VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do - PART FIVE

 VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do.

18..I regularly visit  Eyam, it's much easier to get there on the bus at the moment to what it used to be. I've never been inside the museum, it's usually closed when I get there quite early in the morning. It really annoys me when people mispronounce the name as 'EE-YAM.'

19..I've been to Bolsover Castle once and am hoping to visit again in March when it will be free admission as part of the National Lottery Heritage Open Week [with a lottery card or scratchcard.]

20..I think I did this as a teenager when I visited Dovedale with a few friends.

21..I love Ashford-in-the Water. It's a short walk from Bakewell, or just get the bus. It's a good base for starting or finishing walks. The Sheepwash Bridge is very picturesque and features in jigsaw puzzles a lot.

22..Access to Stanage Edge is either from Hathersage or Moscar Moor, both easily reachable by bus. I've been there many times but don't prat about up there.

23..I've never been there, I'm not interested.

VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do - PART FOUR

 VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do.

15.. I've never been. Up until a couple of years ago there used to be a conveniently-timed bus that ran out to Monyash from Bakewell and I would be able to reach Arbor Low from there. I would need to walk all the way back to Bakewell though. I've seen videos of Arbor Low and it doesn't seem to be particularly attractive or interesting and there might be access problems as well.

16..I last visited Treak Cliff Cavern about fifteen years ago with a group of friends. The tour underground was interesting.

17..I've done this walk in its entirety maybe half a dozen times, each time from west to east.

VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do - PART THREE

 VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do.

10..I've visited the dams in the Upper Derwent Valley many times. My most recent walk in the Peak District featured the Ladybower Reservoir, the furthest south, and newest of the three. I've never been there when there's been a fly-by of the bombers though.

11..I've only been to Hartington once...and the village pond was covered in algae and stank awful. It's somewhere I can't reach on public transport and so travelled there in the car with a couple of friends from Leeds.

12...I've visited Derby a few times, but I much prefer its neighbour, Nottingham.

13...I'm a regular visitor to Buxton, either on my own or in the car with my support worker. I've not been inside any of the historic buildings though.

14..I've not climbed up the spire at Chesterfield although I quite often visit the town, most recently to Christmas Market in December.

VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do - PART TWO

 VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do.

7...I've already mentioned Bakewell Puddings and Tarts.

8...I've visited Cromford Mill a few times but have never been inside the main building...only the tea rooms and the toilets.

9...I've only walked the first few miles, starting at Edale. I don't like camping so this doesn't appeal to me at all.

VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do. PART ONE

VISIT PEAK DISTRICT & DERBYSHIRE: The Ultimate Peak District and Derbyshire Bucket List - 101 Great Things To Do.

I've checked the long-range weather forecast and it looks like it's going to rain every day for the next fortnight so I thought I might as well comment on this list for the next few days.

1...I love the Peak District and I regularly go there, and it's easy for me to get there. I live in Doncaster, which isn't too far away and I've got a travel pass for free travel on the buses and local trains. I can reach about half of the national park from Sheffield, including many of the tourist honeypot areas.

2...I've visited Chatsworth House quite a few times, a few years ago I purchased a season ticket. I regularly go walking in the parkland; it's beautiful and isn't too challenging.

3...I've been up on Kinder Scout a few times, usually not alone...although I might have done it unaccompanied once. It's a difficult climb and I doubt I'll be doing it again.

4...I've been to Cresswell Crags a few times and it's a pleasant location which can easily be incorporated into a longer walk. I've never paid to have a guided tour of the caves though.

5...Obviously when visiting the villages I've seen the decorated wells, but I've never actually been to one of the well-dressing ceremonies though.

6...I've been to Bakewell many times, not just to visit, but also to use the town as a base for walking. Masny years ago I bought a Bakewell Pudding and during my lifetime I've eaten thousands of Bakewell tarts. I've never asked a woman if she's a pudding or a tart though. 

Hickleton, Harlington, and Mexborough

A local walk in the Dearne Valley area today, just a few miles to the west of Doncaster. I caught the Barnsley bus to Hickleton, and after exploring the village, walked down the road towards Barnburgh. It's a sunken lane with no verges and so I made sure I was wearing my hi-vis vest.

Hickleton is a lovely village, but it's spoilt by all the traffic passing through it.

In the lychgate there are these skulls with the message 'Today for me, tomorrow for thee.'

After a few hundred yards I reached a path that goes through a small area of woodland and then continues along the base of Barnburgh Cliff. There are some carvings done into the rockface along here.

I briefly walked along Hangman Stone Road, heading south and then took the bridleway down to the Crown Inn at Harlington. I walked through the village until I reached  Mill Lane and continued down to the River Dearne which I was able to cross on a footbridge and walk up to a housing estate at Mexborough. I made my way to the railway station and caught the train back to Doncaster.

Places In Doncaster I Haven't Visited yet.

I've been studying the Ordnance Survey map and I reckon there are only three places inside the boundary of the City of Doncaster that I haven't visited, and I doubt I will ever need to be visiting them. I obviously do a lot of walking locally and can easily get to any location. 

HESLEY - Most of the village is a private campus; there are a few cottages on the main road, and that's it. There are no footpaths in the area.

HOLME A hamlet south of Askern; I don't think there's anything interesting there.

LINDHOLME - Former R.A.F. housing; there's no reason for me to visit there.

Heatherdene, Thornhill, Brough, and Hope

I was required to state my destination when I scanned my bus pass this morning, the driver told me it's a new policy for Andrew's Coaches. Most days when I go walking I've already decided in advance where I'm going , but not this morning, I was planning to study my map and also see what the weather was like...so, after a few moments I decided to opt for Heatherdene.

I took some photographs of Ladybower Reservoir and walked across the dam wall.

There are two of the gigantic plugholes, properly known as 'bellmouth spillways' - I could hear the sound of the gushing water from quite a distance away.

I walked along the Thornhill Trail to Thornhill; the wooden carvings I photographed depict animals that are no longer found in the area - there are more than two of them. I did actually snap a third one but the image was out of focus.

I took a path going across the fields down to the main road that goes along the Hope Valley and after a few hundred yards reached Brough and the footpath to Hope that starts at the Roman fort of Navio - notice on the sign that the letter 'A' has been painted over, this is because the fort used to be incorrected called 'ANAVIO.'

It wasn't a very good day for photography but it brightened up as the bus approached Sheffield and when I arrived back home in Doncaster it was sunny.

Wentworth, Scholes, and Kimberworth Park

I caught the train to Rotherham and then the Barnsley bus to Wentworth, a beautiful fairly local village. After exploring the village I headed south down Hague Lane and then took the footpath going across the fields to Scholes. I then found a difficult to locate footpath that goes through Scholes Coppice to a large housing estate at Kimberworth Park. I walked down to the main road and caught the bus back to Rotherham. I had planned to do a longer walk but I'm still struggling with a post-viral cough.

 

A Few Hours In York With My Sister

It was the third day of meeting up with my sister and her husband, this time the location was York. Otherwise though the day was a bit disappointing, the weather wasn't very nice, cold and dark...terrible for photography; the Castle Museum, which we wanted to visit was closed and there was scaffolding covering the minster and several other buildings.

We went on a guided walking tour of York, going to some areas of the city I'd not seen before - the guide was very good, but the weather spoiled it - Della and Mitch live in subtropical Queensland in Australia and were struggling with the cold weather.

Della wanted to go for lunch to a pub with a real log fire and the guide was able to suggest somewhere - Mitch spent a lot of time standing right in front of the fire.

Because the Castle Museum was closed we decided to go to the Yorkshire Museum...and it was a boring, bland, patronising and uninspiring experience.

Della and Mitch had made plans for later so we said goodbye. I didn't fancy walking the streets of York for the rest of the day so I caught the next train to Doncaster.

Visiting My Sister And Her Husband In Liverpool - Day Two

Well, unlike yesterday, everything went according to plan today. It started with breakfast in the hotel at 0715 with Della and Mitch, and lingering until it got light outside. We said our goodbyes but we're planning to meet up again tomorrow in York.. 

I then immediately walked down to the River Mersey to take same photographs in the early morning sunshine; there was only myself and a few joggers. I was really impressed with this area of Liverpool and if it had been warmer I would have stayed for longer.

Unfortunately some areas were blocked off because of building work and the museums were closed. The Walker Art Gallery and the museums in the city centre were also closed, as many such establishments now are on Mondays.

The journey home on the train was much more pleasant today; I arrived back in Doncaster only twenty minutes late.