Saturday 30 January 2010

Tissington and the Tissington Trail

From the car park on the Tissington Trail I turned left down to Tissington pond where the mallards were soon waddling towards me in the hope of some titbits ...


Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

Turning uphill a few yards later takes you between the local tearoom on your left and the church on your right. A church that has been open when I have cared to check ...

Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

A little further up the gentle slope motorists can park their cars on the grassy verge provided they ensure their "bonnett" [rather than their boot] is nearest the wall.

Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

Continue along the lane out of the village and a footpath continues towards the Tissington Trail.

Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

In several places the path is walled on both sides.

Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

The path reaches the Tissington Trail. Turning right, there are far reaching views to the north.

Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

The low winter sun was scratching through the trees as I walked into the car park on the Trail.

Tissington ~ 13th December 2009

Date of walk ~ 13th December 2009

Length of walk ~ 2 3/4 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 102 1/2 miles

Saturday 16 January 2010

A sodden mess ...

We'd had a lot of rain though I didn't realise how much until later ...

Brook Bottom is about a mile outside Tideswell on Manchester Road. There's a large water trough there ...

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

Water Lane then runs west from Brook Bottom to Wheston.

In Wheston, at the side of the road in a small enclosure, there's an old stone cross ...

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

 A lane then drops down from Wheston to Dale Head.

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

From Dale Head I walked south through Peter Dale. Usually it's a dry dale ... but not today ...

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

Once I'd reached the lane at the bottom of Peter Dale [and resisting the temptation of walking through Monk's Dale] I followed the Limestone Way up the hill and part way along the track towards Monksdale Farm I turned north-eastward towards Slancote Lane.

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

When I reached Slancote Lane I followed it southwards until it swung left, back towards Tideswell. I didn't really fancy walking along it ...

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

It was something of a relief to get back onto tarmac.

I passed Tideswell church and finished the walk ...

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009

Date of walk ~ 12th December 2009

Length of walk ~ 6 1/4 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 99 3/4 miles

Sunday 10 January 2010

So who was Weag ?

The sky was full of clouds with not a ray of sunshine. The heavy rain had filled the riverbed and the Manifold was in full flow ... and then some.

Starting from the small car park by Weag's Bridge we walked along the Manifold Way, noticing the rock strata at the side ...

Weag's Bridge and the Manifold Way ~ 28th November 2009

 We passed under Thor's Cave ...

Weag's Bridge and the Manifold Way ~ 28th November 2009

... and continued beyond towards Whetton Mill ...

What struck me was that there was a lot more water in the River Manifold than I had ever seen before.

Weag's Bridge and the Manifold Way ~ 28th November 2009

Usually it is empty hereabouts and by that I mean a dry riverbed in summertime.

We kept walking north, still on the Manifold Way towards Whetton Mill ...

Weag's Bridge and the Manifold Way ~ 28th November 2009

Eventually, after a stop at the tearooms at Whetton Mill, and after traipsing through the mud further down the valley, we got to the bottom of Ossoms Hill. Neither the National Trust nor the Ordnance Survey seem to bother with an apostrophe.

Weag's Bridge and the Manifold Way ~ 28th November 2009

 We climbed up to Grindon where we had a coffee by the church. Then we walked down the lane to Weag's Barn where I took this photo overlooking the Manifold valley and Weag's Bridge.

Weag's Bridge and the Manifold Way ~ 28th November 2009

So who was Weag ?  I rather suspect that both Weag and Ossom date back a long, long time. I don't suppose we will ever really know who they were.

Date of walk ~ 28th November 2009

Length of walk ~ 4 3/4 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 93 1/2 miles.

Saturday 2 January 2010

Hartington to Pilsbury ... and back

I'm getting behind with these blogs ...

Well, back on the 15th November I drove out to Hartington to check my teashop walk.

It does seem as though the cheese factory is closed ~ and I assume this would mean no more Stilton from Derbyshire !

This signpost is near to the cheese factory ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

As you can see from the photograph above this path is well used ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

 After crossing the River Dove, I climbed up the bank as though I was heading for Sheen but instead turned north towards Harris Close. There's a good view of Hartington hereabouts with the medieval ridges and furrows in the field in the centre of the photograph below ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

 I passed through the attractive plantation on my way to Harris Close ... as well as some sheep [recently tupped by the look of things]

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

Beyond Harris Close, Sheen Hill was to my left ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

 Just beyond Sheen Hill I caught up with three walkers who were following my walk !

In time honoured fashion, I introduced myself and had a chat. From left to right [I hope I've got this right] it's Keith, Rita and Neil ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

I left them and headed down the old track to the ford over the Dove. The track was a lot worse than I remember, though initially it wasn't so bad ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

 Eventually I made it down to the River Dove. I followed the steep tarmac lane behind the buildings and looked back just as Keith, Rita and Beil started to walk up out of the valley ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

I actually Twittered whilst walking through the fields back to Hartington ... but got no comments. 

A little further on there were a couple of warnings about falling down mineshafts and not letting your dog savage any sheep.

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

 I bought a telescopic lens a few months ago for about £80 ... and so far I've taken just a handful of photos with it. Still, it's fun !  Here are a couple of images taken looking back up the valley towards Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill ... Chrome's on the left, the pointed one ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

A little further on, nearer Hartington, there were plenty of signs of leadmining, including these two covered mineshafts ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

On the outskirts of Hartington there was a Peacock Butterfly fluttering in the mid November sunshine ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

Back in Hartington, the visitors [and cars] had built up in number ...

Hartington~Pilsbury ~ 15th November 2009

Date of walk ~ 15th November 2009

Length of walk ~ 5 1/4 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 88 3/4 miles