Monyash, Bradford, Alport, and Haddon Hall

Public transport went according to plan today; I arrived at Bakewell at 09:20 and then caught the 09:40 bus to Monyash. Earlier, when I got on the bus at Sheffield though I was mistaken for an old age pensioner for the first time ever by the driver when he didn't realise or recognise that I had a disabled person's bus pass that is valid for travel at any time. I didn't get shaved this morning, as is usually the case when I go walking, there's not enough time...maybe I looked really rugged and rough. I keep telling people though that since my twin diagnoses of diabetes and vitamin D deficiency and my subsequent successful treatment I'm feeling, and looking, twenty or even thirty years younger. You can't fool all of the people all of the time though.

I arrived at Monyash at ten o'clock and the weather was still a bit murky as I was taking photographs in the churchyard; about half an hour later the sun came out, and stayed out for the rest of the day.

I left the village by taking the Limestone Way footpath, heading out towards Youlgreave, passing through One Ash Grange Farm where there's a shrine with small plastic figurines depicting The Nativity. I then reached Cales Dale, the path down was steep, narrow, and slippery in places...the climb back out of the dale consisted of one hundred and seventy steps cut into the bare rock...but this was much easier.

A bit later, near a farm I was harassed by a large horse which had a fetish about my armpits and kept pushing its nostrils into them; I haven't a clue what the word is for this type of behaviour.

I continued walking along the Limestone Way until I reached the River Bradford and passed by the houses at the hamlet of Bradford itself before arriving at Alport.

I needed to walk through the grounds of a mobile homes park before reaching the next section of my route going along a country road...the route of the footpath is well signposted though.

The final mile and a half today was across an extensive area of open grasslands called Haddon Fields...there are some nice views.

I managed to get a decent view of Haddon Hall. The photo isn't very clear because it's at maximum zoom. I've never visited the Hall; I couldn't visit today anyhow even if I wanted to - it's closed to the public during the winter months.