Walking around Hardwick Hall ...

We parked near the village of Rowthorne, and set off in the sunshine along the Rowthorne Trail ...

This was the footpath that runs parallel to the Trail. It's just a few yards away.

We left the Trail and turned south towards Norwood Lodge. Across the first field though we had to negotiate a slippery, sludgy, mess ...



Once through the wood the path for Norwood Lodge was, as usual, well marked.



I looked back when we reached the handful of houses at Norwood Lodge ...



From the lodge we walked into Lady Spencer's Wood. According to a National Trust interpretation panel Lady Spencer, who was born in 1737, was the mother of five children including Georgiana by her husband, John, the first Earl of Althorp. Georgiana married the 5th Duke of Devonshire and so the Cavendish family [the Dukes of Devonshire] and the Spencers [which included Lady Diana, of course] were linked.

Lady Spencer loved the countryside and gardening and created the walk I was using some 250 years later.    



Also on the interpretation panel is an extract from a letter written by Georgiana to her mother, Lady Spencer, "I could not bear to write till I had seen your dear walk. It is in great perfection and poor Mallinson, tho' he has had a stroke of the palsy has kept it up very neatly ...". She then goes on to say how she will add some benches to the walk and make it "quite an object for any day when it is fine to go to the wood ..."

There are no benches in the wood. Perhaps there never were ...

We walked across the avenue of trees between Hardwick Park Farm and the Hall itself before reaching Park Piece. There were more muddy paths in this wood ...



We followed the road that brings the visitors into the park before picking up the bridleway that runs from the ponds uphill to The Grange and then onto Ault Hucknall. The gate at The Grange has an interesting latch in the form of a snake.



A snake being the emblem of the Cavendish family who used to own Hardwick.

We reached Ault Hucknall which comprises a farm, two or three houses and a fascinating church ...



As we looked around the church we found this ...



... the gravestone of Lexey Mallison, "Servant to his grace the Duke of Devonshire at Hardwick" and who died on the 15th August 1799. Was this the "poor Mallinson" that Georgiana wrote about in her letter to her Mother ?  Or was it perhaps his or her son ? I've noticed the letter refers to 'Mallinson' and the gravestone to 'Mallison' but surely they're the same surname ... just misspelt by Georgiana or the stonemason.  

As I have mentioned elsewhere Ault Hucknall has some interesting stonework in its wall. There's a small window with some interesting carving above it ... and also to the right of it there's another interesting stone ...



  Then there's the carving of George and the Dragon below another carving of a half man/half horse with a spear [?] and with some creature[s] to his right too  ...



Then to the right of George and the Dragon etc. there's a hollowed out stone ...



After the church we took the left hand of two paths which leads eventually to Rowthorne village ...



After we'd finished our walk we went and had a look around Hardwick Hall itself and noticed the snake on a downspout ...




I finish with a couple of photos of one of my favourite stately homes, if not the favourite ...





Date of walk ~ 4th April 2010

Length of walk 4 1/2 miles

Total walked so far in 2010 ~ 55 1/2 miles

Total walked since 1st September 2009 ~ 185 1/2 miles.

12 of 2010

Walking in Heaven ...

We parked at Alport [pronounced All-port] at the bottom end of Lathkill Dale just 4 or 5 miles from Darley Dale ...

We walked down to the bridge over the river, looking for trout beneath ...

 There were trout to be seen though not so many as there are below Raper Bridge upstream.

Then we were walking beside the road towards Hawley's Corner but on the right hand bend we crossed to the path which runs just south of Baltic Wood ...



The path rises above the road and brings you to what had been Shining Bank Quarry. I have seen plans suggesting that the quarry would be allowed to return to nature with some tweaking ...



It's a big hole at present and I don't suppose that it's going to change much except perhaps to grass over a bit more.

There are a number of options near the quarry. We took the path heading north-west and tried to follow a line through Haddon Plantation where the OS White Peak Map shows the path. In the event, on the ground, it's easier to walk along the south-western side of the wood.

The path crosses a field and crossing the path is a stream that needs to be bridged as it is too wide too jump ...



 We walked to the top of the field and managed to cross.

A signpost shortly afterwards shows the options avaialble then. We'd just come from the direction shown as 'PUBLIC FOOTPATH' !

We decided to head for Wigger Dale before forking left towards Over Haddon. There was a trig point just over the wall from the path ...



What I would give to have 20 minutes with that trig point and a pot of white emulsion ... I just want to see my trig points white.

We took a ninety degree turn then down towards Conksbury Bridge along this 'quiet lane'.



Beside the small parking place at Conksbury Bridge, a seat with a memorial plaque ...



Looking over the bridge it looked as though the River Lathkill had flooded recently.



The next bridge downstream is a crossing place for walkers, horse riders and cyclists ~ Raper Brige. A lovely packhorse bridge where you can sit and have a coffee on the stonework and admire the trout on the downward side of the bridge - but don't feed them ! The water bailiff will be unhappy [and so he should be].



Natasha and I often walk on country lanes and roads if it means usng a different path or just enjoying the houses beside the road. So we walked up the old lane past Raper Lodge to come out into Youlgreave before descending into Bradford and the dale. Then we turned left and walked back to the car through Bradford Dale ...



Shown in the photograph above there's another lovely old packhorse bridge over the river ... and there's a seat just on the right, tucked around the corner, right beside the bridge.

Date of Walk ~ 27th March 2010

Length of walk ~ 4 miles

Total walked so far in 2010 ~ 51 miles

Total walked since 1st September 2009 ~ 181 miles

 11 of 2010

Around Wooden Pole ...

The sun had brought people out on the Sunday afternoon we walked from the Longshaw Estate to Wooden Pole. Looking back there's a great view of Higger Tor and Carl Wark ...

It was cool but the air was clear with no haze ...



As we walked across Totley Moss, which let's face it, can be rather tedious, I was looking out for frogspawn whilst being unsure whether frogs would lay their eggs up there. They do !



Let's hope it didn't dry up before the tadpoles become frogs.

Moss Road eventually leads down into Totley and part way along it there are wide views of Sheffield.



We left Moss Road at this point and headed across the moor keeping to the east of the trig point.



 We were headed towards the sunshine and the rather boggy ground in the middle of the moor.





Lying on the path was a dead sheep. I often wonder what kills sheep in the middle of nowhere. I will have to ask a friend ...



We reached some drier ground and followed the vague path that drops towards the Sheffield road.



After crossing that, avoiding the speeding cars and motorbikes as we did so, we climbed the slope to reach Lady's Cross.





It looks a fairly isolated cross but it isn't really and there's a road in the background as you can see. I wonder whether there were wooden signposts all those years ago or did people just know where they were going and only did short journeys.

We descended the northern end of White Edge and passed White Edge Lodge [now a National Trust holiday 'cottage'].



I'd never been on the bridleway that passes the lodge and descends to the road near the Grouse Inn until this walk. The sun was behind us as we followed the track back towards Longshaw Lodge.



Natasha put her feet up on one of the seats that the National Trust appear to have hewn out of a big tree ...



I had to take a photograph of the memorial plaque of course ...



... and then we were back. Another shortish walk ... five and a half miles this one.

Date of walk ~ 21st March 2010

Length of walk ~ 5 1/4 miles

Total walked so far in 2010 ~ 47 miles

Total walked since 1st September 2009 ~ 177 miles

10 of 2010

Kirk Ireton and Halfmoon Lane

March 2010 and Natasha was up to something so I was off on my own again, exploring the Derbyshire countryside.

Parking at the southern end of Carsington Water I soon picked up the path rising up Hays Lane to follow the field path into Kirk Ireton ... and the Barley Mow. It's a traditional pub and well worth a visit. 



 Further down the village, the church seems small and low and I'm not sure whether I have ever been inside.



 It was nice to see, at head height, a stone carving. I wonder if it represented anyone in particular. It looks as though he was wearing a wig though ...



The snowdrops were out and looked extra white against the rather mucky looking limestone gravestones.



 I did a bit of field walking, passing a cottage that is called Moorside [according to the OS Map] and which has a path that passes right in front of the house. There is however a 'Private Property' sign on the farmgate at the entrance to the yard of the cottage with no indication of a path other than a stile beside the gate. [I have a photo if you would like to see it !]

Then I was following a lane which reached Halfmoon Lane ... one of my favourite lane names ! This is it ...



Halfmoon Lane isn't that long but it gives some good views towards Bolehill and Wirksworth ...



I squeezed through some tight stone stoop stiles and followed the path to Callow where I bumped into Daniel Bayfield from Matlock. He was in training with some mates for a longer walk. It's surprising who you bump into.

After a short stretch along Stainsborough Lane I took the path leading towards Carsington. In a field near the reservoir a young woman was walking two alsatians. They were both off the lead and ran towards me ... and then ran around me barking !

After about thirty seconds [ it could have been more or less I wasn't looking at my watch] she got them to go back to her and then had the damned cheek to shout something along the lines of "they won't hurt you"  to which I responded "I don't know that !"

Anyway here are the dogs and the person who is, by law, supposed to keep them under her control ...



I calmed down whilst walking near the reservoir, enjoying the views ...





As I got nearer the car I noticed three pairs of Canada Geese sitting in a field just a litle way up the hill from me. First one pair took off and then another and I thought I must try and get  few photographs of the last pair as they take flight. I waited and waited and they kept on eating until I decided to give up and walk on. Then I heard them coming overhead and had just one chance to take a photo ...

Here is the edited version !



I'm pleased with that.

Getting towards the end now and again the colour of the water in the reservoir struck me ... it was turquoise. 



I was interested to see an open-sided outbuilding full of wooden furniture ...



Where everything was made of wood ...

everything ...



 Somebody must have been very busy.



Date of walk ~ 14th March 2010

Length of walk ~ 7 miles

Total walked so far in 2010 ~ 41 3/4 miles

Total walked since 1st September 2009 ~ 171 3/4 miles

9 of 2010