Fairholmes, Ladybower Reservoir, Ashopton, Yorkshire Bridge, Bamford, and Hathersage

At the third attempt I managed to get to Fairholmes in the Upper Derwent Valley; the train from Doncaster to Sheffield was on time today. I did still get off to a bad start though, I forgot to pack my bottles of pop in my rucksack and so needed to buy something to drink at Sheffield station.

As I was walking towards the bus stop I stopped to take a picture of the Sheffield skyline today; the light was just right.

The number 273 bus was a few minutes late today; if this had been the case when the train from Doncaster was late I would have been able to catch the bus. At Fairholmes I visited the toilets and then tried to take some moody photographs of Ladybower Reservoir looking into the sun from a shady area...this didn't work at all though.

I then located the path that goes back down the valley through the woodland, close to the water's edge. After a few minutes I was able to take some photographs looking upstream, with the sun at my back.

As I was walking I was easily overtaken by a man who was harnessed to a very large dog - it seemed to be pulling him along at a far greater pace than any jogger would be running at.

For part of the route I was able to walk on the beach, right at the water's edge: I didn't dip my toe in because with it being a reservoir the water can be very deep even quite near to the shore, despite the water level being obviously quite low at this time of the year.

As I was crossing over Ashopton Viaduct, which carries the Snake Pass road over the reservoir, I nearly fell over onto my back as I tried to take a photograph of a low-flying Spitfire straight overhead...but I missed. 

There are some lovely views just beyond Ashopton, I think this one is my favourite.

I enjoyed a lollipop at the Heatherdene car park then walked along the road towards Bamford. By this time the sun had gone in and it was quite chilly, so I popped in to the Yorkshire Bridge Inn for a warming pot of tea. There's a lot to look at in this pub; plenty of paintings and photographs, historical farming implements and old household articles. There is a particularly impressive collection of tankards and chamber pots hanging from the rafters.

Next I decided to take a slightly longer route today so that I wouldn't have to walk along quite so much of this stretch of busy road; up a narrow country lane to open countryside, followed by a pleasant footpath going back downhill across fields.

I finished off the last of my sandwiches sitting on the benches at the village green in Bamford and then took a series of footpaths and country lanes to Hathersage; yet again there were some lovely views, this time of the Hope Valley, but the weather was really quite overcast by now.

The bus at Hathersage was fifteen minutes late and in his rush to make up lost time the driver forgot to stop at the church to let a passenger off. The frail old lady was very angry as she was forced to get off at the next stop, making a very rude gesture to the driver. A few stops later he deliberately didn't stop to pick up a couple of passengers who were clearly signalling for the bus to stop.

I don't think we made up any of the lost time; it didn't matter to me though because I still had ample time to catch the fast train back to Doncaster.

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.