I travelled on the 272 bus from Sheffield to the bus stop for Bamford Station and made my way over to Thornhill, utilising a short footpath that I hadn't previously used, I'm always on the lookout for these...there were a couple of humorous signs.
I then took the path that goes alongside the sunken lane to Aston. Before reaching Aston I cut across the fields to Hope and then followed the course of Peakshole Water upstream to Castleton.
A real test for my knees today; up on the moors but staying to a well-defined and quite easygoing footpath. I travelled to Fox House and headed south along Froggatt Edge to the bus stop at Curbar Crossroads.
Early on though, as I was walking through the Longshaw Estate my right knee started to hurt and so I had to strap it up, the first time I've needed to do this in many months.
A few minutes later I heard a stag bellowing, it was only a few yards away and was very loud. Despite being relatively near the zoom on my camera was insufficient to capture any close up images.
The Grouse Inn is situated on a short stretch of road I needed to walk down.
I briefly studied my map at Curbar Gap and decided that it would be an easier walk to the bus stop at Curbar Croosroads via the Wellington Monument rather than going down to Baslow Nether End.
Today I caught the number 257b bus to Foolow to start my walk. As I was walking along the short stretch of road to reach the footpath that goes across the fields to Grindlow several dozen cyclists passed me - they must have been part of an organised race or tour. I saw many more going through Great Hucklow and along the road that leads to Bradwell...when I arrived at Castleton there were a lot of fellrunners, some of them eagerly running and the rest just hanging around the village.
I continued through Grindlow and along the road to Great Hucklow and down the track to the road that goes to Bradwell.
I soon took a left fork in the road and stayed on the narrow lane that goes high up to the west of the main areas of Bradwell.
My route to Pindale took me right next to the cement works, which are well hidden.
I had planned to start my walk from Eyam today but the bus didn't go there, the bus driver told me that the road would be closed until one o'clock. So, instead, I got off at Stoney Middleton and went to the new Cupola visitor centre and cafe for a pot of tea.
I thought this biscuit I was served with my tea was a small wooden teaspoon.
I then walked over to the Derwent Valley Heritage Way to a point south of Froggatt. I stayed on this footpath, going on the right bank of the River Derwent to Baslow and caught the bus back to Sheffield from Baslow Nether End.
There aren't many photographs today because the conditions were poor, things brightened up though as soon as I'd sat down on the bus, starting my journey back home.
I caught the first available bus going out to the Peak District from Sheffield this morning and travelled to the Ladybower Inn. I started by walking along the road and across the viaduct.
I continued down a quite steep path, another short stretch of paved road and then I climbed up to the Thornhill Trail. Along the trail there is a series of wooden carvings of wild animals that no longer live in this part of the country.
When I reached Thornhill I searched for, and found, a short section of footpath I'd not previously used...and there was another just a bit further on at Brough. The first path leads down to the main Hope Valley road, which I needed to walk along for a few hundred yards and then take the footpath across the fields to Hope, where I had enough time to pop in to The Old Hall Tearooms for a pot of tea and a sausage roll.
