Hope, Pindale, Perryfoot, and Castleton

I arrived at Doncaster Railway Station much earlier than expected this morning and so I made a change of plan. As soon as I got on the train to Sheffield, before it filled up with passengers getting on at the local stations, I used the space available to struggle with my map and get it folded to the correct configuration for where I would now be walking. I didn't want to be hanging around at Sheffield Interchange; I caught the 07:59 bus and got off at Hope - it was a lovely start to the day and I wasn't going to waste any of it...the weather, as forecast, got worse in the afternoon. 

I headed south, straight past the cement works, to Pindale.

At the top of Pindale I continued walking along the road and some stretches of footpath until I reached Perryfoot; I didn't take the direct route, I missed my turn off because I was looking in the other direction and taking photographs.

I then headed north and climbed up onto Rushup Edge and then continued to Castleton via the Blue John Mine and the Treak Cliff Cavern, two of the show caves.

The No Car Cafe at Rushup Hall only opens at weekends and bank holidays.

I had intended to finish the walk at Castleton but when the bus arrived from Sheffield the driver  wouldn't let us on; he put up 'This Bus Is Not in Service' on the destination blind and just drove off. The were eight of us waiting for that bus; I told everyone that there wouldn't be another bus from Castleton for two hours...but there'd be one going from Hope Valley College, just a mile or so down the road, departing as soon as all the schoolchildren have boarded. I was the only one there who decided to walk; it wouldn't be a gamble on my part since the bus service terminates and Castleton and so I'd see it going in the other direction coming from Sheffield and would have plenty of time to reach a bus stop. There wasn't another bus going to Castleton, but I arrived at Hope with a few minutes to spare - I was the only adult on the bus until it reached Hathersage but I didn't care - I'd made a good decision. This particular bus only goes as far as Whirlow, but there were plenty of buses from there going to the city centre.

Today's route: