Baslow, Froggatt, Longshaw Estate, and Fox House

I've been on the hunt for animals today on another of my themed walks, this time in the Peak District.

I travelled to Baslow and soon found my first animal, the Italian restaurant there, 'Il Lupo' [The Wolf.] I soon found my next one as I was walking up Bar Road to the Eagle Stone, located on Eaglestone Flat, a tract of open moorland. The word 'eagle' in this name actually means 'church' - but I'm still claiming it. I also passed a house called Hawkfield, so that was four animals within the first mile or so.

The rock obviously looks nothing like an eagle; the name 'eagle' means 'church' in the old Celtic language...does it look like a church though? 

At Curbar Gap I walked down the road for a bit until I found the footpath that would eventually take me through Bee Wood.

This was the third of five stone structures I passed; I don't know what they are but they seemed to be evenly spaced out along the route through the wood.

I continued along the road for a few minutes, walking through the upper part of Froggatt. I took a path going through some more woodland, and although I couldn't see it, I knew that I would soon be at my nearest point to Goatscliffe, the southernmost part of Grindleford, over on the other side of the river.

A few minutes later I passed through Horse Hay Coppice and then climbed up through Hay Wood to the Grouse Inn, located at an isolated spot on the moors.

It was then a straightforward easy walk through the Longshaw Estate to Fox House, my eighth animal encountered today...happy hunting. Not far away there's Houndkirk Road, a track going across the moors to Ringinglow - it will feature on another of my animal themed walks though.

I had a pot of tea at the tearooms at Longshaw; the cakes are quite expensive and so I didn't buy one...anyhow it was too early, it was only 12:40.

Carlton in Lindrick, South Carlton, Woodsetts, Shireoaks, and Worksop

I travelled on the Worksop bus to Carlton in Lindrick and walked through the village to the church at South Carlton.

I continued heading west through a wood and across the fields to the edge of Woodsetts, part of the route is a bridleway and it was very deep mud in places due to the horses churning the ground.

I took one of the footpaths that crosses the golf course; they are all well marked with bright yellow stakes.

This path continued to the south, to the Chesterfield Canal, and I walked along the towpath back to Worksop.

When I was checking today's route online I noticed this error on the Ordnance Survey map - 

- it certainly shouldn't be 'Shirebaks Park.'

When the bus stopped to let off some passengers on the journey back to Doncaster the driver got out of his cab and walked down the full length of the bus pressing every one of the buzzer buttons, presumably to check that they were working...I've never seen that before.

Stoney Middleton, Foolow, Grindlow, Great Hucklow, Little Hucklow, Coplow Dale, Bradwell, Pindale, and Hope

Another themed walk today, visiting several of the 'lows' of Derbyshire; a local placename element that means burial mound' or 'tumulus.'

I travelled to The Moon Inn at Stoney Middleton and then walked for a few yards up the steep high street before taking the footpath going down into Coombes Dale, the closest limestone dale to Sheffield. I climbed up and out of the dale and continued along the old quarry road, passing close to a property known as Bleaklow and then walked northwards across the fields, and continued along the road to Foolow.

Next up I reached Grindlow, then Great Hucklow, Little Hucklow, and Coplow Dale. Just to the east of Coplow Dale there's Cop Low tumulus shown on the map and not far away Stan Low tumulus and Stanlow Dale, a shallow, short valley with no public access. By this time I'd got no more villages with their name ending in 'low' to pass through and so I made my way to Bradwell and then climbed up past the cement works and over to Hope; just before reaching the cement works though there's a hill called 'Mich Low.'

I had to jog the final mile to Hope; fortunately it's a tarmac surface and a gentle slope all the way. I arrived with a few minutes to spare and was really pleased with my efforts.

Unlike Friday, when the weather was much better than forecast, today turned out to be the opposite - it was forecast to stay dry until one o'clock...but it rained all day.

I think there'll be several more themed walks visiting places ending in 'low' because there are a lot of them in Derbyshire.

Hathersage, Offerton, Shatton, Brough, Aston, Thornhill, and Bamford

There are quite a few small halls in the Hathersage area and the aim of today's themed walk has been to get as near to as many of them as possible. 

The bus I travelled to Hathersage on was the nosiest bus I've ever been on, especially when it was stationary at bus stops or traffic lights. Not only was the engine loud but everything on the bus, the seats, the windows, the panelling, and my skeleton would all vibrate and rattle, and even bang - I was glad to get off.

I got off in the centre of Hathersage; the nearest hall to where I was standing is Nether Hall, but the nearest publicly accessible spot to it is on the other side of the river and therefore a walking distance of nearly two miles...so I didn't bother; I did pass Nether Hall Farm though.

[Sorry about the unintended selfie]

At this point during the day the weather turned out to be much better than forecast; the light was just about perfect for taking pictures - it did cloud over later though.

The first hall I actually reached was Hazelford Hall about one and a half miles down the Grindleford road, and then along another country road - there's a footpath for most of the way though.

Only about half a mile away to the south is Leam Hall, well-hidden away and not close to any road or footpath.

Hog Hall wasn't very far away; a path goes right next to the perimeter fence surrounding the grounds.  I then headed west along the road to Highlow Hall; I didn't take any photographs there because there were people around. The walk to Offerton Hall took me through some more lovely countryside.

I was expecting the next hall to be three miles away, but about half a mile beyond Shatton I noticed this sign - on the map the property is named Upper Shatton.

There's definitely no hall at Brough. Rather than just walk down the road to Aston I went out of my way by using a footpath going across the fields and crossing over the railway line at Hope Station. Aston Hall is difficult to photograph because it's partially hidden by a high hedge or wall.

I continued heading eastwards to Thornhill and then over to the cafe at the garden centre for a pot of tea and a chocolate chip shortbread biscuit. I timed my departure so that I didn't have long to wait for the bus at the nearby bus stop.