At this time of year with there being so little daylight I can't afford to be sitting at the bus station in Sheffield letting buses that are going to the Peak District depart whilst I'm waiting for a specific service to take me somewhere to start a pre-planned walk. So this morning I immediately got ready as soon as I woke up and headed for the railway station, arriving there just before seven o'clock. I had thirty minutes to wait for a train, which got me to Sheffield for eight o'clock. I hurried up the hill to the nearest bus stop and caught the first suitable bus that showed up...the 272 service to Castleton. I then planned my walk as the bus set off on its journey; I decided to get off at Fox House and head down into Padley Gorge to try to capture some of the remaining colours in the late autumn foliage.
I was too late though, most of the leaves had already fallen, and anyhow it was a murky start to the day this early in the morning...so I concentrated on photographing the moss covered boulders and the gnarled and twisted trees.
During the descent I enjoyed the constant sound of the water in Burbage Brook tumbling and splashing over the rocks as it rushed down the gorge. I arrived at Upper Padley, where Grindleford Railway Station is located; the former waiting room is now a quirky cafe.
Confusingly, I then had to climb uphill to reach Nether Padley. I then continued climbing further uphill through some woods until I reached the main road and the footpath which goes along the top of Froggatt Edge and Curbar Edge.
Ironically, someone has tried to scratch out the symbol for cyclists on this sign.
By now the sun was starting to break through the mist and clouds.
I dropped down into Baslow and popped in to The Cafe on the Green for a slice of my favourite Bakewell Pudding anywhere in the Peak District.
My time in the cafe was ruined though by an obnoxious man with an overwrought sense of entitlement who got up twice to change his order and then was arguing with the waitress about the bill because she'd got confused and might have overcharged him.
I continued south into Chatsworth Park and discovered that the Christmas Market was being held.
The Christmas Market is a lot bigger than it was when I last visited a couple of years ago, at least twice as many stalls. It was also very busy, even though it was only the second day; it was so busy that there were two areas I couldn't reach at all because of the crowds. There was some lovely food on sale; pies, fresh and prepared game, cheese, hot food, and all sorts of delicious cakes and pastries. I could very easily have spent a lot of money, but didn't buy anything.
There were about a dozen people in the queue at Edensor Gates waiting for the bus back to Sheffield - when there's a major event at Chatsworth the buses don't go all the way right up to the house...they drop people off here, about half a mile away.
I didn't have very long to wait for the bus to arrive, but it took quite a long time for the passengers to get off due to the confusion about how to get to the Christmas Market and Chatsworth House, and then the time it took for the bus driver to do a three point turn to turn the bus around, a six-wheeled double-decker...she was a very petite woman and her arms didn't seem to be long enough.
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