Castleton and Sparrowpit

I travelled to Castleton and walked up Cave Dale at the back of the castle.  I then took the bridleway that heads over to Eldon Quarry and then the path that goes down to Perry Dale...briefly having to walk along the road though. I noticed some new permissive paths had been added in this area, going to Eldon Pond and Eldon Hill. Obviously they aren't shown on my current map and so I will need to investigate them further online.

I continued to the main road, only walked alongside it for a few minutes before picking up a path at Pedlicote Farm which should have ended up at Sparrowpit. Just before Pedlicote Farm I grazed my shin against a wall stile when I lost my footing.

My route into Sparrowpit was a mile longer than it needed to be; the most direct route there went through a farmyard and it looked like it was blocked and then I walked by the next two turn-offs in quick succession, thinking the signage would be clear. There was no signage, just a stile hidden beneath some overhanging branches. I needed to walk by the entrance to a farm where two terriers looked like they were fighting to the death, after about a minute the white one gave up and went back to the farm. The other dog, the black one was lovely and was very friendly towards me, too friendly really because it followed me across the fields for over a mile, nearly all the way to Sparrowpit.

I waited for this steamroller to pass before going into the Olive Tree Cafe, located inside the building which used to be The Wanted pub.

I then took a path heading east which took me back to Perry Dale and then a different path back to the quarry, part of this path went through woodland overgrown with waist-high nettles - I was glad I was wearing thick long trousers, but I still needed to hold up my arms. 

I retraced my footsteps from a few hours previously and spent twenty minutes in The Peak Inn pub at Castleton waiting for the bus.

Matlock, Bonsall, Wensley, South Darley, and Oker

I travelled to Matlock, getting off the bus at Hall Leys Park. I went to the toilets there, walked over the bridge and joined the Limestone Way at the back of the railway station. 

I stayed on the Limestone Way for nearly two miles until I reached a path that took me to the northern part of Bonsall. I continued across the fields to  Wensley.

I then entered South Darley at the top of the hill near the church and then took the steep concessionary footpath that goes up to the summit of Oker Hill: it's a lovely ridge walk for a few minutes on the higher ground. I came down to Oker where I joined the Derwent Valley Heritage Way and returned to Matlock.

Alport, Darley Bridge, and Darley Dale

I travelled to Bakewell and caught the local bus to Alport again. Today I headed south along the road for about a mile and a half before joining the Limestone Way just before Harthill Moor Stone Circle. The last time I visited this circle, several years ago, the farmer had placed a trailer right in the middle of the four stones.

I didn't climb up Robin Hood's Stride but did have a bit of a scramble up some nearby rocks; I couldn't get to the top and neither did I fancy using the steep slippery path to get back down to the Limestone Way and so I had to retrace my steps...carefully.

I stayed to the south of Birchover and continued heading east out of the Peak District at Darley Bridge. A mile further on I caught the bus at Darley Dale; the TransPeak service didn't show up and so I caught the number 173 which goes to Bakewell the long way round.

This final photograph features the railway station at Darley Dale on the Peak Rail Heritage Railway.

Castleton, Old Dam, and Beytonsdale

Northern Trains is still running a limited service every Saturday until the end of the year due to an ongoing strike; all other services are running normally though. For the last few Saturdays I haven't risked travelling to Sheffield on the train because I thought I might have to wait for quite a while - not particularly a problem when setting off, but not nice on the return journey if my muscles are stiffening up as I'm waiting for a train on the platform at Sheffield...it's bad enough having to sit in a confined space on the bus...at least I can stand up or walk up and down on the train.

A train departing for Sheffield was already on the platform when I arrived at Doncaster Station this morning; it started moving before I could run up the steps two at a time though so I had half an hour to wait for the next one: I only had a couple of minutes to wait coming back home. Both my trains today were operated by Northern Trains and on the second train there were three ticket inspectors - maybe it's a new tactic being tried by staff in their industrial dispute.

The church bells in Castleton were ringing for nine o'clock as I passed by.

I headed straight for Cavedale, where the Limestone Way starts. 

Although it was sunny, because Cavedale is deep and narrow, it was still in the shade this early in the morning, but Peveril Castle on the top of the crag wasn't.

Further up the dale as I walked past a blocked up entrance to one of the old mines I could hear the noise of machinery in operation, maybe a pump or a ventilation fan...I've not noticed that before.

Not far from the top of Cavedale I had a chat with a couple of mountainbikers who had decided to push their bikes, rather than ride down.

I left the Limestone Way and took a path which runs at the side of Oxlow Rake until I reached Old Dam. I turned right and walked along the road leading to Perryfoot and took the second path leading back northwards, just beyond Beytonsdale.

I then turned right again along the old quarry road, with good views looking down into the quarry - by now it was cloudy and not very good for taking photographs.

It was an easy walk across the grasslands all the way back to Castleton, apart from the final few yards which consist of a very steep slippery descent which I partially did on my backside...I didn't stumble or slip, I decided this was the easiest, quickest, and safest way to get down the hill.

It had been drizzling for awhile when I got down into the village, a bus was due and so I got on it. This gave me plenty of time to do some shopping in town and then phone up the box office at Leeds Grand Theatre and book some tickets when I got home.

Monyash, Bradford, Alport, and Haddon Hall

Public transport went according to plan today; I arrived at Bakewell at 09:20 and then caught the 09:40 bus to Monyash. Earlier, when I got on the bus at Sheffield though I was mistaken for an old age pensioner for the first time ever by the driver when he didn't realise or recognise that I had a disabled person's bus pass that is valid for travel at any time. I didn't get shaved this morning, as is usually the case when I go walking, there's not enough time...maybe I looked really rugged and rough. I keep telling people though that since my twin diagnoses of diabetes and vitamin D deficiency and my subsequent successful treatment I'm feeling, and looking, twenty or even thirty years younger. You can't fool all of the people all of the time though.

I arrived at Monyash at ten o'clock and the weather was still a bit murky as I was taking photographs in the churchyard; about half an hour later the sun came out, and stayed out for the rest of the day.

I left the village by taking the Limestone Way footpath, heading out towards Youlgreave, passing through One Ash Grange Farm where there's a shrine with small plastic figurines depicting The Nativity. I then reached Cales Dale, the path down was steep, narrow, and slippery in places...the climb back out of the dale consisted of one hundred and seventy steps cut into the bare rock...but this was much easier.

A bit later, near a farm I was harassed by a large horse which had a fetish about my armpits and kept pushing its nostrils into them; I haven't a clue what the word is for this type of behaviour.

I continued walking along the Limestone Way until I reached the River Bradford and passed by the houses at the hamlet of Bradford itself before arriving at Alport.

I needed to walk through the grounds of a mobile homes park before reaching the next section of my route going along a country road...the route of the footpath is well signposted though.

The final mile and a half today was across an extensive area of open grasslands called Haddon Fields...there are some nice views.

I managed to get a decent view of Haddon Hall. The photo isn't very clear because it's at maximum zoom. I've never visited the Hall; I couldn't visit today anyhow even if I wanted to - it's closed to the public during the winter months.