Bakewell; and then Monyash, Hurdlow, Longnor, and Burlow

I was on a mission today, to walk over into Staffordshire for the first time. The easiest place to start from is Monyash, less then four miles from the county boundary.

I woke up early this morning and so caught an early train to Sheffield and then the first bus of the day to Bakewell; this meant that I had over an hour to spend in Bakewell. It gave the weather a bit of time to brighten up as I went looking for some photographs to take.

The number 178 bus going to Monyash wouldn't start at first but the driver got out a can of oil and opened a panel at the back of the vehicle and somehow got the engine going. Then, when we were waiting to set off, seemingly for no apparent reason a large upper storey window in the old bank building shattered and shards of glass landed on the road and pavement, just a few feet away. Fortunately no-one was injured, at some times though later in the day a lot of people would have standing right in that spot waiting for a bus going to Sheffield. A frail old woman sitting across from me on the bus was quite distraught and wanted to call the police because she thought someone might have been kidnapped: a few seconds later though, just before we set off a man came out to sweep up the mess, obviously builders were working inside the building.

When I reached Monyash I headed out to the west and over towards the High Peak Trail, I passed through a tunnel going through the embankment and then followed the road through Hurdlow.

I climbed to the summit of High Wheeldon; it was still a bit misty though.

From certain angles High Wheeldon looks like a grassy pyramid, it's quite steep and because the grass was wet and slippery I decided to climb up on all fours and get down the other side using my backside. I was glad I was wearing a thick, heavy pair of hiking trousers because there were some low-growing thistle-type plants hidden among the grass and I had to be careful where I placed my hands and bum.

There were also some pretty white flowers on the higher parts though.

I continued down Green Lane and crossed over the River Dove and into Staffordshire at Beggar's Bridge .

There were some lovely views of Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill as I headed across the fields to Longnor.

I went inside the first pub I found in Longnor, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn; it was open and a log fire was burning in the grate but there was no-one around to serve me. I waited for a minute or so, shouted 'Hello' and 'Shop' a couple of times and then left and wandered further into the village. I spotted two more pubs; one was closed for renovation work and the other was far too posh for me to even consider entering.

I checked my watch and decided I'd got enough time to linger for a while and so went to the tearooms and had a pot of tea and a very nice fruit scone.

The church was re-built in the late eighteenth century, I think it looks a bit like a 'dark satanic mill'. 

I couldn't go inside the church today.

The route northwards towards Buxton took me right up close next to Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill; there was no time for me to climb them today...it looks like it would be difficult ridge walk, much more difficult than the Great Ridge near Castleton.

The last mile or so of the walk was spoiled because of some quite heavy rain and then needing to work out a route down to the bus stop at Burlow, a couple of miles south of Buxton. Some new houses were being built and I couldn't see where the footpath had been diverted: when I was able to I jogged and arrived at the bus stop just a minute before the bus arrived to take me back to Bakewell.

I enjoyed my walk today a lot, despite the weather not being ideal. I'd say the countryside in this part of the Peak District is the best I've ever seen. I'd love to explore the area more but it's always going to be difficult for me because I'm at the limit of how far I can reach using public transport from Doncaster.