Grantham

A trip down the A1 in the car with Siobhan, my support worker again today to Grantham. It's somewhere I'd not not been to before and aren't all that bothered about visiting again either. It was cloudy and raining and so I didn't see the town at its best though I suppose.

I thought the man featured in the statue in this photograph was Sir Isaac Newton, but it's not...it's someone called Tolleshunt who I've not heard of.

The only public toilets we could find were inside the ornate Guildhall; the actual statue of Isaac Newton stands in front of this building.

As usual, I'd done some online research about a new place I'm visiting and was on the lookout for three things that Grantham is known for. I spotted several references to the colour 'blue'; pub names, the name of a former pub, the names of buildings and shops, and the name of a street and a courtyard; I saw moustachioed lintels above the doors and windows on a building on Northgate as we were leaving the town and heading home but I couldn't find the Beehive pub with its live pub sign consisting of an actual beehive.

More Hall Reservoir and Broomhead Reservoir

I caught the Stocksbridge bus from Sheffield and got off just to the north of Wharncliffe Side. I walked down the access road to More Hall Reservoir and then continued to Broomhouse Reservoir, returning along the southern shores back to the bus stop, having to re-trace my steps for the last half a mile or so. The walking was fairly easy going, tarmacked roads, gravel tracks, and well-defined paths through woodland - so I didn't have any problem with my knee.

I  love the small crenellated buildings on both dam walls...I don't really know what their purpose is though.

Despite the recent rainfall the water levels are still very low.

When I reached the dam wall at Broomhead Reservoir the lighting conditions had improved.

One specific thing I noticed today; I passed three public footpaths that weren't shown on my Ordnance Survey map.

Chesterfield

I've been to Chesterfield this morning, there was plenty of legroom on the trains and buses so my sore knee isn't aching.

Low Bradfield and Damflask Reservoir

Another easy walk to exercise my knee without putting too much strain on it.

I caught the train, tram, and bus out to Low Bradfield on the edge of the Peak District and did a clockwise circuit of Damflask Reservoir. Not longer after getting off the bus I walked up the drive to the Schoolrooms tearooms and craft shop; it wasn't open so early in the morning but I still had a good look around...I was able to stand in the open doorway and see inside.

 

I then went down to the picnic area near to the old stone bridge where I was joined by some ducks and squirrels.

The level of the water in the reservoir was very low, the lowest I've ever seen it - I was able to easily get right down to the water's edge to take some photos though.

I finished off my day out visiting the charity shops in Hillsborough; I wasn't muddy and so didn't feel uncomfortable doing that.