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.

Hooton Roberts, Old Denaby, and Mexborough

I caught the Sheffield bus to Hooton Roberts, the next village after Conisbrough, and headed north along the lane and then the footpath that goes up and then down to Old Denaby.

When I reached Old Denaby I went down Ferry Boat Lane to the lock; I had to cross over the railway line and the river first though. I couldn't access the lock, it appears to be fenced off and only users of the canal are able to reach it, so I wasn't able to take any photographs

I walked along the towpath for a few hundred yards until I reached a point to get off near to Mexborough Railway Station.

I went into Mexborough town centre and spotted a bargain, a large, 1 kg, pack of bacon offcuts for £1.

I had nearly half an hour to wait for my train back to Doncaster and so did a bit of trainspotting at the station..

Circular Walk From Castleton

I travelled to Castleton this morning and started my walk by heading out northwest along Hollowford Road and then a path that goes over to Mam Farm and comes out onto the broken road, about half way up.

There were no home baked treats in Millie's Honesty Box. Just beyond this point I had to do my only bit of serious climbing but I found a spot to have a rest and watch several cyclists struggle to get by a fallen tree which was blocking the path. Some carried their bikes. others pushed their bikes, and a couple tried to jump over the obstacle whilst riding...and failed miserably. I didn't say anything.

I walked up the rest of the broken road and then across a grassy area to the top of Winnats Pass and then descended to Castleton with plenty of time to catch the bus.