Conisbrough, Sprotbrough, and Cusworth Hall Country Park

I went on a local walk today, mainly to test out a new pair of walking boots I bought from a charity shop a few weeks ago. I was expecting the boots to be fine, they are manufactured by a reputable company, Clark's. The grip was good, and that's important, but the leather is hard and it was rubbing against my feet; this pair is  certainly not ready for the Peak District yet...if it ever will be.

I travelled on the bus to Conisbrough and started by photographing the castle.

I headed down into the Don Gorge: the next major landmark for me to photograph was Conisbrough Viaduct.

I took several different paths today; one of them took me right up to the edge of a quarry I'd not reached before.

I didn't go down to Lower Sprotbrough, a popular local beauty spot.

When I reached Cusworth Hall Country Park it had started raining and I now just wanted to get home as soon as possible and so didn't climb up the hill to visit the tearooms next to the hall.

Monsal Head, Brushfield, Priestcliffe, Taddington, and White Lodge Carpark

At Monsal Head you need to climb down to the viaduct that crosses the valley; this is where I started my walk today after catching the local bus from Bakewell.

I then headed west, slowly climbing up to the hamlet of Brushfield.   I continued up High Dale and then across the fields to Priestcliffe. 

I looped back to Taddington and then continued heading east, going past a strange farm and then down through the woods to the bus stop on the A6 road opposite to the White Lodge Carpark.

I went into the cubicle at the toilets at White Lodge to remove the strapping from my thigh. They're composting toilets and so don't flush, and I could feel a cold draught blowing up onto my bum. The bus arrived on time and everything went according to plan and on schedule and I arrived home at just after four o'clock. 

Hope Station, Aston, Win Hill, Thornhill, and Bamford

I caught the bus to Hope Station today and took the footpath that gently climbs up to Aston. It was then a much steeper climb up to the summit of Win Hill; the visibility at the top was surprisingly good despite the drizzle and the mist...and I had the summit entirely to myself this morning.

I took an easy grassy path back down to Aston and then walked along the road or walked along the path that goes right next to the road behind a hedge to Thornhill. I briefly joined the Thornhill Trail and then took a path across a meadow to Hope Valley Garden Centre where I had a pot of tea inside the Wild Kettle Cafe.

It wasn't far to the bus turnaround at Bamford Station where I caught a bus back to Sheffield. The time I spent waiting was spoiled by a mentally ill man shouting 'Fuck off' at everyone and trying to kick every passing car.

Exploring New Areas To The West Of Castleton

A walk to the stone igloo on the moors near Brown Knoll today.

I caught the bus to Castleton and walked through the village and then along the road to the entrance to Winnats Pass. There's a path that climbs up onto the northern rim of the pass and I hadn't decided whether or not I'd be using it until I arrived there. I decided against it though because I think there's a  steep descent back down onto the road as the only way of getting down...so I continued walking up the pass using the wide grassy area at the side of the road.

At Winnats Head Farm there's a path that goes over towards Mam Nick where the carpark is located. I then walked along the top of Rushup Edge until I reached the path that goes across the moor to the trigpoint at Brown Knoll. 

The stone igloo and a building associated with a air shaft for Cowburn Tunnel are reached before Brown Knoll and were easy to find. I walked across the moors to reach them, I didn't continue over to Brown Knoll though.

A couple was sitting down and eating their sandwiches at the igloo; the woman told me that the igloo had been built by an eccentric old man a few years ago.

I didn't go inside, the entranceway was too low.

[On my paper Ordnance Survey map it's shown as 'Gowburn Tunnel' but the error has been corrected on the online version]

The moor is Access Land and so I was able to make my way directly over to the west to join the Pennine Bridleway. I turned left at Rushop Hall and then continued along the road that goes along the bottom of Rushup Edge back to the Mam Nick area. I finished by taking the easy option, retracing my steps back to Castleton.

It's a small bus station at Castleton but today there were three buses waiting there - something I've not experienced before.