Great Longstone Open Gardens 2019

Today's day out with my support worker didn't get off to a very good start. As we did the last time we went to an Open Gardens event in a Peak District village three weeks ago we called in at The Moorlands pub at Owler Bar for breakfast.

Because the gardens in Great Longstone weren't open for viewing until one o'clock we set off later this time and arrived at the pub at 11:15. Breakfast is served until 11:30 but at about 11:35 when I'd finished my cooked breakfast and went to get some toast I was told that they'd switched off the toaster and were clearing everything away ready for the lunchtime carvery session. I wasn't happy and told them so; I'd already had to complain about the first plate I'd been given being dirty...so I don't think we'll be going there again.

We lingered in the pub because we had a bit of time to spare. We still arrived at Great Longstone quite early and Siobhan's car was the second or third one to enter the makeshift car park in a mown field.

The view from where we'd parked was pretty good though.

Before the gardens opened we visited an art exhibition in the village hall and had a look inside the church.

We then spent the next two and half hours looking around about fifteen of the gardens, and having tea and cake at the final one we visited. We needed to leave by 3:30 so that Siobhan could get back home for five o'clock because her sister was travelling up from London.

There's a mosaic inside the village bus shelter.

Returning to the rest of the photos I took.

It was easier to turn left rather than right when we left the carparking field and so we drove back to Baslow by a different route. I'm glad we did, or maybe I wasn't because we didn't have time to stop, but we passed a couple of fields where there were as many, if not more poppies growing there than the crop of wheat or barley that had been planted. There were dozens of people wandering about in the fields...and quite a few cars parked on the verges at the side of the narrow road making it difficult for us to get past. 

Baslow, Calton Lees, Rowsley, Tinkersley, Northwood, Darley Hillside, Two Dales, Upper Hackney, and Matlock

I knew I wouldn't have to plan an alternative walk today because there are three buses going to Baslow between 07:30 and 08:30, and I knew I'd be getting one of them.

I got off the bus at Nether End and walked through Chatsworth Park to Calton Lees.

The path to Rowsley is flat and never strays too far from the river, passing mainly through meadows and pastures.

I walked along the main road in Rowsley for a few hundred yards and then climbed up to Tinkersley; part of this route and all of the stretch beyond Tinkersley was new to me.

Most of the rest of the walk was along roads, pretty quiet though until I reached the main Chesterfield road at the end - I certainly enjoyed looking at the pretty cottages and the impressive mansions.

I think this man deserved his blue plaque just for his name.

There was also some lovely countryside to take photographs of.

I arrived at the first bus stop on the Chesterfield road and saw that it was twenty minutes until the bus was due and so I walked for a bit longer and caught the bus a few stops further on.

Fairholmes To Hallam Head

I travelled to Fairholmes this morning and headed up onto Derwent Edge and Hallam Moors.

An inspirational message was pinned to a fence post about a mile after I'd set off, just before my climb up onto the moors.

I took this photograph a few minutes later, still down in the valley at the side of the reservoir.

There were several of these Peak and Northern Footpaths Society signs on my walk today.

It was quite misty and so I didn't take many photographs today - I really liked the meticulous balancing of the stones on the top of this cairn though and thought it made an interesting subject.

I continued eastward going towards Hollow Meadows; when I reached the Moscar area, still high on the moors, I noticed this object in the distance.

I know there aren't any aircraft wrecks in this area but it looked like an aircraft undercarriage to me. On closer inspection I saw that it was two large lorry or tractor tyres bolted or welded to a tubular steel frame, maybe something that a helicopter grapple or harness could be attached to....I really don't know, I've never seen anything like it before and would appreciate any comments from people as to what you think it might be. I was just relieved that I didn't have to call 999 and go looking for casualties or fatalities.

I guessed that the object might be used to feed sheep somehow, but the places where I thought the feed could possibly go are too far off the ground.

I reached a road, named as Long Lane on the map, and continued heading eastwards, briefly leaving it and joining a footpath running parallel for a short distance. Just before reaching the path I was overtaken by a procession of vintage 1960s and 1970s cars.

At this stage I had left the Peak District and the suburbs of Sheffield were only a few miles away. I'm not exactly sure of the specific route I took to get into the Rivelin Valley, but I didn't get lost. There was a footbridge to cross over the river and then a quite strenuous climb up to the bus stop at Hallam Head, near to the golf club clubhouse.

There were a couple of minor annoyances today; firstly, it really was quite cold and I was glad that I was wearing two thick fleeces...and secondly, a constant clicking noise coming from my rucksack with every step I took - the only times I didn't hear it was when the noise of the wind was too loud.

UPDATE: The object on the moors is a disassembled harrow that can be used on boggy and steep ground. It can easily be attached to a tractor when required. 

Bakewell, Over Haddon, Elton, Bonsall, and Matlock Bath

I was following a squirrel for nearly a minute this morning as I was walking through the town centre to get to the railway station. 

After travelling by train and bus I reached Bakewell and made my way up to Over Haddon, going by the riverside and then the recreation ground.

I used the antibacterial handwash at the public toilets in Over Haddon but then struggled to use my camera because of my greasy fingers - I nearly dropped it twice and so I wiped my hands on my hankie and then on some damp grass.

I went down into Lathkill Dale and then climbed up the zigzagging path at the other side, going across the fields and heading over to the road, just west of Youlgreave. There were some nice views and plenty of wildflowers in the meadows.

There was a short stretch along the road before I descended into Bradford Dale and then gradually gained height as I entered open limestone country again, making my way across to Elton.

I waked through the village and then picked up the Limestone Way, bypassing Winster to the west and south. I split off from the Limestone Way because I wanted to take a different route across Bonsall Moor; this didn't go according to plan though because beyond the first stile I encountered I couldn't find my way out of a field - I was concentrating more on the several dozen cows than looking for the next stile or gate though. I needed to return to the road; fortunately I didn't waste much time or effort though.

After a bit more than a mile I re-joined my originally planned route into Bonsall.

Each time I walk from Bonsall to Matlock Bath I've taken a different route and without intending to do so I did again today, enjoying some views of the river and the promenade from different angles whilst being high up on the hillside.

As I was coming back on the train from Sheffield the guard had a difficult situation to deal with. The train consisted of eight carriages but the platforms at Meadowhall are only long enough for six, we were delayed for quite a few minutes because a couple tried to move up through the carriages because the doors were locked on the rear two carriages. They were frantically struggling to lift a large and heavy double pushchair high in the air over the seats and the heads of sitting passengers as well as having to cope with the two toddlers and several large bags. I think another passenger was helping them, the guard wasn't, but he had other duties to do.