A reminder of what the weather should be like at this time of year ...

A couple of years ago on the 1st April 2011 my grandson Benjamin and I did a short walk beside the River Derwent ten miles or so north of Darley Dale. The 1st April is just eight days away and two years ago this is what we saw. Note: there was no snow.

When I park near Curbar School and head north the first thing that invariably catches my eye is this 1930s roadsign ... 

  
How do I know it's a 1930s roadsign ? Am I an expert on roadsigns I hear you say ... well, no, the date is on the post ...

 

The River Derwent is always interesting hereabouts ...

 

Benjamin was fascinated ...

 

No, really ... he was.

One of the rewarding aspects of walking in this area is seeing the work that has been done on Calver Mill Weir during the last few years ...




  



The view downstream from New Bridge towards Curbar and Baslow Edges ...

  

After carefully crossing the road at New Bridge we continued up the eastern side of the River Derwent ...



... where the daffodils were in flower ...

 

We reached Froggatt Bridge with its distinctive arch ...

 

 Froggatt Edge rises above the village of Froggatt.



  We stopped for a coffee here ... me and my cool grandson ...



  Duly satisfied we started walking back to New Bridge and Calver ...



  The steps down off the bridge have had a lot of use over the years.



  We were now on the western side of the River Derwent ...



  On this side of the river there are open fields rather than a series of long gardens leading up to the pricey houses of Curbar ...



 Then we encountered a mystery, a small mystery, but a mystery all the same. It looks like some sort of fungus on a tree ...



  Any ideas what it is anyone ?

A Canada Goose swam towards us ...



  The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust had been cutting willow and creating a number of habitat piles ...




  Having done a bit of voluntary work in the countryside over the years it gives me quite a thrill to see a habitat pile.

As we walked alongside the Derwent on our left a sign brought us back to earth ... "Better watch ourselves in this field Benjamin ..."



This walk was followed on the 1st April 2011
 
Length of stroll ~ 2.60 miles *
 
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 93.09 miles
 
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 21st March 2011 ~ 621.14 miles

  21 of 2011 [which means in 2011 I was averaging just 4.43 miles a walk.]
 
* distance calculated on Ordnance Survey's Getamap

On Instagram ...

Sign on one of the buildings at the Cromford end of the Cromford Canal posted on Instagram earlier today ...

Rowsley and Beeley ~ a new walk for Teashop Walks in the Peak District.

With the teashops at Elton and Youlgreave closing since the original book came out five years ago I had to find some replacements nearby. Not surprisingly I plumped for Caudwells Mill and so had to plan a walk from Rowsley.

From the Peacock I walked up Church Lane and took the muddy, messy path that passes under what used to be the railway line running up to Buxton ...

   Picking my way through the mud and slurry [I'm avoiding a particular word for those who are faint of heart] things got better as I got further away from Rowsley. A vandalised waymark reminded me that I was following the Derwent Valley Heritage Way ...



 When I got to Calton Lees, a Chatsworth Estate village, I noticed this sign on a gate I passed through. I had seen no cows or calves though ...



 It might put some people off I would have thought.

I was then in the Chatsworth Estate village of Calton Lees. You can always tell which houses are owned by Chatsworth as they are painted this colour blue ...



Once I'd got past the garden centre and crossed the old stone bridge I walked across the large field towards Beeley.




  Further on in the field [it's a big field] I passed these old Derwent Valley Water Board features. I assume they are for inspection purposes or perhaps to let out any gases ?



I looked back towards Chatsworth ...



... I said it was a big field. 

After crossing the road I walked through the churchyard in Beeley. I've never been in the church here and hardly in the churchyard ...



In Beeley there's a strange, stone structure that baffles me. I half thought they might have been stocks but I don't really think so.

Any ideas ? 



From Beeley I headed across the fields towards Rowsley, crossing this footpath that runs uphill towards Burntwood quarry as I went.



Date of walk ~ 29th December 2009

Length of walk ~ 4 1/4 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 122 miles