My Gait

Something I've noticed; my gait has changed since I've recovered from my injury when I tore a ligament whilst climbing over a stile, and then a few days later, getting tangled up in my vacuum cleaner's hose, tripping and falling down several steps at home.  

I've always had an awkward, bouncy, loping way of walking which I assumed was due to my Asperger's syndrome causing to me to be clumsy and un-coordinated, and more recently my decades of undiagnosed severe vitamin D deficiency which could have caused permanent muscoloskeletal damage.

Until a few months ago though when climbing up stairs I would always firmly plant my entire foot on each step, but now I only place the front few inches there - I've observed that this seems to be what most people do. 

So, maybe my gait has now improved or become more naturalistic, I don't know. I tried climbing steps how I used to but found out that I don't have the strength in my thigh muscles.

Bawtry Christmas Market

I travelled on the bus to Bawtry, a small local town that's about ten miles away, and met up with my friend Justin, who lives in the next village. The weather was sunny and the market was surprisingly busy.

I had something to eat before I left the house and so didn't need to buy anything, Justin bought a hotdog though...I didn't spend a penny all day.

Justin spotted a sign saying 'Free Tea and Cake' and wanted to go and get some. It was a church group which was organising the event. The people seemed pleasant enough; I ate a couple of mince pies, Justin appeared to eat an entire plate of various types of cakes. I tried to push him forward to get involved with the group or to take part in some of the activities that were happening in the building but he was being very negative as he usually is. The highlight of the day though was the chair collapsing underneath him. 

Baslow, Chatsworth Park, Chatsworth House Christmas Market, and Sheffield

This has been the walk I'd planned to do last Friday when I decided to go to Chesterfield instead because my knee was hurting me.

I caught the bus to Baslow Nether End and entered into Chatsworth Park. I climbed up to Stand Wood and did some exploring before making my way down to visit the Christmas Market at Chatsworth House.

I found some new areas to walk, in particular the Emperor Lake Woodland Walk.

The Christmas Market was much larger than it was the last time I visited it, several years ago - there was also some entertainment provided which I stopped to listen to. I didn't buy anything though; the prices were shocking, just as I expected they would be.

I was blocked twice by stewards when I was trying to get to the bus stop to catch the bus back to Sheffield. They insisted I use the correct fenced off route, which wasn't signposted and was difficult to find. To finish off my day the bus was thirty minutes late. When the bus reached Sheffield I got off in The Moor area in order to go to the market - I bought some cheap, out-of-date cakes. I passed by the Christmas Market but didn't visit it, I'd had enough and was rather tired.

Chesterfield Christmas Market and Christmas Tree Festival

I wanted to take advantage of the sunny weather and get out walking in  the Peak District today but last night my right knee started aching a bit and so I thought it would be better to visit the Christmas Market at Chesterfield.

Well, there wasn't really a Christmas market at all, and very little sign of any seasonal deecorations in the town centre apart from a large marquee, which wasn't open, so I don't know what was inside.

Inside the indoor shopping centre I took a photograph of a giant reindeer, although at the time I thought it was a rabbit...I didn't realise until I got home and looked at the photograph.

The Christmas Tree Festival inside the church was certainly the highlight of the day: it was a lovely seasonal atmosphere and there was even a pianist playing carols.

The final photo features what I always associate Chesterfield with, its rows of half-timbered black and buildings - they're not ancient though, just over a hundred years old I think.

Places I've Not Yet Visited In The Eastern Part Of The Peak District Which I Can Reach Using Public Transport

DUNSA - The smallest of the Chatsworth villages, it's a hamlet really though. It's situated at the bottom of a dead-end lane and that's the reason I've not been there yet.

HADDON HALL - Somewhere I should think would be well worth visiting, but I can always find a better use for any spare money I've got. I've used the bus stop outside the main entrance a few times to catch the bus back into Bakewell.

ARBOR LOW HENGE - At the moment it's difficult to get to Monyash, the nearest village. Arbor Low looks to be a bit disappointing, and I've heard that there might be problems with public access.

CASTLETON CAVERNS - I think I must have visited them all at some time in the past, but I've certainly not visited any of them since I've been writing the blog.

SHEEN, in Staffordshire - Apart from Dunsa, and the far northern areas of the Peak District which I'm not really interested in, Sheen, just over the boundary in Staffordshire  seems to the nearest location I've not reached, and I don't think it's possible using public transport.

Bakewell Christmas Market

Having nearly an hour to wait for my bus at Sheffield isn't convenient timing but I used the time to eat my sandwiches on the platform at the railway station before walking over to the bus station. The Bakewell bus goes via Chatsworth House and normally takes about an hour, but today it took an extra twenty minutes; the traffic jams started before we even reached the Golden Gates roundabout on the approach to Baslow. Fortunately people going to visit Chatsworth House and the Christmas Market there are being allowed to use the Golden Gates for access, thus avoiding additional delays caused by two sets of roadworks in the village.There were still long queues at the other entrance though which the buses use, but we were given priority by the marshals.

There was yet more standing traffic as we approached Bakewell, after a few minutes I got up and asked the driver if I could get off, even though we were stuck between stops. He opened the doors so I got off, quickly followed by another couple of people - I arrived in the town centre a few minutes before the bus did.

It was very busy and crowded at the market and some people were carrying their small dogs. There was some woinderful food on sale but it was all very expensive so I didn't buy anything.

The rest of the town wasn't quite as busy.

I heard a very distinctive, and very recognisable sound and so headed towards the music. It was Frumptarn Guggenband from Barnsley; I've seen this band several times before when visiting the summer fete at Hooton Pagnell, one of the local Doncaster villiges.

Not surprisingly the bus returning to Sheffield was thirty five minutes late and it took an hour and thirty five minutes to get there, not just because of the traffic, but because it was an old double decker that really struggled going up the hills.

Nearest To Me

ACCESS LAND - I frequently mention this when I'm describing my walks in the Peak District; these are areas of land, often quite extensive in area, where hikers are free to roam wherever they want. Sometimes they are subject to seasonal closures though due to birds nesting, grouse shooting, or regular burning of the old heather in order to encourage new growth. I spent quite a while looking at the online Ordnance Survey map and it seems that my nearest piece of Access Land is a small narrow strip next to the municipal cemetery at Cantley, approximately two miles away. I've never actually set foot there, but I've walked by it on the pavement a few times, and even more frequently have travelled by it on the bus or in the car with my support worker.

TRIG POINT - My nearest one is situated Just north of Pickburn, about four miles away out to the west, it's not in its original location though. It was moved by a local farmer a few years ago, probably from the site of the wind farm at Hampole. I've walked by this spot a few times; it's on the route I take to walk back from Hooton Pagnell, my favourite local village, which I visit quite regularly.

COUNTRY PARK - There are locations which I tend to call country parks which are actually the landscaped spoilheaps of former collieries, but the nearest location which is marked on the map as a country park is Cusworth Park, the site of the local history museum. I've been there, to the park, dozens of times; I usually include it on one of my favourite local walks walking along the riverbank to Sprotbrough and then continuing across the fields to Cusworth. I was there recently, only a few weeks ago, when I got the opportunity to help myself to some apples from the orchard.

RIVER - Obviously the River Don, located on the edge of the town centre; also within walking distance though, because I've walked there, are the the River Torne at Rossington, the River Skell at Skelbrooke, and the River Dearne with its nearest point being its confluence with the Don near Consborough.

MOOR - This is Town Moor, where the racecourse is located; I spent a lot of time walking in this area during lockdown.

CARR - A carr is an area of flooded woodland and there are many such areas in Doncaster, usually to the south and east of the town. Technically the nearest one to me is Doncaster Carr which now though is an industrial area.

FEN - In their natural state fens aren't like the areas of East Anglia which are intensively farmed. We've got a small area of natural fenland in Doncaster near to Rossington - I only found out about this a few years ago.

Baslow, Curbar, Froggatt, Grindleford, and Hathersage

I caught the Bakewell bus to Baslow Nether End and took the low level path heading north to Curbar; this still required me to climb over 150 ft in altitude up Gorsebank Lane in the village. I continued walking north going through Curbar, and then made my way down to the eastern bank of the River Derwent using a short path that I don't remember using before, something rare for me in the Peak District. By now I had joined the Derwent Valley Heritage Way and continued to Grindleford Bridge, and then Hathersage.

 

Unfortunately these apples at Curbar were cooking apples; the woman who had just pushed them up a steep hill in the wheelbarrow tried to persuade me they were still sweet enough to eat and insisted I take one. I didn't want to disappoint her - it wasn't sweet though. 

There were plenty of autumn colours on display, but the lighting conditions were poor.

Just beyond Froggatt the conditions brightened up for a few minutes, maybe it had something to do with the electric fence.

I reached Hathersage and had half an hour to wait for the bus, not long enough to go somewhere for a pot of tea and so I went to the garage shop for an ice cream or lolly, but didn't bother...they all looked more like fireworks then something cool and refreshing.

A Walk Along The Canal Towpath From Thorne To Stainforth

A significantly better weather forecast for Doncaster than the Peak District today and so I caught the Scunthorpe train to Thorne South railway station this morning. I haven't used this station before, neither have I used the recently built platform 0 at Doncaster Station from where it departs...it's quite a distance from the other platforms. I've been to Thorne plenty of times before but whenever I've caught the train I've always got off at Thorne North.

I walked into the town centre going via the church and the earthworks remains of the castle.

 

I popped in to one of the bakery shops and got a really good bargain, a dozen of yesterday's cakes for only 90p - I didn't eat any of them though since I'd already eaten my sandwiches on the train. I then walked along the canal towpath to Stainforth and caught the bus back to Doncaster. My foot was starting to hurt me, I'm convinced that it's a residual sixth toe I've got; I've never had the doctor look at it though.