New Year's Day 2010

The 1st day of January 2010 was a cool, clear, sunny day and the drive across to Bradfield was enjoyable despite the ice on the roads ...

There was just enough room to park in Low Bradfield as people were getting out to start the New Year with a walk ... and probably sober up too.

My Beloved stayed at home which was a pity.

I walked along the icy path on the southern side of Damflask Reservoir.

As you may know I have an interest in memorial plaques. It may be morbid but there it is. I found three or four on this walk. Here's the first ...



... and here's the frosted wreath on the seat ...



 Just beyond the seat a couple of barking dogs were bounding towards me ...

Their elderly owner was sat having a cigarette on a bench further on, not really bothered that his dogs were in danger of legging me up. As though the ice wasn't bad enough.

 Then I found the second seat ...



Just before I took the path rising steeply up Rickett Bank a number of ducks swam towards me, expecting some food I suppose.



 Up the hill from Damflask Reservoir is the village of Dungworth. As you enter the village, there's a stone carved stone and I'm not quite sure what it rpresents ...



On the right hand side of the stone some words have been carved ...



They read ... 

"2000 AD
My life
My love
My Children"
 
I have found out that this work was undertaken by Stoneface and you can learn a little bit more about this carving, and some others, at http://www.stonefacesculpture.com/stoneface-commissions.htm
 
On the northern side of the reservoir I spotted a third plaque which caught my eye ...



 
Then I walked back into the valley and after a little while I was strolling, in the sunshine, along the path on the northern side of Damflask Reservoir ...



back towards Low Bradfield ...



 A young woman sat admiring the view ...



It was such a lovely picture that I took quite a few photos, but I've limited myself to just showing a couple on here. Thank goodness she didn't see me snapping away ...



I was nearly back in Low Bradfield ~ just time for one more shot ...



 Date of walk ~ 1st January 2010

Length of walk ~ 4 3/4 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 134 3/4 miles.

1 of 2010

Walking from Wheatcroft's Wharf

Last day of the year and the sorting out of walks for a revamp of Teashop Walks in the Peak District continued ...

Parking at the Cromford Wharf car park, which should perhaps be renamed Wheatcrofts Wharf, I walked back onto the road and passed the church nearby. On the right just beyond the church is a fishing temple with the words 'Piscatoribus Sacrum' [sanctuary for fishermen] above the door ...

 What I didn't know is that just over the wall to the left of the temple in the photo are the remains of an earlier fishing chapel ...



One of the stones in the wall of the old road bridge here commemorates the leap of one Benjamin Heywood [or is it Hayward ?] on his mare in 1697 ...



Walking across the hillside I reached Castle Top Farm and beside that Sunnybank where Ron and Elizabeth live ...



 Beyond Sunnybank the path enters Bow Wood.

In the cool air the shadows of the trees cut across the path.





 I followed a convoluted course to Cromford Canal and had a coffee at High Peak Junction hoping I might see a water vole but today I wasn't so lucky.

Then it was along the canal back towards Wheatcrofts Wharf ...





Wheatcrofts Wharf is now a tearoom and shop run by the Arkwright Society. It's a good place for a stop ...



Date of walk ~ 31st December 2009

Length of walk ~ 3 1/2 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 130 miles.

What is it with some dog owners ?

All I wanted was a nice, quiet walk.

I just wanted to rid myself of some of the stress that had accumulated during the week.

Instead there were two Alsatians running around me, barking ... and baring their teeth.

Then the woman who was [allegedly] in control of them was telling me that "they ARE playing ...".

Now, not having studied the behavioural peculiarities of our canine friends, I had obviously, totally misread the situation. I thought they were trying to work out how best to rip off one of my legs whilst trying to avoid me knocking out their front teeth with a quick kick in the head. [I realise that this have may have been foolhardy but if a dog's going to come for me I am obviously going to resist attack rather than go under with a whimpering "I thought you were playing ..."].

Once she had informed me that her dogs were just joshing with me, I felt within my rights to point out to her that "I didn't know that !" ... and off she tootled up the field ... where I took this photograph ...

Now what annoyed me was that there was no apology from her, whatsoever.

Lyme Park and the Macclesfield Canal

The Christmas holiday and, yes, it does seem a long time ago, involved me in driving around the Peak District and re-walking some of the routes in my Teashop Walks book.

The day I went to Lyme Park was wet, cold and icy.

From Lyme Park itself I walked west for a few hundred yards before taking the path out of the park and heading towards Platt Wood Farm.

Once I'd clambered over the tall, slippery ladder stile I was greeted by this ...



So ... I was prepared ... but as I walked through the next few fields there were no cows or calves to be seen.

Just east of Platt Wood Farm stands Peak & Northern Footpath Society signpost number 266, where two paths cross each other ...



 The canal was frozen in part when I reached it.

I passed one of the stone mileposts beside the canal ...



Then a warning for all dog walkers though from what I saw it was being ignored by some ...



I wonder how many fines have been paid so far ?

I've always wondered about living on a canal but I'd be too far away from the place where I want to live ...





As I mentioned quite a lot of the canal was frozen ...



The photo below shows a view that's actually in my book but the one in the book was taken on a sunny day in spring or summer ...



It's only a short walk and I was soon climbing over another ladder stile to get back into Lyme Park.

This photo also gives some idea of how much standing water there was ~ the ground must have been really sodden.

The park boundaries are so high to keep the deer in of course.



I had a steep climb from this point. Perhaps I'd had too much Christmas cake because I was puffing and panting by the time I'd completed the climb.

Alternatively it may be that I'm not as fit as once I was ...

Date of walk ~ 30th December 2009

Length of walk ~ 4 1/2 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 126 1/2 miles.

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

The Roaches

I found one car park space on the roadside by the Roaches Tearoom and walked along the road ...

I found another of those poetry benches. I do dislike poetry that rhymes 'map' with 'hat'. I know I know, I'm a pedant.



I walked north from Rockhall. Me and the couple ahead of me were the only ones taking the path less walked.



Once I got to the lane I tried to keep my feet on the icy lane that leads to Roach End. 



 The higher I got the icier the road became. I stood well clear when any cars came past me. In the distance snow capped Shutlingsloe stood out ...

Once I'd got to Roach End I started to climb the very slippery and icy path onto the Roaches ...



It was just as bad as I got nearer to Doxey Pool ...



Then I came to Doxey Pool. I didn't see the mermaid that apparently lives in the pool.





   The mermaid's name [or so I have read somewhere] is Jenny Greenteeth.

Past Doxey Pool I could see Hen Cloud. In the photo below it's the outrop at the far end ~ the third one. 







After all that I retired to the Roaches Tearoom and had a meal. For the life of me I can't remember what. Still, I can recommend it. 

Date of walk ~ 28th December 2009

Length of walk ~ 5 1/4 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 117 3/4 miles