Hathersage Booths, Offerton, Abney, Eyam, Stoney Middleton, Calver, Bubnell, and Baslow

I was stuck on the train on the approach to Sheffield Station for nearly an hour this morning; I missed my intended bus and had to catch the one that departed sixty minutes later.

The bus was on time and I travelled to Hathersage Booths as planned. I took the footpath leading down to the river, and the Derwent Valley Heritage Way. It's quite a steep descent, but there are usually some nice views of the eastern end of the Hope Valley; not today though, it was quite misty.

However, about thirty minutes later I was able to take these photographs as I was heading towards the hamlet of Offerton.

[I'm assuming that 'simulated game shooting' isn't the same as clay pigeon shooting.]

I climbed up to, and then crossed Offerton Moor.

At Abney I was hoping to take some photographs of the fairly recent landslip but there was no access...even for walkers - and the local authority has made sure there was no access, it looked like a military barricade and roadblock.

I was still able to use the footpath over to the left, going down into Bretton Cloough. I then climbed up the other side of the clough and walked along a bridleway, and then the road, to Highcliffe, located above Eyam. 

I chose to continue using the road to get to Eyam. Because I was an hour late after the delay on the train I didn't have time to pop into the tearooms.

I used Mill Lane, a byway open to all traffic [BOAT], to reach Stoney Middleton. You wouldn't want to be driving a vehicle this way though because Mill Lane is narrow, steep in places, has deep ruts, plenty of puddles and is very slippery because of the mud.

This message doesn't apply to me, because I can't drive.

I took some photographs of the church as I passed, and I'm not sure how much of the detail you'll be able to make out on the information panel about the so-called 'Roman Baths.'

I took the footpath that took me part of the way to Calver, I needed to use the road for the rest of the way though. I walked through the village and got down onto another part of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way and stayed with it until I reached Bubnell and then crossed over the bridge into Baslow. 

I don't think I've been inside Baslow Church, and I didn't try to get inside today - I just took a few pictures as I passed on my way to the bus stop at Baslow Nether End.

There was still a problem with the signalling when I reached Sheffield Station; many trains were still being cancelled or delayed. I went to get the Newcastle train, but the departures screen soon informed me it was cancelled. It was the same with the next train I was waiting for, the Scarborough train. Finally a train going to Doncaster wasn't cancelled, the Cleethorpes train - it was a few minutes late though. We all got on and then the train waited at the platform for a few minutes until those of us in the three rear carriages were told we had to get off, walk along the platform, and find room in the first three carriages - some sort of safety issue we were informed.

Eventually the train departed, only for us to be held up ever longer at Meadowhall. It wasn't a good day for the railways; listening to people chatting, and grumbling, as we travelled to Doncaster it seems like it's been a nationwide problem lasting all day.

Fairholmes, Ladybower, Thornhill and Bamford

Today I travelled on the new 273 bus service for the first time. It leaves at the same time as the 242 service which it replaces and travels the same route to Fairholmes; but continues on to Castleton.

At Fairholmes I walked southwards along the road which follows the eastern shore of the reservoir. There were several spots where I stopped to take photographs of the marvellous autumnal colours.

After about a mile I reached the footpath which leads up onto the moors; it is quite steep in places, but not at all difficult. There were stunning views down towards the reservoir and valley from most of this section of the walk. I took many photographs, but I think both my camera and my poor technique somehow didn't do the views justice; and so I haven't included any of them.

I continued along this high level path until I reached the Ladybower Inn; the official beginning of the Snake Pass road. The food smelled delicious and I was certainly tempted, but there were some very smartly-dressed people sitting at the tables outside, and some very nice cars across the road in the parking area; and so I thought the better of it, covered in mud as I was.

By now I was aware that I needed to pee but knew it wasn't far to the Heatherdene car park where there are toilets. I was walking along the road which leads towards Bamford when I saw a toilet block; the toilets were locked though. I noticed that this building was also used to sell fishing permits, and so assumed that these toilets must be for the exclusive use of the anglers, who must be issued with keys.

The car park was less than a hundred yards further on. As in most places in the Peak District that I've visited, the toilets were very impressive, with drinking water supplied and somewhere to wash the mud off your boots. Public toilets are located in most of the larger villages, and at several isolated car parks as well.

The next photograph was taken from near to the car park.

I crossed over the dam wall and took a picture of one of the bell-mouth spillways; according to several online sources the largest in the world.

 

Most of he final part of the walk back to the bus-stop near to Bamford Railway Station was along a minor road and then a short section of the Derwent Valley Heritage Trail. Rather unusually, the bus was over ten minutes late.

Pilsley, Hassop, Bubnell and Baslow

I got off the Bakewell bus about a mile south of Baslow and soon found the path going up the hill and over the fields to Pilsley, one of the pretty nineteenth century                 Chatsworth Estate villages.

I walked through the village and after a few hundred yards came to a footpath which led across meadows back to the Bakewell road, and then through a wooded valley to Hassop.

There's a very impressive hall in Hassop which I've noticed when passing on the bus, but today was the first time I'd actually visited the village, as it was the case with Pilsley...and Bubnell later on.

The next part of the route was walking along the ridge above Bank Wood; at times the views were quite restricted - which wasn't really a problem since there was a large quarry on the other side of the valley which isn't shown on my Ordnance Survey map.

I had intended continuing to Calver and then walking along the Derwent Valley Heritage Trail back to Baslow but the descent down into Calver looked quite steep, and I had a twinge in my right knee. The path across open fields down to Bubnell seemed the safer option.

I soon arrived at Bubnell, then crossed over the river to Baslow, where I didn't have too long to wait for the bus.