Thursday 31 October 2013

Giddy Edge, High Tor and Matlock Bath ...

Most of the buildings of Matlock lie on the northern side of the River Derwent. On the southern side Masson Hill rises high up the town ...


Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011

 The Derwent Valley Heritage Way follows a riverside path into the town ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011

From the old stone bridge crossing the Derwent look downstream and you will see 19th century Riber Castle rising high above the town ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011

 Turn to your left at this point and you get a view of Bank Road rising up from Crown Square. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries a tramway ran up the hill and down again, taking visitors to and from the hydros on the hillside ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011

 A walk alongside the River Derwent brings you to Knowleston Place with some of the earliest dated houses in the town ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011

 The property above is now an outhouse ... with a very fine date stone.

Keep left beside the river from Knowleston Place and follow the riverside path ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011

 This soon brings you to the bottom of Pic Tor ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011

 Verious path options present themselves ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

One day a couple of years ago I decided to follow the path up to High Tor ... and there were plenty of warnings to keep to the path ...


Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

Another sign shortly afterwards wasn't quite so professional ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

The path ran alongside a fence on the left with a big drop [out of sight] on the right ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

On reaching High Tor there's a great view looking back towards Matlock in the distance ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

In between there's the big drop down to the A6 and the surrounding houses of course.

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

Another warning sign !

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

The spectacular viewpoint is, of course, High Tor which rises high above the River Derwent. Just beyond the tor is a path leading down to Giddy Edge ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

A thin metal handrail attached to the limestone on your left is all you have to hold on to as you walk above the river and the A6 one hundred yards or so below. I have a noisy video of the path which I will not inflict upon you.

Eventually I zig-zagged down to Matlock Bath and the Derwent ...


Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

I called in at the Princess Victoria for a pint ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

Adequately refreshed I then climbed back out of the valley ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

As I picked my way along a narrow woodland path the cable car rising to the Heights of Abraham passed overhead ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

I was now well away from the noise coming from Matlock Bath and its visitors ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

Tucked away in the woods above Artists' Corner between Matlock and Matlock Bath is St. John's Chapel. Most of the visitors to the area probably won't be aware of its existence. Indeed without some help from Friends of Friendless Churches the chapel might have fallen into disrepair by now ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

Through a gap in the trees I was able to glimpse High Tor across the valley ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

A hundred yards or so later Riber Castle was visible ...

Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

As I walked across the field, back towards Matlock, I reflected upon a walk full of marvellous scenery ...


Matlock and Giddy Edge ~ May 2011  

This walk was followed on the 21st May 2011
 
Length of walk ~ 4.73 miles *
 
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 196.16 miles
 
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 21st May 2011 ~ 717.90 miles

  43 of 2011 [which means in 2011 I was still averaging just over 4.5 miles a walk.]
 
* distance calculated on Ordnance Survey's Getamap

10 comments:

  1. Wow... your photos on this walk are breathtaking, such a nice mix of nature with a plus the village is charming.

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    1. Thank you Diane ... the beauty of the countryside makes it a lot easier to photograph :-)

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  2. Wonderful walk Charlie!! As you know, I like the more rugged countryside with lots of hills and valleys to climb and explore. I visited Matlock years ago, and did all the 'tourist-y' bits, but I'd love to walk the area like this. Fabulous photos, as always.

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    1. Thank you Mitch ~ this is all within a mile or so of the centre of Matlock.

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  3. I love that walk a mixture of town and country,the old chapel looks an impressive building.I love the view down to the street below with the tiny houses.Ann

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    1. Thank you Ann. I lived in an end terraced house, just over the wall from the old chapel, when I first married and enjoyed a very similar view towards High Tor as the one pictured.

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  4. Great walk - I'm rather surprised there is no pile of bones of the fallen at the bottom of that huge drop though! It's pretty scary! I love Matlock and the area, and your photos are so good!

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    1. Thank you Alison for your kind words ~ it is quite a drop as you say.

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  5. I love some of your British names. Giddy Edge is delightful. Again you have taken me on a wonderful stroll to a place I will never see in person. There was so much to see in those 4.73 miles. Thank you for sharing and I still think the National Tourist Bureau should hire you.

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    1. Giddy Edge is totally appropriate because there's nothing to hold on to other than one thin metal railing. More walking blogs will hopefully follow.

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