A Circular Walk From Bakewell

My plan this morning was to catch the TransPeak bus at Bakewell and travel to Taddington...but it didn't show up - so after waiting at the bus stop until twenty minutes after it was due to depart I gave up and walked to Ashford in the Water.

Earlier I took some photographs of the Christmas decorations at Bakewell.

There are usually a couple of alpacas in this field.

I went inside the church at Ashford in the Water.

I climbed up the hill and then walked along the road and across the fields to Magpie Mine; the sun briefly punched a hole in the clouds and so I took some photographs.

I always enjoy taking pictures at Magpie Mine.

I left the ruins heading south and east and made my way down into Lathkill Dale via Mill Farm.

I didn't use this footpath, and anyhow it's now over two months since the closure date, but I've never come across this reason for an emergency closure -  'to protect public safety due to management of livestock.' What on Earth has the farmer been keeping in these fields, and what was he doing with them that's so dangerous?

A decent sized chunk of the dictionary is included in the locations on this sign; ash, bake, flag, ford, and well.

There was a section of the footpath closed in Lathkill Dale but there was a well used unofficial diversion in place...which I used.

As I was approaching Bakewell at the end of the walk, an unaccompanied dog ran by me carrying a large frisbee in its mouth.  Quite a few seconds later, just as I was beginning to wonder how the dog could manage to throw, and then catch, the frisbee all on its own its owner appeared, somewhat out of breath.

As I waited for the bus at Bakewell we were entertained by a group of carol singers just across the road - they were dressed as characters from The Nativity...the bus was fifteen minutes late.


UPDATE: I've been informed by a local resident that the alpacas are in fact llamas. I always thought llamas were much larger...so now I don't know how to tell the two species apart.