I walked along beside the river from Alport passing Rheinstor Rock ...
The sun shone on a cool spring day ...
I reached the delightful packhorse bridge as I drew near to Youlgreave ...
Someone who had passed this way before had lost or mislaid a camera ...
After crossing the road in Bradford [part of Youlgreave] I continue upstream with the river now beside me on the left ...
... and crossed the old clapper bridge ...
The cottages and gardens of Bankside rise in an unplanned fashion above the river ...
I turned around further along the dale to take in the path behind me, there was no one around ...
The river can be very still ...
As I walked up the dale I wondered how many other dales have a manhole cover in the path ?
Looking at these photographs I can almost feel the chill in the air ...
After crossing the road in Bradford [part of Youlgreave] I continue upstream with the river now beside me on the left ...
... and crossed the old clapper bridge ...
The cottages and gardens of Bankside rise in an unplanned fashion above the river ...
I turned around further along the dale to take in the path behind me, there was no one around ...
The river can be very still ...
As I walked up the dale I wondered how many other dales have a manhole cover in the path ?
Looking at these photographs I can almost feel the chill in the air ...
I swung right over the bridge towards the top of the dale ...
The path on the western side of the dale rises up to the car park in Yougreave ...
Once I had got to the top of the main road running down through Youlgreave I followed it to reach the old Co-operative store ... now a Youth Hostel ...
The Church of All Saints stands at a staggered crossroads in the village, rising high above the road ...
Depending on where you look parts of this church date back to the 12th century ... or is it the 13th or 14th ?
Walking down Coalpit Lane towards the River Lathkill, a couple of nosey so and sos interrupted my reverie ...
Coalpit Bridge takes a bridleway across the river before climbing steeply up the side of the dale into the fields above ...
A heavily used footpath took me back to Alport. There was a time, not so long ago, when this path was unfenced ...
This walk was followed on the 18th March 2011
Length of walk ~ 3.85 miles *
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 66.57 miles
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 18th March 2011 ~ 594.62 miles
16 of 2011
* distance calculated on Ordnance Survey's Getamap
You know, when you read your words, and try to ignore the beautiful photographs, it sounds almost like Beat poetry ...
ReplyDeleteI have tried to stop waffling and let the photos [and a few words] make the point. I appreciate your comment though ... and am rather flattered.
DeleteA very pleasant walk Charlie. I really enjoyed it. Very nice scenery, and interesting bridges. Had to smile at the photo of the 'nosey so-and-so's' :-)) Chances of that person getting their camera returned? Very little, I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteI think the camera will be gone forever too ... though you never know.
DeleteThat is a lovely walk Charlie,did it with two friends the last time we went,got a lot off fond memories of Youlgreave,or Pommy as we used to call it.As for the camera we found one not far from there about 10 years ago and it turned out it belonged to a child from Germany,we got a lovely letter back with Chocolates and an invite to visit if we went to Germany.Ann
ReplyDeleteYes, I still call it Pommy too. My neighbour Don Birds comes from Pommy originally. Well done for returning the camera too ~ perhaps there's hope for the one that was missing.
DeleteWhat is a clapper bridge?
ReplyDeleteI loved the upside down picture of the tree in the still river. Well done to spot that.
Manholes on trails are strange but stranger if Ninja Turtles pop out of them.
I would not be able to do this walk yet as it is too un-even. I am only walking on sidewalks of cement. This is a small village so the sidewalks are only smooth on one side of each street. I always wonder about how they decide which side of the street gets the really smooth sidewalk? It is probably the mayor's sons' houses' on that side. But I will give them their dues for being in that silly profession. They can have a sideway as long as the rest of the villagers are allowed to use it.
According to Wikipedia "A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of Devon (Dartmoor and Exmoor) and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom including Snowdonia and Anglesey. It is formed by large flat slabs of granite or schist supported on stone piers (across rivers), or resting on the banks of streams.". There's more here [plus photos] Karyn ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clapper_bridge.
DeleteNo Ninja turtles as I passed by fortunately.
I can identify with your problems with rough ground. I've got over those now but have problems with step stiles that are too high. Somehow though, I manage ...
Hi Charlie I wonder if your neighbour has a sister Cynthia, I went to school with her and she was from Pommy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure of Don's sister's name Ann ~ I will ask him. I know she lives in one of the cottages in Bradford.
DeleteSo I looked it up on wiki and see now what the concept is. The word clapper had me buffaloed. I have slipped and fallen in streams many times while crossing on slippery stones, so that slabbing is a great idea and still lets the creek run free.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite sure why it's called a clapper bridge ~ it doesn't tell you on the Wiki page does it ?
Deletefree should be freely grrrrr
ReplyDeleteThe little nosey one could be a relative of your first avatar :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right Diane ... though this one didn't pose as well.
DeleteDelightful! It looks to me, from freezing Surrey, as though spring is in the air in those pics, Charlie.
ReplyDeleteThis was March 2011 Neil ... [I'm a little behind ...]
DeleteSome lovely photos. I've walked downstream in Bradford Dale from the packhorse bridge but haven't done the rest of the walk yet.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lee ~ Bradford Dale is always interesting. The only problem is where do you go when you get to the top of the dale. At that stage you're either out into the fields or you can walk up into Middleton by Youlgreave. I didn't get right to the top of the dale in this walk.
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