Rivelin Dams, Rails, Rivelin Valley and Malin Bridge.

A walk along the Rivelin Valley; one of the locations where the Industrial Revolution began.

Today was just as much an industrial archaeological field-trip as it was a walk. There are the remains and ruins of maybe two dozen mills and forges along this relatively short wooded valley which starts on the edge of the Peak District and ends only about half a mile from the shops at Hillsborough. Several of the mills date back to as early as the sixteenth century, and some didn't stop operating until the mid twentieth century.

I got off the bus at the middle of the three Rivelin Dams and walked a few hundred yards back along the road to the footpath, leading uphill through woodland. The path continued for about a mile until I reached the hamlet of Rails where I took the road downhill to reach the car parking area at the head of the valley.

At this location there are toilets, picnic tables, an outdoor classroom for school visits; and the remains of the first of today's mills - complete with an illustrated information board...as is the case at several other locations further down the valley.

It wasn't a very long walk today so I took my time, lingering at many of the old mills, weirs, sluices, stepping stones, dams, millraces and waterfalls; I tried to photograph some of the weirs which are really quite spectacular; but the shots were all out of focus. This photograph was my best effort:

Just over half way down the valley I arrived at the café where I had a meat and potato pie dinner; it was okay, but nothing special.

Less than an hour after finishing my meal I was in Hillsborough town centre, where it looked like martial law had been declared; there was a high profile football match being played; a police helicopter was hovering over the stadium and every takeaway establishment and pub had several police officers guarding it.

As I stood and waited for the tram, two trams passed which were not in service. I subsequently found out from the ticket inspector on the next one which actually stopped that the trams had been vandalised by football fans...and he had been given a black-eye by some thugs.

Eyam, Housley, Wardlow, and Calver.

I don't know if there were any organised orienteering or fell-running events in the White Peak area today, but I saw two organised groups; one as I was travelling on the bus through Grindleford, and the other, just after I'd started walking at Eyam.

I got off the bus, popped in the shop and then took a photograph of the church; the lighting conditions were perfect.

There's an impressive Saxon cross in the churchyard; but after only a cursory look, I couldn't find it.

I took a footpath through a small housing estate and soon reached a well-maintained track known as 'Tideswell Lane.' After a few minutes I was in open countryside and found somewhere comfortable to eat my sandwiches. Choosing  a 'bridleway open to all traffic' to sit down for a few minutes turned out to be a mistake though...when a convoy of two dozen noisy motorbikes passed by.

This area of the Peak District is typical White Peak limestone farming country - neat and usually quite straight drystone walls, grass fields, and sheep.

The lane leads to the hamlet of Housley: from here I walked along the road until I reached a path across fields to Wardlow.

There was another stretch of road to follow and then a footpath which led up onto Longstone Moor. The moor is fairly flat and the path is grassy, meaning that you can make quick progress if required;  I lingered though, to take in the views.

Another short stretch of road followed, and then the descent down into Coombs Dale - the nearest major limestone dale to Sheffield I should think.

After walking along the entire length of the dale it was then only a short walk to Calver to catch the bus, which was nearly full.

Rowsley, Congreave, Stanton in Peak, Haddon Hall and Bakewell.

Today the weather was a lot milder, but although most of the snow had melted it was quite icy underfoot in some places, even though I was walking in some of the lowest parts of the Peak District.

I started at Rowsley, walking along the Pilhough road until I took a path which climbed up fields towards Congreave. The path comes out at the bottom end of the village and I continued along the road leaving the village, going further downhill.

The next section of the walk was uphill again, across more fields, and looked quite challenging on the map; yet I didn't really need to stop for breath...maybe I'm getting fitter or my bronchitis is getting better.

I arrived at Stanton in Peak and walked through most of the village. To me, it seems to have an austere appearance and to be somewhat out-of-place in the Peak District; I'm sure it wasn't just the weather - which wasn't too bad and was improving all the time.

At the bottom end of Stanton I found my intended footpath, but about twenty minutes later I was in the wrong place because I'd been concentrating on the cricket commentary on the radio and hadn't bothered to look at the map. I wasn't lost...merely in the wrong place.

I'd taken a track and then a lane which ran pretty much parallel to where I'd already walked and ended up just a few hundred yards further down the Congreave road. I walked across a bridge over a dangerous-looking River Wye and then reached the main road.

It was about half a mile to the main entrance to Haddon Hall; unfortunately you can't see anything of the house from the road. You can get decent views looking through binoculars from the nearby high ground though.

I then walked alongside the river to Bakewell. It was sunny when I arrived there and  I had sufficient time to look around the market and shops. I bought a pie for my tea from the farm shop. I looked in the window of the Chatsworth Farm Shop and when I noticed that it was charging £4.95 for quite a small pork pie, I went to the other shop.

Miller's Dale, Priestcliffe, Brushfield, Hassop Station and Bakewell.

A bad day today for public transport between Doncaster and Sheffield. Although it was misty and not very good conditions for photography, it was fine for walking and I really enjoyed myself - I even took the opportunity to photograph this footpath sign which refers to part of my anatomy.

The were no trains to Sheffield, the regular X78 bus was delayed because of problems with a new ticket machine which needs to scan all concessionary travel passes...and then the bus broke down at Rotherham.

It took over an hour and a half to reach Sheffield, on a service which is supposed to be an express. Obviously I'd missed the bus I was intending to catch at Sheffield, and so had to change my plans.

I caught the Buxton bus and got off at Miller's Dale, walking down the road for a few hundred yards and taking the Limestone Way, up over the hill to Priestcliffe.

I then walked across fields and along the bottom of a lovely little dry valley called High Dale, which reminded me of similar valleys in the Yorkshire Wolds. This section was a joy to walk along; gently sloping downhill with springy grass underfoot.

There was then a short section of road leading to the hamlet of Brushfield, and then a byway of varying standard almost to the Monsal Trail just below Monsal Head - the last few yards down onto the trail is a steep, rocky footpath though.

I walked across the viaduct and through the Headstone Tunnel to arrive at the combined café and bookshop at Hassop Station. I enjoyed a rather nice scone with marmalade, and a pot of tea. I thought it was a bit expensive, but the surroundings were rather posh, and the service polite and efficient.

It was only a short walk into Bakewell where I had enough time to spend a few minutes watching people feed the ducks and geese down by the river, and have a look round a couple of the hiking shops. I didn't buy anything though.

Darley Dale, Darley Bridge, Crossgreen, Bonsall and Matlock Bath.

I got off the bus just south of the parade of shops at Darley Dale, walked a few yards down the road and then took the footpath across fields which leads towards Darley Bridge, using a short stretch of road which has a bridge which crosses over the Peak Rail railway line.

I walked through the village today, right to the church at the top of the hill. From here I followed the road which cuts back towards the hamlet of Crossgreen; which is printed as one word on the Ordnance Survey map, but I'm sure was two separate words when I saw the sign at the entrance to the settlement.

The next section of the walk was probably the highlight of the day, with some lovely countryside and pretty much perfect weather conditions for both walking and photography.

The route first cuts across fields and then climbs a shallow valley which runs to the south of Wensley; then steadily climbs up over undulating fields and grassland. I took several opportunities to stop and admire the views northwards behind me of the Derwent Valley, Chatsworth House and the distant moors. On the map this mile and a half of walking looks as though it might be quite boring; but, believe me, it isn't.

It was then a steady downhill walk to Bonsall, the last few hundred yards being along a country road, where at a junction someone had been having a bit of fun with the road signs...but certainly not helping anyone who might be lost. I've never been to Luton myself.

Bonsall is a pretty linear village with some impressive stone buildings and a historic cross in its former Market Place: I didn't take any photographs though because there were a couple of delivery vans spoiling the views.

For the next section I climbed a small hill, skirted a quarry and dropped down into Matlock Bath; Derbyshire's own 'seaside resort' - even though its probably sixty miles from the coast.

It's quite commercialised, with several fish and chip shops, cafés, pubs, amusement arcades and gift shops. In high season, or on a weekend in the winter it can get very busy, especially on Sundays and Bank Holidays when dozens of bikers will turn up with their motorcycles and park them along the Promenade for everyone to admire. It was nearly deserted today, with most establishments closed; maybe they were much busier yesterday.