Thursday 14 November 2013

Passing the pike ...

... not a Victorian parlour game but what I did when taking a walk a couple of years ago in the Derwent Valley, Derbyshire. 

You see there's a pike that lies in the water at the Cromford end of the Cromford Canal that must be over  two feet long ... no, really ... just look at him or her ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011  

I know it would have helped if there had been something else in the water to help you compare but take my word ... this pike is over two feet long.

Sir Richard Arkwright's Cromford Mills were my starting point for a springtime walk in 2011. After passing the pike I walked past this rather attractive old redbrick building set amongst the even older stone-built ones of the Cromford Mills set-up ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

  I passed the old Primitive Methodist Chapel at Scarthin, now a private house, with this engraving above the front door ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 I have shown this engraving before but I still think it is one of the most poignant ones I have ever seen.

Almost immediately I took the paved path up towards Hillside on my way towards Matlock Bath ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 ... and, in particular, Upperwood. Isn't it beautiful ?

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

  The path runs along the private drive hereabouts on the hillside above the busy village of Matlock Bath ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 ... from where you can get a distant view of Riber Castle across the other side of the valley ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 The lane up to Upperwood has its drawbacks as you can see but it is a lane open to all vehicles. Imagine driving up here in any sort of car ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 After a while I took a narrow, overgrown path leading downhill towards Matlock Bath ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

On reaching the main road, the A6, as it passes through Matlock Bath, I turned right back towards the start, passing this trough belonging to the Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association where it stands not so far from the church ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

 Then I was walking beneath another of Arkwright's amazing mills. This time Masson Mill built in 1783 but 'established' in 1769 ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011

  A riverside path between the River Derwent on the left and the limestone tor of Scarthin Rock on the right leads to Cromford Church where you can turn right back to the canal ...

Cromford and Matlock Bath ~ 27th May 2011 

... and that enormous pike.

This walk was followed on the 27th May 2011
 
Length of walk ~ 2.82 miles *
 
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 198.98 miles
 
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 27th May 2011 ~ 720.72 miles

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

11 comments:

  1. Great walk, Charlie, with lots of interesting things to see. As always, I love the glimpse of distant Riber castle. The single-track road reminds me of a few in this area. On the odd occasions I drive down them I'm always saying under my breath "please don't let there be a tractor or combine-harvester coming the other way!!" LOL. At a guess I'd say Mr Pike is nearer to three feet in length.

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    1. Thank you Mitch ~ I love driving along narrow country lanes though you're never quite sure what you're going to meet are you. As for the pike, I didn't want to be accused of over exaggeration :-) !

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  2. What a lovely walk,I have looked at it a few times and I was really surprised how the modern age doesn't creep into the pictures,was this deliberate Charlie?.Love the cattle by the river.Ann

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the walk Ann. I'm not aware of deliberately omitting modern day features though sometimes they can be obtrusive and spoil a photo so perhaps I do. I was aware of the cattle as I took the photograph of the cattle and had in mind the Victorian painters who often had cattle by the water as foreground interest !

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  3. Really enjoyable walk, Charlie. The pike is a female by the way.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the walk Neil ~ I didn't realise you were a pike expert ...

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  4. What an inspiration you are for me. I need to take my camera more often, and slow down to smell/see the roses along the pathways. There is something about using a camera to set up a shot that makes one slow down and meditate a bit. Maybe Buddha has something there with that idea.

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  5. Thank you (once again) for your kind words Karyn ~ I am always looking to photograph features of interest though I often 'snap away' on the off-chance I will get something worthwhile. I don't always take a lot of time and trouble.

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  6. Lovely photos again. Like you, when I'm out walking it's often a case of point and shoot - or I get left behind, and I prefer not to! A smashing walk!

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    1. Thank you Alison. I often walk alone so I can take my time when I want to do so. Sometimes though it's fun to snatch at a shot [especially if it's going dark because sometimes you can surprise yourself].

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    2. I do sometimes walk alone, or deliberately take the camera for a walk, rather than simply walk with the camera - both can be a good source of photos!

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