Bakewell, Ashford in the Water, Monsal Head, Little Longstone, Great Longstone, and Pineapple House Farm Bus Stop

Almost a circular walk from Bakewell today, I actually finished the walk at the bus stop where you climb up from the Monsal Trail, just north of Bakewell. 

I started by taking a shortcut through Bath Gardens to Buxton Road, heading west to Ashford in the Water, going along the road and then the riverside footpath.

The open top tour bus which takes passengers on a scenic route through the Peak District was waiting at the bus stop in Ashford in the Water...I saw it on its travels a couple of other times today.

 I continued to Monsal Head where I popped in the cafe for a pot of tea, but resisted the cranberry and lemon flapjack, claiming it was too early. I then walked down the road to the village of Little Longstone. 

I took a path going across the fields to Great Longstone, walked through the village and found one of the paths going over to the Monsal Trail.

 I stayed on the Trail for a couple of miles, arriving at the bus stop only needing to wait a few minutes for the bus going back to Sheffield.

Lincoln and Burton Waters

A daytrip to Lincoln, only visiting the part of the city that's at the bottom of the hill though...the area where the shops are. As we were entering the carpark someone leaving gave us their parking ticket, ...and it was valid for the rest of the day - that saved me £6.80. So thankyou, whoever you are.

On the way back to Doncaster we called at the cafe down by the marina at Burton Waters, about four miles north west of the city centre.

Langold, Firbeck, Throapham, and Thurcroft

Another local walk today, this time because the weather forecast was better than it was for the Peak District. I caught the Worksop bus to Langold and walked over to Thurcroft, passing through Firbeck and Throapham, and skirting to the south and west of Laughton en le Morthen.

When I reached Thurcroft I somehow managed to miss the town centre but I did eventually find a bus stop where there were two buses an hour going to Rotherham.

Gringley on the Hill, Clayworth, Idle Valley Nature Reserve, Lound, and Sutton Crossroads

Train drivers are operating an overtime ban all this week and so I decided to go on the local bus to Gringley on the Hill in Nottinghamshire. I headed southwest across the fields to the Chersterfield Canal at Clayworth and then continued over to Lound, passing through the less interesting part of Idle Valley Nature Reserve.

I popped into Clayworth church to photograph the Traquair Murals.

I now headed more in a southerly direction, passing through the better part of the Nature Reserve and finishing the walk at Sutton Crossroads from where I caught the bus back to Doncaster.