Brough, Hope, Mill Cottages, Ollerbrook Booth, Edale, Barber Booth, and Castleton

I woke up at 5:30 this morning and so took advantage of that to make an early start and arrive at Brough for 8:45.

The walk across the fields to Hope is delightful, with views to the north.

Fortunately the toilets at Hope were open, after being closed for a few months. The shops were open too by this time...but I wasn't tempted. It was the ascent of Lose Hill that was taking my interest; the large hill on the right in the next photograph.

I maintained a steady pace and reached the summit in less than half an hour without stopping - and for the first time I can remember I was alone...apart from the sheep.

I had a rest for a few minutes and took some photographs, but I could have easily continued without a break; the next section along the Great Ridge was quite easy.

I noticed an impressive cairn that wasn't there the last time I was.

There was the scramble down Back Tor which required a bit of care and a lot of concentration, and then an easy way down to the road.

I passed through the hamlet of Mill Cottages and then took the lane to Ollerbrook Booth and the footpath to Edale. I arrived at Edale earlier than expected and both the pubs weren't open yet so I went to Cooper's Café. I arrived there at 11:40; the menu stated that breakfast was served until twelve o'clock, yet the blackboard mentioned 11:30. I asked the young girl who was serving, she checked and said it was okay...I could have breakfast: I've had better though.

I finished my breakfast and took some photographs of the village; it was a shame that this was the only part of the day when conditions weren't ideal for photography; it was quite hazy, even a little cloudy.

The walk across the meadows to Barber Booth was a footpath I hadn't used before...and the buttercups were enchanting. The views were gorgeous, but were even better as I gradually climbed up the other side of the valley towards Hollins Cross and my second crossing of the Great Ridge. 

I arrived down in Castleton with forty minutes to wait for the bus, so I took some photographs.

Fox House and the Eastern Edges

A walk with Maureen and Chris from Leeds today. As usual the brief was a six to eight mile walk, fairly flat and easy conditions, and parking somewhere with toilets. Starting a walk from Fox House just about fits all these criteria, although the public toilets are now closed there are still some at the visitor centre at Longshaw, only a ten minute stroll. Out of good practice I always take my map, but I didn't need it today...and didn't use it - I know the area very well.

As the passengers were boarding the bus at Sheffield Interchange I helped the driver work out where a couple of foreign students needed to get off; the end of the road to Ringinglow for Mayfield Alpaca Farm and Fox House for the car parking area at Longshaw Estate. This seems to be becoming a regular task for me; I'm not a particularly helpful person...it's just that I see this as being the best way to hurry things up and make sure that the bus sets off on time.

The route of today's walk was through the grounds of Longshaw Estate, along the road to the footpath on the top of Froggatt Edge, cut across the moors to Eagle Stone and the Wellington Monument, and then across more moorland to reach White Edge and return to the visitor centre at Longshaw...and then finally back to Fox House. 

Denaby Ings Nature Reserve

It's been a lovely hot sunny day and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to get out for a couple of hours with my support worker before calling at the supermarket to do my weekly shop.

Denaby Ings is about five miles to the west of Doncaster; it's usually a good place to see plenty of wildflowers but unfortunately the meadows had just been mowed. Never mind though, there were still a few new varieties for me to photograph...and the blossom of a couple of trees which I need help in identifying.

Hogweed

Broom

Clover

Moonpennies; also known as ox-eye daisy

Dog Rose

And finally, these are the photographs of the two trees in blossom that I can't identify.

Bamford, Thornhill, Aston, and Hope

I got off the bus at Bamford Railway Station and walked down the road for a few minutes until I reached a footpath just beyond Hope Valley Garden Centre which took me under the railway bridge and on towards Thornhill.

The bus to Bamford kept good time despite what seemed to be an entire junior school, both the pupils and their teachers, boarding on Ecclesall Road and getting off at Hathersage...they also got on the same bus as I was travelling on, on the return journey.

I left Thornhill by the Aston road, but after not very far there was a footpath in the fields either side of the lane, running parallel to the road. I took the one to the left hoping for better views; none of my photographs was any good though. It's good that these footpaths are here because in sections the road is a dangerous 'sunken lane' or 'hollow-way or holloway' - there's nowhere to get out of the way of passing traffic. I needed to walk along this short stretch...fortunately the road isn't very busy.

The footpath leading up towards Win Hill began right next to the garden of first house I approached in Aston. This was one of the few paths in the Hope Valley that I haven't previously walked along. 

I didn't quite climb all the way to the summit of Win Hill; I skirted the eastern and northern flanks, but the summit was always clearly in sight.

I descended to Hope taking  the steep grassy slope down to Twitchill Farm.

I didn't visit the tea rooms, although if I'd known the bus would be twenty minutes late there would have been enough time for a pot of tea and some cake.

Finally, more photographs of wildflowers and tree blossom that I took on the walk; I'm hoping I haven't misidentified anything.

Red Campion

Cow Parsley

Hawthorn Blossom

Vetch

Bluebell - it's getting towards the end of the bluebell flowering season now

Gorse - there's an old English country saying that states that 'the only time that gorse doesn't flower is when kissing goes out of fashion'...gorse flowers during every month of the year in England.

Tideswell Lane End, Litton, New Houses, Littonslack, Taddington, Sheldon, and Ashford-in-the-Water

I had to jog most of the way to the railway station this morning because I stayed up late last night chatting on Skype, so I was in a rush. As it turned out I could have easily eased my pace because I had a few minutes to spare - I continued jogging though because it felt good; I'm really enjoying my much improved health and fitness.

I got off the bus at Tideswell Lane End and walked down the road and then along the footpath across the fields to Litton.

I stopped and ate my sandwiches, sitting on one of the benches on the village green before setting off and continuing on down the country lane to Litton Mill, passing Litton Cemetery, New Houses and Littonslack. There is nothing much to see at either New Houses or Littonslack; the former is merely a terrace of four out-of-place three storey town houses in the middle of nowhere and the latter is likewise a group of terraced houses, plus a couple of farms. By the way this road is a dead end, there is no direct vehicular access from Litton to Litton Mill.

Most of the mill has been converted into holiday apartments; I think some permanent residents live in the old workers' cottages though.

It's a steep climb up to Bulltor Lane and then I had to navigate my way along a network of bridleways to reach Taddington, first crossing over one of only a few short sections of dual carriageway road in the Peak District.

I entered Taddington near the Queen's Arms pub and walked along the main road and then along the road to Wheal Lane, a farm track, and then took  the footpath which leads down into Deep Dale and then back up the other side.

It was an easy approach to Sheldon, crossing grassland pasture and then pretty much the same for most of the way to Ashford-in-the-Water; the descent being quite steep in places though.

Literally, just as I was walking by the bus stop in the village the Bakewell bus arrived...so I got on.

I've used today to do a bit of wildflower spotting; these are what I spotted.

Dandelions; very numerous in the White Peak area, growing on pastureland and at the side of bridleways.

Buttercups; not as numerous as dandelions I should think - but I've still seen entire fields of them.

Daisies; very numerous as well, on pastureland and elsewhere.

Cowslips; growing individually or en masse on pastureland or hillsides.

Speedwell: seems to grow in a variety of locations.

Welsh poppy: these have colonised my garden - I encourage them though because I think they're pretty.

Wild pansy: I'm not sure where I photographed this.

And finally a flower I can't name...it's very common though.