I arrived at Sheffield this morning before seven o'clock but then had forty minutes to wait for the first bus going out to the Peak District: I passed the time by planning my route and then folding the map to show the correct area where I'd be walking - fortunately I was the only person waiting at this time and so could use the empty seats next to me in the bus station. I'd already eaten my sandwiches on the train travelling in to Sheffield and so was now ready for a full day's walking ahead of me.
I got on the bus and travelled to Calver. When I got off the bus I needed to get my map out of my rucksack, apply suntan lotion to my face and then put my rucksack over my shoulders and tighten the straps, and in the meantime the bus driver had got out of his cab to stretch his legs for a couple of minutes and we ended up chatting about old bus routes, especially the service that the company used to operate to Hanley [Stoke] many years ago, and that today was the first time in nearly twenty five years that he'd driven a bus in this part of the Peak District.
I eventually started the walk by heading off for Rowland.
It's a lovely walk through the meadows to Great Longstone.
I continued along the road to Little Longstone and then Monsal Head.
I descended to Cressbrook and then walked alongside the river to Litton Mill.
Just beyond Litton Mill there's a footbridge going over the River Wye and then a steep climb up to Priestcliffe followed by a short walk along country lanes to Taddington.
Part of the way to Sheldon I'd not used before and so that was nice for me, and the stretch down to Ashford in the Water is always lovely in fine weather. A few minutes later things weren't quite so lovely though; on the narrow, winding country road at the bottom of the valley leading to Ashford, a car approached me and stopped as though the driver was letting me pass because there wasn't enough room - this isn't unusual and happens several times on every walk...I always acknowledge the driver and it's always waves and smiles...but not today. The driver was an elderly woman and when she saw me attempting to get past her she turned the car right to the edge of the road, almost hitting a tree, meaning I had to stop, look behind me and then step out into the middle of the road just beyond a dangerous blind bend. When I was in earshot she shouted something about me being an idiot for walking on the wrong side of the road. It's standard practice for pedestrians to walk on the right hand side of the road so as to be facing oncoming traffic - this is much safer than having traffic approach you from behind if you're walking over to the left. It was the woman who was the idiot, bit I didn't confront her - it was a potentially dangerous spot to be having an argument and I think she might have been very unstable; so I left her alone with her ignorant delusions.
I had a few minutes to take some photographs in Ashford and then caught the bus to Bakewell.
