Fairholmes, The Upper Derwent Valley, Yorkshire Bridge, and Bamford

The early train to Sheffield wasn't running this morning because of yesterday's floods and so I had to go by bus. I therefore arrived at Sheffield quite a few minutes later than planned but I still managed to catch my planned bus.

I travelled to Fairholmes and started the walk by doing an anticlockwise circuit of Derwent and Howden Dams.

I soon reached Derwent Dam: it was obviously overtopping because as soon as I'd stepped off the bus at the bus stop a few hundred yards away I could hear the loud roar of the water - I've not experienced that before from such a distance..

I wasn't the only person taking photographs.

I'd not yet lost sight of Derwent Dam if I looked behind me when I heard the sound of Howden Dam Overtopping, more of a splashing sound this time. I don't think the amount of water was as much...and the drop didn't seem to be as high. It was difficult to photograph this dam because the trees were blocking my view.

This image was my best effort.

I continued heading northwards.

Just after I'd taken the next two photographs I crossed over the old packhorse bridge and started heading to the south on the other bank of the reservoirs.

On the western side of the circuit the sun was shining at the wrong angle and so I didn't take so many photographs...and I've not included any.

I continued, reaching the bus stop at Fairholmes again and then pressed on, taking the footpath down by the water's edge on the western shore of Ladybower Reservoir.

I passed over Ashopton Viaduct and then walked down the road to Bamford, where I had enough time to visit the church.

I had to wait my turn to photograph the eastern plughole at the southern end of Ladybower Reservoir.

The church at Bamford isn't very old, but it's quite pretty.

The train which took me home to Doncaster from Sheffield was packed tight, this was the least room anywhere I've experienced - it was really unpleasant and one passenger squashed up quite close to me wasn't feeling very well at all. When my carriage pulled in to the platform at Doncaster there wasn't even enough room for me to bend down and pick up my rucksack from the floor, I had to wait until some other passengers had got off before me.

It's Been Raining, So We Went To Hemswell Antiques Centre Instead

I had planned to go to Newark-on-Trent and Southwell today with Siobhan, my support worker, but because of the rain we decided to go to Hemswell Antiques Centre near Gainsborouh. There's plenty of undercover there - it's the largest antiques centre in Europe.

When we travel out in that direction we usually go to the Toby Carvery at Bessacarr for breakfast, but we were disappointed the last couple of times we went and so decided to eat at the Trent Port pub down by the river, just before the bridge over the Trent at Gainsborough. The food there was much better.

The antiques centre at Hemswell is located on a former RAF base. We went inside five of the buildings there, but there are several other buildings where antiques and collectables are also on sale...and there are other retail businesses on the site as well.

On the way back home we called at the Retford and Gainsborough Garden Centre at Beckingham for apple pie and ice cream at the Citrus Cafe.

A Few Photographs of Sheffield Taken With The New Camera

I met up with a couple of friends in Sheffield this afternoon; I arrived an hour or so early and so took some photographs in the city centre.

Foolow, Grindlow, and Hathersage

When I heard some of the other passengers on the bus talking about the cake village at Eyam this morning, a model of the village made of cake, I briefly considered getting off there and having a look, but I decided to stay on the bus to my original destination of Foolow. I like cake...but not that much.

I walked across the fields to Grindlow and then up on to Abney Moor, passing the glider club and an old pumping house.

It took me few seconds to get past this obstruction placed in front of the stile.

I continued across Offerton Moor and then down to the footpath which goes alongside the River Derwent.

At just after one o'clock it started to rain and so I hurried to the bus stop at Hathersage.