Fox House, Upper Padley, Nether Padley, Baslow, Chatsworth House, and Edensor

At this time of year with there being so little daylight I can't afford to be sitting at the bus station in Sheffield letting buses that are going to the Peak District depart whilst I'm waiting for a specific service to take me somewhere to start a pre-planned walk. So this morning I immediately got ready as soon as I woke up and headed for the railway station, arriving there just before seven o'clock. I had thirty minutes to wait for a train, which got me to Sheffield for eight o'clock. I hurried up the hill to the nearest bus stop and caught the first suitable bus that showed up...the 272 service to Castleton. I then planned my walk as the bus set off on its journey; I decided to get off at Fox House and head down into Padley Gorge to try to capture some of the remaining colours in the late autumn foliage.

I was too late though, most of the leaves had already fallen, and anyhow it was a murky start to the day this early in the morning...so I concentrated on photographing the moss covered boulders and the gnarled and twisted trees.

During the descent I enjoyed the constant sound of the water in Burbage Brook tumbling and splashing over the rocks as it rushed down the gorge. I arrived at Upper Padley, where Grindleford Railway Station is located; the former waiting room is now a quirky cafe.

Confusingly, I then had to climb uphill to reach Nether Padley. I then continued climbing further uphill through some woods until I reached the main road and the footpath which goes along the top of Froggatt Edge and Curbar Edge.

Ironically, someone has tried to scratch out the symbol for cyclists on this sign.

By now the sun was starting to break through the mist and clouds.

I dropped down into Baslow and popped in to The Cafe on the Green for a slice of my favourite Bakewell Pudding anywhere in the Peak District.

My time in the cafe was ruined though by an obnoxious man with an overwrought sense of entitlement who got up twice to change his order and then was arguing with the waitress about the bill because she'd got confused and might have overcharged him.

I continued south into Chatsworth Park and discovered that the Christmas Market was being held.

The Christmas Market is a lot bigger than it was when I last visited a couple of years ago, at least twice as many stalls. It was also very busy, even though it was only the second day; it was so busy that there were two areas I couldn't reach at all because of the crowds. There was some lovely food on sale; pies, fresh and prepared game, cheese, hot food, and all sorts of delicious cakes and pastries. I could very easily have spent a lot of money, but didn't buy anything.

There were about a dozen people in the queue at Edensor Gates waiting for the bus back to Sheffield - when there's a major event at Chatsworth the buses don't go all the way right up to the house...they drop people off here, about half a mile away.

I didn't have very long to wait for the bus to arrive, but it took quite a long time for the passengers to get off due to the confusion about how to get to the Christmas Market and Chatsworth House, and then the time it took for the bus driver to do a three point turn to turn the bus around, a six-wheeled double-decker...she was a very petite woman and her arms didn't seem to be long enough.

  

Hathersage Booths, Upper Padley, Grindleford, Leadmill, Offerton, Shatton, and Bamford

There was an unplanned change to my regular routine yesterday and so I forgot to buy anything to put up as sandwiches for today. So, this morning I would have to buy something during the walk; naturally this influenced where I decided to go. I opted for Hathersage Booths, and a quick walk down the track to Grindleford Station Café. It wasn't much of a quick march though; I lingered to take a lot of photographs.

The first one was taken in the car park of The Millstone pub, near to where the bus drops you off. (As can be seen, all of last week's snow has melted.)

The next one was further up the road, back towards the track which leads to Upper Padley, and the café.

I took plenty more photographs as I was walking along the track; I had to stop and turn round to take them; this was the only section of the walk where I was facing the sun. I've not included them here because they're pretty similar to first two though.

Padley Chapel was well illuminated by the sun low on the horizon and I experimented framing shots at unusual angles.

I soon arrived at the café and was re-assured to see smoke billowing out of the ramshackle chimney. I was looking forward to a Full English Breakfast. I was the fourth customer of the morning and so was able to sit close to the coal fire, only about 3ft away. I could certainly feel the heat; the flames were about 18 ins high. The rustic scene was completed by an old companion set, a selection of pokers, and a brass coal scuttle...I really did want to poke and riddle that fire.

It was only a short walk down the road to Grindleford,where I took a photograph of the church/chapel. The building is nothing special and so I never bothered before, but with the sun at a low angle casting very long shadows and the frost sparkling like jewels I had to give it a try. I'm very happy with the result.

I then walked across the fields alongside the river to reach Leadmill. I took dozens of photographs; here are my favourites.

I had to walk along a section of country road to reach the hamlet of Offerton,

but there was the compensation of having more lovely views to enjoy.

It was then an easy walk down to Shatton. I stopped to use what I've alway called a 'urinal tree.' - here's a picture I took, in case you don't know what I mean.

By now my legs were quite painful; my calf muscles, and the muscles at the back of my knee were constantly twitching. I wasn't worried though, I know what causes it - it's due to magnesium depletion. I've been taking magnox tablets and they're very effective - but they do give me a bit of diarrhoea at times and so I've been trying to manage without them.

(By the way, the other tablets that I need to take for my acid reflux problem are called 'proton pump inhibitors' - they also sound like they ought to be found in a nuclear power station.)

If the timing was right I would have popped into the tearooms at the High Peak Garden Centre. It wasn't though and so I walked straight to the bus stop.

Fox House, Upper Padley, Grindleford, Froggatt, Calver, Bubnell, and Baslow.

It's been really hot and sunny all day and I wanted an easy walk today, one without much climbing, featuring a lot of shade, and regular opportunities for refreshment stops.

The bus broke down at Fox House after the climb up from Sheffield; a seized up gearbox the driver reckoned. Rather than just sit on the bus and wait I decided to get off and start my walk from here; I had only intended to travel to the Millstone pub anyway - just about a mile and a half down the road.

It wasn't the gearbox; I noticed the bus fifteen minutes later as it was travelling past the Surprise View car park on its way to Hathersage...the engine had just overheated, as is often the case on this route.

I walked through the woods and across a stretch of open moorland to reach Surprise View and then descended towards the old quarry: some climbers had camped overnight to make sure that they got their places on the rockface. 

Just beyond this point there is the densest birch woodland I have ever come across; I wonder if it's natural, or was planted to restore the land after quarrying had finished.

I soon found what I think was the inclined plane of the old quarry railway and walked down the slope, eventually arriving at the houses at Upper Padley, and then Grindleford Railway Station, where I had a full English breakfast and a mug of tea...my first of three refreshment stops today.

It's not far to walk down the road into Grindleford. I saw my third tandem of the day as I'd just come up onto the main road from the station, and a bit closer to the village I stopped to take a photograph of some animals in a field. They were quite far away, and lying down, so it was difficult to judge their sizes. They were either llamas or alpacas though; animals which seem to be everywhere in the Peak District.

I walked along the footpath to Froggatt which is designated as part of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way; plenty of shady woodland along this section. There are some lovely views here; especially if you stop and look behind you.

A short stretch of road into Calver was next, where I popped into the cafe for a mug of tea, and then crossed the road to get two bottles of bitter lemon from the garage shop...I need fuel too.

I continued along the Derwent Valley Heritage Way; greedily gulping down the bitter lemon. I was struggling a bit in the heat, I don't think I was in any danger of being dehydrated, but I was very thirsty. I'd had a bit of a head cold earlier in the week and so wasn't feeling a hundred percent well.

I had about twenty minutes to wait for the bus at Baslow church; I started on the second bottle of bitter lemon and finished it on the bus. My tally for the day was two litres of bitter lemon, one litre of Pepsi Max, two cans of Diet Tango, and two mugs of tea.

I spotted my fourth tandem of the day just before the bus arrived.