England. There are several dozen aircraft wrecks if you want to go looking for them, it will be a test of your mapreading skills though because there aren't a lot of landmarks around.

CASTLETON: Tourist village at the head of the Hope Valley; there's everything you need, pubs and restaurants, gift shops, show caves, a museum, and a castle.

CHATSWORTH PARK: Easy, but quite varied walking; suitable for family days out.

CINTRA'S TEAROOMS, HATHERSAGE: Everyone has a favourite, and this is mine.

EYAM: Known as 'The Plague Village.' Plenty of history here and some nice walks in the area.

KINDER SCOUT: The highest point in the Peak District, slightly higher than Bleaklow. No aircraft wrecks but plenty of interesting rock formations.

LONGSHAW ESTATE: Easy to reach from Sheffield, it's less than half an hour on the bus. Regular organised events for visitors.

LUMSDALE: A steep valley with several ruined mills; weirs, waterfalls and extensive walkways. Excellent opportunities for photography. 

MATLOCK BATH: Known as 'Derbyshire-by-the-Sea.' Tourist shops, more fish and chips shops than anywhere else I've been, a cable car ride, and on Sundays and Bank Holidays hundreds of motorcyclists travel here. 

MONSAL HEAD: Classic Peak District view looking down at the Headstone Viaduct.

THE GREAT RIDGE: A fantastic walk of about two miles with extensive views down into both the Hope Valley and the Vale of Edale.

TIDESWELL: A large village in the heart of the White Peak area - a good base for walking in some of the nearby limestone dales.

Upper Derwent Valley Reservoirs Walk

I could very well not have been able to go walking today because of a potentially serious injury. I was out drinking with friends in Leeds last night [only having Diet Cokes though because I'm diabetic] and we went to sit outside in the beer garden at the back of the pub. The seating is located on a raised platform made out of wooden decking; I moved my chair a few inches from the table to make a bit of space for myself but as I sat down one of the chair legs went straight through a rotten section of the timber. Fortunately I wasn't hurt at all, the accident seemed to happen in slow motion and I had a very soft landing. 

So...I was awake at 06:30 this morning after a good night's sleep, uninjured, full of energy, and raring to go. The first thing I saw after leaving the house was a middle-aged woman sitting on the grass on a piece of waste ground at the end of my street, surrounded by at least a dozen pairs of shoes, energetically trying on every one - she didn't look like a homeless person, or a drunk, or a drug addict...in fact she looked very smart and quite attractive.

I caught the 273 bus at Sheffield and travelled to Fairholmes, as far up the Derwent Valley as the bus goes before it turns around and goes back down the valley and then continues to Castleton. I walked a clockwise circuit of the two reservoirs, a distance of about eleven miles mainly flat and on a metalled surface, although I regularly ventured down to the water's edge to take photographs. The water level is currently very low, only fifty five percentage capacity, so low in fact that I was easily able to cross on foot what would normally be the western bay of Derwent Reservoir - the water here was only a few inches wide.

Many of the remains of the old railway and some of the buildings of the villages that were abandoned and flooded to make room for the reservoirs were clearly visible, these are the supporting pillars for Ouzelden Viaduct.

As I continued walking wherever there was a gap in the trees there were wonderful views of the reservoirs, the dams, and the hills beyond.

When I got back to Fairholmes it was only about twenty minutes until the bus going in the Castleton direction was due. Unfortunately it was quite a few minutes late and so I missed my tight connection at Bamford for the 272.  So...I had to wait another thirty minutes there and the next bus that arrived that was going to Sheffield was the 273, the same vehicle and the same driver, and also going all the way back up to Fairholmes before heading eastwards towards Sheffield. 

Middlewood, Oughtibridge, Wortley, Worsborough, Swaithe, and Stairfoot

I planned to catch the number 57 bus to Oughtibridge from Sheffield Interchange. I arrived at the appropriate departure stand to see the bus just pulling away; I could have easily caught it but I didn't rush because I didn't realise that the early morning services leave at forty five minutes past the hour and not ten past as they do for the rest of the day. So...I walked over to the nearest tram stop. I thought the same thing was going to happen again but fortunately the tram driver saw me running and waited for me. Throughout the journey there were six trainee conductors standing near to me and listening to their conversations was quite interesting.

The tram only goes as far as Middlewood though and so I had to start the walk from there, adding two miles to the distance. It wasn't long until I reached the park and was able to walk near to the river for a few minutes, followed by an equal length of time walking along the road until I stumbled upon a footpath sign indicating Beeley Wood, precisely where I needed to be.

Probably half an hour later I reached Oughtibridge, the original starting point for the walk today; it was easy walking along a gravel or concrete track never too far from the river...quite boring though really.

I walked up Station Lane until I reached the first path on the left as intended, heading off towards a factory but then turning to the right towards Wharncliffe Woods; just inside the woods there's a rustic tattoo parlour. It wasn't long until the walking conditions were very similar to how they were in Beeley Wood, well-maintained forestry tracks - by now I was able to listen to the cricket commentary though  to help to pass the time, and the miles.

For quite a while now I'd been walking along the TransPennine Trail, but I left it at Finkle Street and walked along the road to Wortley. 

It was a pot of tea and a slice of cake at The Countess Tearooms in the village and then I spied a lovely rabbit pie at the farm shop next door but didn't buy it because I didn't fancy having to carry it home and it ending up in pieces at the bottom of my rucksack.

I was glad to be out of the woods as I walked across the countryside on my way to Worsborough. I noticed something a bit unusual though, something I've not seen before; sunflowers growing among a field of maize...I wonder why?

Just beyond Hermit Hill, for the first time ever in all my years of walking and thousands of miles covered, I was able to use a stile with some comfortable handgrips added by the landowner, wooden bedknobs in fact...many thanks for that, it's much appreciated...together with the clearly indicated entrance into the wood using copious amounts of bright yellow masking tape.

The section of the walk passing close by the Northern College campus at Wentworth Castle was familiar because I walked here a few years ago when I was on a residential mapreading course. A few hundred yards further on the path goes quite near to a large obelisk associated with the Estate, but I couldn't get a close-up look because builders were working in a neighbouring property and scaffolding and their vehicles ruined every photograph I attempted to take.

I went inside the working watermill at Worsborough Mill Country Park.

I picked up the TransPennine Trail again a few hundred yards further east but soon left it to head for the hamlet of Swaithe and then a walk of about a mile and a half along the busy road to the bus-stop at Stairfoot: the bus to Doncaster was ten minutes late.