Peakwalks

NEW BLOG ALERT!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:39:00 +0000

NOW HEAR THIS, NOW HEAR THIS!!!

DUE TO SIZE AND LOADING TIMES, I HAVE STARTED A NEW BLOG.

PLEASE GO TO;

http://www.walkpeaks.blogspot.com/

(and, if you want to, become a follower)

THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER POSTS ON THIS BLOG.

THANKS TO ALL MY READERS - I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO ENJOY MY PHOTOS ON THE NEW BLOG,

AND IT WILL LOAD UP A LOT FASTER.

CHEERS,

LES

In search of Bluebells and blue skies...........

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:32:00 +0000

.........................And today, I found both (as you'll see).

Unfortunately, Sue had to go to a funeral, so I walked on my own today. As it was bluebell season, I decided on Shacklow woods. More famous for the wild garlic (ramson) but still a nice walk. The walk was straight from my door, through the churchyard, over to Dirtlow farm, up the Sheldon road but turning down into little Shacklow woods, then left and up and through great Shacklow woods. A short foray into deepdale to see if the cowslips and early purple orchids were flowering yet, then cross the A6, up to Brushfields, lunch on top of Monsal dale, then down to the viaduct, up to Monsal head, turn right and along Pennyunk lane, into Ashford in the water, and back to Bakewell along the river Wye.
Just over 11 miles, with 2,230 feet of up and down.

The weather was just PERFECT for walking. Sunny, but with a chill breeze. I set off with a micro fleece on, expecting to drop it off pretty soon. Truth is, it was a good job I'd worn it, as it was cool and bright all day.
I walked down the lane at the back of our cottage, and saw my first bluebell.

This was an imposter though, as it was the cultivated Spanish bluebell.
Still a nice flower, but I wanted the bluer, more scented English variety, and woods was the place to find those.
The lane also had the ubiquitous cow parsley, and little forget-me-nots.

A nice shot of Bakewell church with a really good sky as a backdrop.

After the churchyard, I was straight into lush meadows. I was glad now that I'd chosen to wear a micro fleece, as the wind chill was quite sharp.
Today really was PERFECT for walking AND photography. As I stepped out, I got a real feeling of wide open space as I looked around me. As far as the eye could see, it was pin sharp and crystal clear. I stood and just sucked it all in. Oh, happy man!

I REALLY love the simple shapes and colours of a day like today. I wish you could hear the; 'peeeee-WIT, peeeee-WIT' bird calling. The call sounds just like their name. They were swooping and diving in that courtship dance that always looks like they're trying to evade something that's chasing them, unseen, in the air.

A stone barn, stark yet beautiful against the skyline.

For some reason, probably after food, these sheep decided to follow me all the way across the meadow above Dirtlow farm.
They made a right row, bleating and 'Baaaaaaa'ing as they came, dutifully followed by their lambs.

Next thing, it was the turn of these young cows.
I made a mental note to check which after shave I'd used this morning :-)

As I looked right, I could see clear across to Longstone edge, and the moors.

Just before I turned to drop into Little Shacklow woods, I got chatting to a farmer at the top of the dale. He told me how he'd lost a ewe and lamb in the small hours of the morning, but that was life, and death, on a farm for you. He then took me to a barn and showed me the ewe he'd only JUST lambed.

I dropped into Little Shacklow, and was a little disappointed to see that the wild garlic wasn't in bloom yet. When it did open though, this wood would be a REAL showpiece for it!

At the bottom of the dale, I turned right and made my way up into Great Shacklow woods. For some reason, probably the way the wood faced, the garlic here was well out and I enjoyed the heavy, pungent smell of it. As I walked on, I saw that the bluebells were there too. They didn't mix, as the garlic ended, the sea of bluebells began. I was in seventh heaven here,
I WISH I could let you smell what I was smelling as I walked through the wood, it really was fantastic!!

REAL English woodland bluebells.

FAR superior in colour and scent to its Spanish counterpart.

Also, there was a lot of Campion about,

And some very nice grass.
It was the only patch of it I saw, and I wondered if it had been planted there, or was natural?

As I left Great Shacklow woods, my route led into Monsal dale and up over the top, but I took a short detour left and into Deep dale. I know this dale to be perfect conditions for the early purple orchid, and also cowslips.

Was I too early??? Would I get any pictures???

God, today was good! I just couldn't believe the conditions and perfect state of the flowers.
I was SO lucky, as I thought I'd got the timing all wrong when I set off.
After getting those shots, I entered Monsal dale and turned up to Brushfield.
A look back showed me Great Shacklow woods.

This is where I decided to eat my lunch.
I MUST have sat in nicer places, but do you know, I just can't remember when!
This was looking down off my lunchtime 'perch'. The wind was still quite chilly, but I wasn't too cold, and just enjoyed sitting, watching the birds performing aerobatics and enjoying the stiff breeze. (I'm SURE they fly like they do for sheer enjoyment on a windy day like today).

After lunch, I followed an old track as it wound down into Monsal dale and on to the viaduct. I crossed it, and looked left across the dale. The sun lit up the limestone escarpments on the far side.

No sooner was I down, than I had to climb back up again, as my route now led to Ashford-in-the-Water, via the quaintly-named 'Pennyunk lane'. A look over my shoulder gave this great and classic view of the viaduct and dale.
You can just see the white track I came down on the far skyline, & the central ridge is where the track is I walked along.

A view of Longstone moors, from the quaintly-named 'Pennyunk lane.'

The long, lush grass was waving in the breeze, as if it was made of liquid. The sun was glinting on each blade as it did, giving a really lovely shimmering effect. This photo can't convey that, but you CAN see the silvery glints. They look like white flowers in the photo, but really they are individual little diamonds of reflected light.

I just LOVE English lanes at this time of the year. There really is NOTHING to compare with the smells and the sights as you walk along. I love to just run my hand through the flower heads as I walk. If you know which plants to smell, you can pick up on loads on lovely, sometimes familiar, smells. Aniseed, pineapple, garlic.....all there for you to enjoy.

Looking over to Cowden.

All too soon, I was in the sleepy village of Ashford-in-the-water.
Being mid-week, it was quiet today, and I sat on a bench by the sheepwash bridge, just to reflect on my day.

After Ashford, I made my way back to Bakewell along the river, where I encountered this group of Llamas!
I have NO idea why they are there, I was just glad they weren't in a spitting mood, preferring to just bask in the sun.

Stanage edge, the Brontes and old millstones

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:59:00 +0000

This is Bronte cottage.

This image SHOULD appear lower down this blog posting (you'll read the text), but I accidentally deleted it, and blogger doesn't allow you to insert images mid-post (they should work on that one)

So, here we go at the proper start of this posting -Tuesday came round, and dawned a LOVELY day. We decided to go up onto Stanage edge, as it's been a while since we've been there.
One of the local cats was enjoying the warm sunshine as we walked up to the car.

These lovely poppies are in one of the cottage gardens.

We drove to Hathersage, parked up, and set off towards Bronte cottage, through fields of buttercups.
They were really profuse here, and it was a delight to walk through them.

All around us, fields of gold - wonderful!

This is Bronte cottage. The owner was in the garden, so we asked him the history of the name. Sue had said to me that it didn't look old enough to have been around when the Bronte sisters were, and she was right. Apparently, it is so named because Emily used to use a footpath that ran through where the house now stands. She used to stay with the Eyre family at North Lees hall.

(This is where that image should be - sorry)

This is North Lees hall.
It's now converted into just TWO self-catering apartments.

Our destination - Stanage edge.

As we got closer, it looked ever more inviting.
The day was REALLY warm now, and we had been walking in the shade of the woodland, but now it was time to climb onto the edge, and into the sun.

Looking along the edge to High Neb, that far point you can see.

The entry point to the top.

Once we were up there, the views opened up for us.

You can see the scar of the path up Win hill.
Mam tor has a puff of cloud above it.

Ah, what a lovely perch for two!
We decided to have an early lunch and sat in the shade of a wall, whilst looking out on the spectacular view. We listened to our first cuckoo, lapwings, fieldfare, the beautiful, haunting call of the curlew, and of course, the grouse was there too. telling us to;

'GO BACK, GO BACK, GO BACK'

Win hill, left. The shoulder of Mam tor behind, then the top of back tor peeping. Finally, to the right you can see Lose hill. The ridge behind is Kinders' southern edge.
The moor in front leads to Bamford edge. Ladybower reservoir is just over the top and in the valley beyond.

After the walk along the top, we deliberately took the path below the edge to take some pictures of the millstones. These millstones are incredible things. It looks like someone just arrived one morning, told the men to down tools and left! There are SO many stages of stones; just cut squares, ones rounded, but without holes, finished ones that were never removed. Sad really.

These were done, and ready to cart down the hill, but never got taken.

This huge one was propped on stones, ready to have the centre hole cut.

Then it was back to the meadows. The roadside flowers were now in full swing. Just to walk along these country roads is a delight, the smells of the flowers are so heavy and heady.

Finally, we went through this cool copse and made our way back to Hathersage, where we decided to have a swim in the outdoor pool there. It was a great way to finish the walk and day.

Madeira - day 5 - showers, & our second levada walk

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:47:00 +0000

I REALLY like a good cup of coffee (I've been spoilt at 'ricci's), so when we found a good cafe, very close to out hotel that served an EXCELLENT cup, we were very happy. They don't serve it like we do, but it's just as good, and very tasty. Needless to say, we went there almost every day.

After out caffeine 'fix', it was time to have a wander into town. We had no real plans today, but I had an idea. The 'Nuns Valley' is supposed to be really beautiful and rugged. I'd noticed that the number 81 bus went there, so for just four Euros each, we got a return ticket and hopped on a 'yellow funfair ride'.
Clinging on tightly as we sped along the terrifyingly narrow and steep mountain roads, our aim was to just stay on the bus and do the return journey. We had boots and a picnic though, just in case. When the bus got to the high village of Curral da Freiras, a local guy suggested we disembark, as the bus came back in 20 minutes. We did, and as we got off, so did another couple.
They were German, and their names were Lutz and Elfi (what a LOVELY name).
Lutz told us they intended to walk to the top of the ridge, and we were welcome to join them.
"What about the bus??", we asked. He told us there was one due at 5:00PM, so we trusted him and set off upwards, chatting and getting to know one another.
This was where we got off the bus. The weather had started cloudy, but now the sun was out, and it was clearing. Time to put on the sun tan lotion!
The views around us were really living up to their 'dramatic' tag, and we were getting more and more excited at the prospect of a good walk.

A lot of the hamlets were just perched in what seemed like unreachable places.
We read that you can't reach a lot of these places by road, as they are not connected to the road system!

This looked a bit like a set of 'Lord of the Rings'.

The sun was full out now, and Sue was ready for the climb.

Here we are, about to set off upwards.

The path was gentle, but we were soon gaining height, leaving the village far below.

As always in Madeira, the flowers were incredibly beautiful. I didn't know where to shoot next.

Houses were built just anywhere.
ALL the building materials had to be brought up here by hand.
The mind boggles!!!!

We continued up the well-laid path.

The walking was easy and steady.

Soon, this was the sort of view we were getting.

That road was blocked. Several rock falls had seen to that!
I think they now have (another) tunnel, so the road is redundant.

After about 40 minutes solid climbing, we reached the top.
This was a visitors centre with a big car park.
Last time I saw this place, I was looking up at a dot on the ridge horizon.

Here I am, perched on the edge, as usual.

'Only' 3,000 feet.

This was the tourists balcony.

If you leaned over the rail (which I did), this is what you saw.
3,000 feet - STRAIGHT DOWN!

DON'T lean back on that fence!

We had a fabulous walk, and ended up at a small cafe in the village for another good coffee, and we also tried (and bought) some of the local liqueurs.
That night, Sue & I went to a place we'd sussed out the previous night. 'La Paella'.
I told the owner I was VERY fussy about Paella, and he said; "You don't like - you don't pay"
That was good enough for me - so in we went.

They first brought us a glass of complimentary Madeira wine, which Sue tried.

Then they broush ush a glashh of Poncha, Shue shays ish GREAT.

YER ME BESHT MATE, YOU ARE! (HIC)

This ugly thing had a name, but I can't remember it!
It was billed as 'local lobster', and was alive & moving when brought to our table. I don't think it wanted a mirror! It was about the same price as fresh lobster, so you were looking at around SEVENTY pounds for a serving. I said we'd stick to the paella.

I can honestly say, it lived up to its reputation.
It was STUNNING - no contest, the best one we've ever had.
We enjoyed it SO much, we went back again the following night for another one.

On the way home (we walked - it was a very warm, pleasant evening) I took this picture of one of the stranger plants we saw. The end of the runway at the airport has HUNDREDS of these plants on the bank in front of it.
This was the first time I'd seen one at the roadside though.
I wish I'd made Sue stand at the side of it for scale now, as it was about 5 feet tall.

Then it was back to the hotel room, and a last look at Funchal before turning in.

The 'lobster thing' - it's ALIVE!

Common name: Slipper Lobster.
Scientific name: Scyllarides latus

A sweep of the Curral da Freiras valley.

Hartington lollipop

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:20:00 +0000

I've written some walks for a site on the internet, walkingworld.com, and every now and then, I like to re-do the walks to make sure the instructions are correct. Sometimes the odd thing changes, a new finger post, stile etc. This week it was the turn of my 'Hartington lollipop' walk, so called because you go up the stick, around the head, then re-trace your steps down the stick.
The walk starts in Hartington village, to my mind one of the loveliest in the Peak district. It has the famous cheese shop, the duck pond, and a couple of nice pubs. This was the view as we started the walk with the church peeping over the cottage rooftops.

A lot of daffs were in full swing in the village gardens, along with other spring flowers.
And, of course, the spring lambs were now in abundance.

These were just a couple of days old, and this was their first outing.

See bottom of this entry for a video of them running about and bleating.

The sky was blue, and it was a PERFECT day.
It does the soul good to walk on a day like this :-)

I never tire of the green/blue/white of the grass, sky & limestone walls.

Sue was enjoying being back in shorts & tee shirt again.

After crossing the fields, we came to Beresford dale, and Pike pool.
Izaak Walton, of 'The Compleat Angler' fame, fished hereabouts with the viator Charles Cotton.

As my all-singing SLR was 'at the hospital', I was back to my old Fuji finepix camera. I could have done so much more with this weir had I had my SLR. Mind you, it still looks nice.

Wolfscote dale, nicely quiet mid-week.

A happy Sue takes in the view and sound of babbling water.

LOTS of daffs along the riverbank.

Last years skeleton overlooks the new daffs.

I'm in heaven too.

The Coldeaton bridge, and path up to Alstonefield.

This is where we had lunch. I LOVE sitting here, just looking at this spectacular landscape.
We never take for granted how lucky we are to live in the National park.

Next, along this green lane, to pass the youth hostel, again lined with daffs.

As we turned to start our return part of the walk, we saw this feeding frenzy of sheep on Gratton hill.

Whatever that farmer has must be REALLY tasty!

We then dropped into the quaintly-named 'How Narrow dale', before reaching Beresford dale, and re-tracing our steps back to Hartington. The sky had gone greyer now, but we had had a lovely day.

A video of the new lambs (turn the sound up).

Madeira - day 4 - Day of the Dolphins

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:42:00 +0000

Today was the day of the Dolphins, but first, we wanted to take a look at the famous Funchal market. We got there relatively late, as most of the fish had sold out, but as you can see, there was still a LOT of activity in the fruit and veg side of things. I have never SEEN such a vast array of different fruits and vegetables in one place (maybe I should get out more?).

It makes you wonder how, and if, they manage to sell all the stuff they bring?
This lady certainly looked happy, and was dressed in national costume.

Just by looking, you KNEW these herbs had been picked only hours ago.
How fresh can you GET????

The flowers just blew us away.

And when did you EVER see a choice of spices like this?
Everything was set out so lovingly.

TRY! TRY! TRY! We were accosted all the time to try stuff. They cut these wonderfully tasting fruits and displayed them to try. I think they have a bit of a scam going here though. We tasted, and BOY did they taste good, so I bought ten Euros worth. The ones I bought weren't half as sweet and juicy as the ones on display though. I reckon they add sugar to the ones they've cut. Oh well, I'll know better next time ;-)

Dried chilli peppers - thousands of them

Then we went into the fish section.

These are black Scabbard - a local speciality. They are caught in deep waters off Madeira and are usually served filleted in steaks, or more specially on a skewer, called 'Espadas'.
Find out more here;
http://www.madeiraisland.com/eng/madeira/articles/espada_fish/

They are also VERY big on eating limpets, which they call 'lavas'.

I've never tried them, and still haven't.

Octopus have a big presence too.

And what a beautiful tray of colourful fish.
I can almost smell them cooking on the barbie!

Fancy a small Tuna fish steak anyone?

Now - have I got enough for a McDonalds at lunchtime?

After we'd seen all the market, we went to the offices of the Dolphin trip.
We were shepherded to a rib, and set off on our ride.

We had a lovely day for it too.
We sped across the calm sea for about 45 minutes to where they said we'd see Dolphins.

Sure enough, they made an appearance.
The shout went up, as everyone was SO excited to see the fins break the surface of the water!

They came RIGHT beside the rib, we could almost touch them. They do allow you to swim with them, if conditions are right (for an extra 20 Euros, of course), but today this school had many young, so no-one was allowed to swim with them.

Oh, now he's just showing off!

We also were lucky to see a basking turtle.

The views back to the island alone were worth the trip.

After seeing the Dolphins, the skipper decided it was fun time. He drove the rib at the cliff face at high speed, swerving away sharply at the last minute, with all the girls squealing with delight. He also stopped the rib whenever he saw anyone taking a photo. All in all, he was a really good guide.
This is the sumptuous Reids Palace hotel - probably THE premier hotel in Madeira, with a prime cliff top position to echo that fact.

The boat then picked up speed again, bouncing over the waves and roaring.
As you can see, it really upset Sue & I.

When we got back to Funchal, we just relaxed in a promenade bar.
Sorry this picture is a bit over-exposed, but the sun was cracking the pavements!

How lovely is this? We walked this so many times during our stay.
I miss it, and want to go back as soon as possible (not another two years, I hope).

These flowers - wherever you look, wonderful colours and blooms.

Looking down on the island fountains.

This is where you have to stand for the 'people cam'.
http://www.madeira-web.com/camera/cam-09.html
We stood there (as a few of you know) for about half an hour one evening, but it had a malfunction - that's known as 'sods law'.

Another fountain on the prom'.

And I love this statue too.
Beats the Cloughie one in the middle of Nottingham!

And what about this one eh?

Hibiscus

Young love blossoms too, and what better setting than Madeira?

This really WAS an enigma - such a fantastic place - almost in RUINS!!!
It had certainly been a LONG time since anyone has given it any TLC.

This was once a very grand courtyard, with this elegant fountain as the centrepiece.
Now, dry and dirty.

Looking north over Funchal in the evening sun.
(SIGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!)

In the old town, there are numerous cafes that open during the day, but the evenings are when they REALLY seek their business.
We were accosted at each one, but in a nice way. Each had a person outside, usually amusing in some way, trying their hardest to lure you in to eat. They all served virtually the same fare, but each insisted theirs was the best.
We ate at three of them over the week, and really enjoyed it.

Hmmm, seen anything you fancy Susie?

These flowers were just to the left of the menu Sue was reading.

And these too.

Not all of Funchal is pretty, some parts are VERY run down.
This is a side street just off the main drag.

The fountains looked even more delightful in the evening light.

As the light faded, we began the walk back to the hotel. This park was a favourite of ours.
Funchal has a very 'safe' feel about it. We often wandered about in the late evening, and we never saw anything to worry or threaten us. We saw lots of women walking around on their own too, so they obviously felt the same way

Fabulous!

We arrived back, and opened the curtains on the spectacular view.
Is it any wonder we were SO happy with the place?

Madeira - day three. Rain stop play!

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:17:00 +0000

Day three, and we were excited! THIS was the day we were going to do some PROPER walking in the high mountains of Madeira. The walk is called 'Rabacal and the 25 waterfalls', so you can imagine what it was going to be like, and why we were excited. We sat outside the hotel in the warm morning air, in our shorts (but with warm gear in the rucksacks, just in case). While we waited, I took this picture of one of the national flowers of Madeira, the Bird of Paradise flower. They grow in profusion all over the place, and in most gardens.

The van duly picked us up, and we were away! As we climbed on the twisty mountains roads, it got worse and worse, weather wise. The cloud closed in, the wind howled, and it began to rain quite hard. By the time we got all the way to Rabacal, about an hours drive, conditions were atrocious. So much so, I didn't get even ONE picture. I wish I had now, but I didn't want to get the camera out in those conditions. Anyway, the guide said he wasn't happy to take us, as it would be too dangerous. He then made a decision to go elsewhere. As Madeira has over 20 micro climates, you can always find some sunshine and shelter. We ended up on a 'verdant' levada walk through mainly farmland. Not what we expected, or wanted, but they did their best.
Here, lemons grew at the side of the walk.

Weeeeelll, I NEEDED one or two for the gin tonight!

Bless her, still smiling, despite the disappointment.
(Can you believe there are several people walking IN the levada to avoid a tiny bit of mud!!!)

Sue tells me this is an Agapanthus, a rose by any other name...........

One thing that amused us, and we'd noticed a lot since arriving on the island, was the custom of drying the squash on the roof of the house.

In some places, the walkway was a bit like this - so of course, there were shouts of 'MIND THE GAP'!

More flora. Of the Orchid family, I think.

This was sorrel. We were told if you chew the stem, it tastes JUST like green apples.
I can confirm this is correct, as I chewed quite a lot, it was really refreshing.

The ever-present and beautiful Arum lily.
(I should have moved that twig).

Another of the Orchid family.

The levada twisted through the countryside, and we followed.

This old farmers wife was 'spud bashing'

...while he was muck spreading.

....and this one was taking gourds (or squash) home to dry - probably as seed stock.
(Yes - it IS female)

The old fields were carefully tilled & tended, ready for the crops & harvest.

But, always the new world was close by. This is yet another new road tunnel. Madeira has really improved its road system in the past few years, hugely due to EU grants. I'd LOVE to know what the total spend is going to be/has been so far. It must be telephone numbers!

After the levada walk finished, we were taken to the coast to do another short walk. On the way, we were privileged to see this wonderful sea of cloud.

This was where we were bound, but not before a beer/coffee stop at a cafe hanging on to the cliff side.
You can see the road snaking perilously down the hillside. This is the old road. Now, even this tiny place has a HUGE new tunnel to it.

For GODS sake - DON'T jump up and down!!!

Nice fence! Not what I'd call sturdy though, considering the drop on the other side.

This was Paul do Mar, our final walk for today. Beautiful place, and lovely weather.

Afternoon nap time.

The old church at Paul do Mar.

They were absorbed in Dominoes, of all things.
(This guy wasn't having any luck, judging by the look on his face).

Finally, there was one last surprise. A HUGE twin waterfall at the end of the village. I took photo's, and we boarded the bus back. We were sad not to have done Rabacal, but little did we know, the next few days would make up for it - watch this space!

Madeira - day two, the sledge ride.

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:53:00 +0000

So, we'd had a look around, sussed the place out (a bit), and set out a sort of itinerary. Lots of big towns, especially tourist ones, have those tour buses. They are usually very good value, and show you the very best bits, so I like to take one early on in any holiday. The one in Funchal is, like Barcelona, actually two! One does the inner city highlights, and the other goes further afield. You pay one price, and can hop off and on either bus all day. So, we bought our tickets on day one, and got ready to do the trips on day two.

Here's the position of our hotel room, one of the best positions, I'd say.

Thanks to Bakewell travel for sorting it for us :-)

First though, a walk down to the pool. Looks lovely in the morning, and so quiet!
We then took a stroll downtown. We really got to love the prom' walk.
This morning, a big Norwegian cruise ship was coming in.
Next it was back on the cable car. It costs 10 Euros each for a one-way trip (15 each for return). Although we'd 'done' it the day before, it was a lovely ride, and also the quickest way to get to where we wanted to go to.
Sue looks worried about something, don't you think?

A street entertainer.

Was THIS what Sue was worried about???
(Well, it's a MUST DO when in Madeira)

It's a bit 'hairy', but LOADS of fun! The reason we didn't do it yesterday was we were told to do the trip early on, before the sledge pullers were tired, and had had a few beers!

HANG ON!

You can see the wax marks from the runners of the sledge on the road. The sledges reach quite fast speeds on some of the hills. As usual, a photo doesn't show just how steep these 'roads' are. Believe me, in some places they really are very steep.

After the ride ended, we decided to walk the rest of the way down to Funchal town. You could get a taxi, but then you'd miss all the views and photo's. This bridge before the tunnels looks lovely and very aesthetically pleasing.

In this sub-tropical climate, bananas grow anywhere and everywhere. The banana plant takes about nine months to fruit, then it won't produce again unless it's cut back severely. This leads to local women, who only have one child, being called 'banana trees'.

The way to differentiate between new and old building is defined by little clay sculptures on the edges of the roofs. Birds means it's a new build, I think gargoyles meant it was old.

Where else would you see a sea of flowers like this in a city centre?
The smell was WONDERFUL, especially in the evenings.
Under the flowers is a river. They cover it with netting for the flowers to grow on.

A glimpse of snow on the mountains. Lots of Funchal people, as far up to the age of 30, have never seen snow close up, only like this on the mountains. Because of this, they have a custom where anyone who drives up into the mountains when there is snow, builds a snowman, and puts in on a blanket on the bonnet of their car, and drives back down to the city with it so the people can see and touch it.

Next it was tour bus time. Just LOOK at these lovely Funchal back streets.
There were fountains and statues everywhere, not to mention lovely trees.

There were also a fair amount of run-down and dilapidated buildings like this one. We asked, with land especially on the front where this place was, so expensive and at such a premium, why were there places like this? We were told that if someone owns a building, sometimes they go away and leave it to rot. But, when they return, building reg's allow them to knock it down and re-build a nice new one in its place. This can be VERY lucrative. Also, if they've made money abroad, then come back, they can replace a shack with a fabulous new building (complete with doves on the roof). That's why, we were told, you see so many shacks and beautiful houses side by side.

As the bus climbed, we got a great view of the harbour.

The sprawl of Funchal.

Another really good statue, and one of my favourites.

After the first tour, we hopped off the bus and went back to the hotel for some lunch on the patio.

Then it was on to tour bus two for a trip to Winston Churchills favourite place, the fishing village of Camera de Lobos, with its incredibly high sea cliffs.
On the way, we passed this, my LEAST favourite statue. It's supposed to be an angel, but most locals hate it, saying it looks like someone who has hung themselves, and brings bad luck. I have to say, I agree with them.

We then reached Camera de Lobos, and first view showed us why 'Winnie' liked it so much!

The land is heavily terraced here, like most of Madeira, for full utilisation of crops.

A strange sight - a fishing boat full of fish skins drying in the sun and breeze.

Where were the fishermen? Here, playing cards.

Some of the local lads were enjoying the sea on this lovely, sunny day.

Again, money from the E.U. had been used in this place. This was a lovely sculpture of boats on a sea. There were a few more, one was a huge marble table with a plate and bowl on it. I like this one, but thought the table thing was a bit pointless.

The impressive and breathtaking sea cliffs of Cabo Girao, Camera de Lobos.
See what one guy did here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35F2roxAI7A&feature=related

Come on then - where's the beer?

After the trip, we decided to go to the swishest hotel in Madeira, Reids in Funchal. Everyone said you MUST take afternoon tea, just for the experience. A few finger sandwiches, a fairy cake or two, and a pot of tea - TWENTY EIGHT EUROS!!!! (each). We passed on that, but it was nice to listen to the pianist........

.....and the flower arrangements were nice too!

Looks almost plastic, doesn't it, but these are real, and grow in abundance on the island.

Right Susie, time for our evening swim, in you get.

And what nicer way to unwind and relax than a warm Jacuzzi?

And, of course, a nice glass of wine on the patio - CHEERS!

Madeira - day one

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 07:38:00 +0000

This time, the pics are NOT of the Peak district, rather of our week in Madeira. The island is incredible. The mountains and landscape in general just blow you away, but the flowers......OH the flowers! They are EVERYWHERE, and in SUCH abundance.

These are the first lot, or 'day one'. I will post more as I sort them, so here we go...........

We took off from good old Blighty, leaving a good view of the Brecon Beacons behind (thanks to Sue for research into where this view from the plane was).

Next thing we knew (well - if you can CALL almost four hours flying; 'next thing'), we were staring at the coastline of Madeira.
HAHAHAHAHA! Looks like some idiot has built a runway on stilts - bloody glad WE'RE not landing there............

W....W....Why.....why is the plane TURNING?????

Oh God.....oh Christ...oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(Our Father, who art in heaven) - THANK YOU for getting us down, safe and sound, on the stilts!!

Hey, I'll tell you what - it's not half bad here!
About 14C and a great hotel room. This is Sue on our balcony, day one.
(She looks like she's on the set of; 'I'm a celebrity....'

We asked for a nice view - and BOY, did we get it!

Oh, stop swanking Sue.

Eh, get that waiter here with a Daiquiri or two.

Shall we take a quick walk in the gardens?

I'm a REAL 'fan' of Madeiran gardens...

Anyway - we've not come here to sit in the hotel, time to explore a bit. Day one - MUST do the cable car up to the top of Funchal. First thing, catch a yellow bus, or to give them a better name 'funfair ride'.
I kid you not, these innocuous looking things look quite sedate in a still picture, but they are driven in only two ways - HARD DOWN accelerator, or HARD DOWN brake.
You soon learn to hang on for dear life!

I was going to ask her for ten Euros for this picture - but she beat me to it!
(I think one or two in the car with us had the same idea)

Errrmmm, is it my imagination or....NAH - I mean - NO-ONE would put a cable support right through the roof of a CAFE....would they???

Oh SH*T!

Madeira's road system has improved immensely over the last few years, tunnels and long span bridges are the order of the day. They are easy on the eye, and somehow look like they belong.

Hiya Susie :-)

It was a good ride to the top, with superb views all the way.

See the cruise ship in the harbour?

The sledge ride - one of the 'must do's' of Madeira.

Costs

Serious stuff, this sledge driving!

Any more before we go????
(Can you spot the hunchback of Notre Dame walking by?)

The (very) old church at Monte.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_(Funchal)

Inside the church.

There are loads of street cafes to stop and relax/have a beer in.

Lovely picture of Sue.

The Blandy family have a great history of producing the famous Madeira wine. In their shop, you can see (and buy, if you have enough money) some seriously old bottles of it.

After the sightseeing, it was time to go back to the hotel for a cocktail or two.

The guy behind the bar was no 'shop egg', and did stuff like this as a hobby.

The corridors of our hotel were a wonderland of mosaic.

Peaceful outside now.........

......and the gardens were so tranquil and quiet.

We decided to walk into Funchal for a bite to eat, why can't our cities be as pretty as this, and we felt safe, no crowds of yobs or hassle from down and outs - it was just a lovely experience.

The harbour slept, and looked serene and peaceful.

There were a LOT of restaurants to choose from on the harbour front, and every one tried to lure you in with some sharp chatter. They ALL claimed to be the best, so - how to decide?

What would sir and madam like?
Please accept a pre-dinner cocktail & some olives on the house (cheers).

A local speciality was 'steak on the stone'.
You sliced the steak, laid it on the hot stone to sizzle to your liking.
Believe me, it was divine!

Two VERY satisfied customers!

Then, it was time for bed - what a great start to the holiday.

Rime ice

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:57:00 +0000

These are some pictures I took on Shining Tor. This phenomenon is known as 'Rime Ice'. It's the stuff that brings planes down and sinks ships! These show an ordinary wire sheep fence that has been transformed into what looks like a huge waffle. In the picture, you can see the section of fence to the right has 'dropped' its Rime ice, you can see it on the ground below, but the section on the left retains it and has that 'waffle' look.

Don't forget, this is the same thin wire fence, it's just that the section on the left has the ice on, the section on the right doesn't.

There's also a stone wall which has been affected. That looked like cyclists helmets, really weird! This is the only time I've seen this effect in such detail and quantity.

Click on the pictures to see a bigger version.

This is the drystone wall - it looked incredible!

The shapes were beautiful, and all formed by wind and cold.

It almost looks like running water that has suddenly frozen.

Foggy foray to Fernilee

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 07:42:00 +0000

We just did a short walk this week, as we met up with Sues sisters. Mind you, it wasn't much good, weather wise, so the best place to be was the pub.............if ONLY we could FIND it!!!!

I wrote the walk, and we managed to eventually set off, after us sitting in our car in the lay-by opposite the Cat & Fiddle pub (second highest pub in England), and Sues sisters and brothers in law sitting on the other side of the road in the pub car park for fifteen minutes!

We couldn't see each other for the fog.
Thank goodness for text messages!

Anyway, we walked down the road, and tried to get a coffee at the cafe to see if the fog would clear while we waited. It was closed, so we set off along this path towards Errwood hall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Errwood_hall

We walked the ridge in the fog and, as we dropped down, the murk did clear a little when we descended to Fernilee reservoir, but not much.
It was a pleasant path to Errwood hall, lined with Rhododendron bushes.

They were ready to bloom, by the look of things. One warm weekend, and I reckon they'll be out.

This one looked like some sort of serpent with its tongue out!

The remains of the once-impressive Errwood Hall.
The Wikipedia reading is good, the link is above the first photo.

After lunch at the hall (sounds really flash, doesn't it), we dropped down to the reservoir.
It was still foggy, but at least the water was fairly still, and I got some nice reflections pics.

Can you spot the trick here?

And here? - the photo's are upside down.

There was a lovely riverside path which we took.
Although the road through the Goyt valley was quiet mid-week, it was still nice to get away from the Tarmac.

All around us, due to the recent rains, the streams were alive with waterfalls.

And, if you take care to look, you can see a very old packhorse bridge in the valley.

Here we all are, nearing the end of the walk.
We climbed out of the valley and made our way back to the Cat & Fiddle pub.

It hadn't cleared much since this morning - in fact it was probably WORSE!
We all enjoyed a nice meal there, and a pint of good beer (which was nice and clear).

No walk this week

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:15:00 +0000

Due to painting the cafe, we didn't walk this week. However, if you get withdrawal symptoms, try this link to another posting of mine when I did the Newlands round in the Lake district.

http://biggersteps.blogspot.com/2008/06/newlands-round-lakeland.html

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible ;-)

A walk in the snow around Monsal dale, Tideswell and Cressbrook.

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:17:00 +0000

Every winter, for the past few years, I've wanted heavy, sticky snow to fall. The closest I've been to it was the day I did the Newlands round walk in the Lakes, http://biggersteps.blogspot.com/2008/06/newlands-round-lakeland.html
but the snow here in Derbyshire has been disappointingly sparse. However, as we all know, because most of the country got some, this last week has produced some REALLY good snow, and it fell the day before our day off, so it was PERFECT timing!

I got some great pictures today, but I wanted to put THIS one first, as I am so proud of it.

It reminds me of pearls in a golden ring clasp, only it was made by nature, not man!

Left click on the picture to see a larger version of it, then click on the back arrow to return to this posting.

Today, we had the company of three friends; Tom, Andre and Toms dad, Rob.
We can see Longstone moors from our cottage, so we knew there was a lot of snow up there. We managed to drive to Monsal head, and this was the view of the moors as we stepped out and booted up.
There weren't many people using the seats today - or the car park, for that matter.
Why would ANYONE miss a view like that today?? We thought back a few months to when we sat here in the warm, evening sun and watched it set down the end of the dale;
http://peakwalks.blogspot.com/2008/07/monsal-magic.html
Today it was a tad colder!

So, after a burst of photography, we got going. My plan was to walk to the high ridge on the opposite side of the dale, but in deep, fresh snow, with no other footprints to follow, well - the best laid plans, and all that...........
Anyway, even if we DID get lost, what a lovely situation to get lost in!
We weren't lost quite yet, so I admired the beautiful way the snow looked on the branches.

We walked to the wall, and took in the view that always excites me - the viaduct in Monsal dale.
This dale is always pretty, but today, with a mantle of fresh snow, it was sublime!

Lots of miles to cover, so lets press on.

Having fun on the path down to the viaduct.

Lovely, sticky snow on the bushes and branches.

We got to the middle of the viaduct, with just ONE more set of prints in front of us, and looked left to the lower part of Monsal dale........

.....then right, to upper Monsal dale.

After crossing the viaduct, we headed up the track to Brushfield, covered now in virgin snow. I intended to try and find the newly opened open access path that runs along the very top of the dale, but without signage, it never appeared. Mind you, this bit of getting lost had its compensations.

The view to Fin cop, for one.

And this view for another.

Where IS that path??????

We admitted defeat, and dropped back down to the trail, taking a look up to the hotel at Monsal head, where we started from.

At the Water-cum-jolly end of the trail, we posed for a picture, with Cressbrook mill in the background, before dropping down the path towards the dale bottom.
Were we downhearted about not finding the path?
Do we look it??

Cressbrook mill.

Again, my intentions were quite different from what actually happened! I was going to walk what is known as 'the Alpine path' above water-cum-Jolly dale, but for one reason, I wasn't sure exactly where it was, and the other was I felt a bit responsible for the four people I had with me. A slip on that path in this weather really did harbour the possibility of sliding over the edge to your death.
I wanted to enjoy today, so plumped for the path through the dale instead.
This is the old mill pond which used to feed Cressbrook mill.

Shouldn't there be 'seven swans a-swimming'?

This is why I didn't want to take the others on the top path.......that dot on the top is a guy walking where we would have walked - that cliff in front is where you would go over if you fell and slid unchecked!

Anyway, it was nice enough down here.
The new buttress walls in Litton mill yard had some interesting patterns on them with the snow.

And the snow on the berries was just fabulous.

After Water-cum-Jolly, we turned up Tideswell dale, and that's where we lunched.

We were surrounded on all sides by lovely snow 'pictures' in the branches.
I could include many, many shots of this, but these few just sum it up.

The skeleton of walls around Tideswell.

After that, we turned up towards the high meadows. With the winds having nothing to stop them, this was snowdrift country and we started to see some quite deep drifts.

Lovely patterns everywhere, even on the silage bags!

Drifts against the walls.

Making our way down Tansley dale.

A deep drift against a gate

Ok, ok, I 'doctored' this one!!

Looking down Cressbrook dale.

Climbing up to the top of Cressbrook.

I wouldn't have believed it could get any better than Tideswell dale, but this really was the 'bees knees'!

Carefully making our way down the virgin snow path.

Sue gets a shower of fresh, cold snow!

I've taken this picture LOADS of times, but I always think it deserves another shot.
It's just SO picture perfect, I always think.
I just wish there'd been a wisp of wood smoke from one of the chimneys to add that final touch of magic.

We saw some pretty long icicles at the side of the path (which we promptly ate)

Then, with the light fading, but noticeably later now, we arrived back to the newly-painted Monsal head hotel for a well-earned pint.

We'd walked just over ten miles, with just over 2,000 feet of ascent/descent.

We left the icicles on the table, looking like frozen candles.

CHEERS!

A short video from a snowy Derbyshire

snowy Bakewell by night

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:20:00 +0000

This week, as in most places, it snowed. I mean, IT SNOWED!

I couldn't resist getting out at night with my camera.

This is the top of 'the butts'

The gate to the cottage where we live is just on the right.
Golden light through the trees.
Street light and snow

Halfway down 'the butts'.

Lower butts.

Looking up the Monyash road.

And looking down it.

Bakewell town centre on a snowy night.

Promises, promises............

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:37:00 +0000

We left Bakewell in the heavy mist, but with the glow of a blue sky slightly coming though. THIS was the sort of morning that showed promise! We planned to go up onto Kinder Scout, as we'd heard there was snow there last week, plus the weather man had said 'sunny all day'. I suppose we should know by now NOT to trust the weather man, but you like to believe, when it says what you want to hear, don't you? Anyway, as I said, these misty mornings usually burn off to leave that sunshine we wanted.
When we got to Castleton, it was MAGICAL! I couldn't stop up Winnats pass, so all I can do is tell you it was like a dream world, with mist rolling off edges like an ethereal waterfall. I was SO angry that there wasn't one place I could pull over, even though it wasn't busy. The best I could do was get a shot into the Hope valley when we got to the top of the climb.

As you can see, the blue sky was now really in evidence, and we just expected the mist to have all burned off, and be walking in the warm sunshine in no time at all.
We crested Mam Nick, and looked down into the Edale valley, which was surprisingly fairly mist-free, the only bit being at the far end of the valley?
There ahead was our goal for today - the Kinder Scout plateau, looking good.

A glance back to Lose hill still saw the 'misty water' flowing over the top, and into the Edale valley to dissipate in the warmer air.

We left the car park and set off in completely the opposite direction. Because of path layouts, you have to walk WEST for a mile or so, before you can turn EAST towards Edale. Upper Booth farm is where it turns East.

Looks like the winter store of cut wood has almost run out!

The path to Edale is good, and in some places paved, as this is a very popular path.
You can see Kinders' southern edge on the right, and the cut of Grindsbrook.

We also planned to go over Rushup edge at the end of the walk, but it didn't look too inviting yet, swathed as it was in mist.

Oh well, it would probably clear later (we hoped).
This is Mam Nick, where the road cuts through from the Hope valley, to the Edale valley.

As we walked the path to Edale, we saw this lovely poem on a bench.
To be honest, it didn't apply to us at ALL, but we thought it a nice sentiment.

A look left showed us 'Ringing Roger' (the lump on the right) and the southern edge of Kinder.

Here's the first thing people who walk the Pennine way see at the 'official' start - the Nags Head pub, closed this month.

And so the climb up Grindsbrook began. The birds were singing like spring, and we even heard a woodpecker tapping rhythmically in the woods to our left. It looks like we ALL have high hopes for today!

As usual, some interesting fungi on the fallen trees.
The first ones are the birch bracket, the second, gelatinous mass, I am not sure.
I think it's the 'Jews ear' family, judging by the colour.

So, it was coats off, and get stuck in lass!

Another shot of Ringing Roger, this time somehow more foreboding looking up at it.

We had only been climbing a short while, but a look back showed us we already had appreciable height under our belts.

There was quite a bit of water coming off the tops, and it made for some pretty waterfalls.

Now Sue was giving it some 'grunt'. This path is very steep and rocky in places, but she wasn't complaining.
We both LOVE this type of terrain, and can't wait to get up onto the top of Kinder Scout.

My happy bunny!

A lot of people would be worried by this kind of stuff, but if you take your time, you're soon up it.

The water makes some very strange and unusual shapes, as does the wind and erosion on the top.
These 'holes' have been worn over thousands of years, beginning with a pebble, or group of pebbles that are harder than the river bed rock, being washed around and around until they wear a hole. The result is a perfect hole in the bedrock.

And then there we were - atop Grindsbrook, and on Kinder Scout.
Now then, it's here that I should tell you about how Kinder can be a dangerous, unforgiving place.
The weather can change in an instant, and I mean an instant, so you MUST have a compass, and know how to use it, especially if you wander into the middle, where it is featureless and unrelenting peat hags. Only a fool would get lost here.
That sky is beginning to look a bit angry, don't you think?

Anyway, after getting lost and wandering about in the middle for about 45 minutes, we decided enough was enough, set the compass and followed it south, southwest for about 20 minutes and emerged, more by luck that judgment, just where we wanted to be, the outcrop of rocks known as 'the woolpacks'.
One 'comforting' fact about Kinder is, if you DO get lost, set the compass and walk direct on a bearing, and you WILL hit the edge in less than two miles, wherever you are on the top.
Note - Sue now has her 'serious' coat on! (So did I).

We sat down for lunch.......and THIS happened!

As I said before, it came from nowhere, and happened in an instant! I was just glad this didn't happen when we were in the middle.
It then started to rain quite steadily, so we battened down the hatches, and decided to cut the walk short.
I had intended to take us over Brown knoll and then Rushup edge, but we dropped down Jacobs ladder as soon as we could.
The Peak park are doing some path repairs here, and it's a good opportunity to see how they helicopter in huge slabs of stone to be laid in a path to stop the serious erosion that so many boots are doing to the peat.

We were glad, looking up, that we had decided to come down, as the gloom never lifted off the tops for the rest of the day.
It was only slightly better down here, and at least the rain had now stopped.
That ridge in the murk in front is where we should have been by now.

And a look back showed the same story up on Kinder.

We got back to the car wet, but happy. We had 'stolen' the best part of the day, so no regrets.
Time to get home and into a warm bath.

Two out of three aint bad!

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:19:00 +0000

Two weeks ago, we had a PERFECT day for walking. This week, it was the same again. Dry, cold and clear, just the way we like it. We decided to walk around Chelmorton and the dales, simply because it was a long time since we'd done that area, and it was close to home, so we got to the start fairly quickly.

This is Chelmorton church.
Its claim to fame is the wind vane on the spire - it's a golden grasshopper, the only one I know of.

As we set off walking, I paused to take this picture. The sheep must be fed at this time of year, because as soon as they saw me, they came running towards me.
Lots of snow about, and that fabulous blue sky.
It was cold, but we were well wrapped up against it, so we could enjoy the day.

I always think that a tree, standing starkly against a clear, azure blue sky in winter, is really beautiful.

We walked along this long, frosty track, each of us giggling and cracking the frozen puddles.
Ours were the only set of prints this morning. Virgin snow!

Chelmorton low. A paradox, but in Derbyshire, 'low' means 'high'???
There is even a house I noticed in the village, called 'high low'.
On a good sunset night, this hill catches the red rays really well, and looks like Ayers rock (when viewed from a certain angle).

As you can see, the snow hadn't fallen as much lower down.
I really like this situation, when you can see the green fields, but are standing in snow.

LIFE!!!! Tractor marks showed the farmer had beaten us to it on cracking the puddles on this part of the track.

More trees against the sky, this time a small copse.......

....and Sue ( maybe she should change her name to 'Dot' - geddit???)

The entrance to Horseshoe dale. It would be quite tricky and messy in normal temp's, but with the ground frozen, no problem.

How strange, as we walked into the lower part of the dale - NO SNOW!

I'm not sure how long this has been there, as I've never noticed it before. I don't think it's ancient, but today the snow picked out its borders. I wonder who took the trouble to lay this, and why?

After Horseshoe dale, we met and walked down Deep dale. The terrain here is very difficult at the best of times, but today in the snow and ice, it was treacherous so we had to take great care. What did we see next? A RUNNER!!! However he kept his footing to run on this sort of stuff defies logic. Sue & I both commented, what if he slipped and broke a bone? He was in very light clothing, and there was no phone signal in the dale. In that situation, you would rapidly freeze to death.

Anyway, each to his own, and we were in no rush whatsoever to get away from this beauty.
This is the mouth of a huge, inominate cave in Deep dale. I'm told when it rains very heavily, water issues in a huge gushing torrent from the mouth of this cave.
It's one of my ambitions to photograph this phenomenon.

We emerged from Deep dale, crossed the A6 and dropped into Wye dale. We were only there briefly though, as we climbed out, onto the trail, and up onto the tops again to head for Blackwell......at least, THAT was the PLAN!

Before we left though, I got a nice shot of a dipper on a rock.

Here's Sue, again, carefully negotiating an alpine-style path. If you look on the hillside in front of her, you can see how the path continues in a zig-zag up and over the top.

A nice view of the Monsal trail and Chee dale

Yes, the plan was to go through Blackwell, but shortly after we left Wye dale and climbed up onto the top, we got......errmmmm..... TEMPORARILY MISPLACED (oh, alright, I got us a bit lost!). We did eventually find the path, but not until we'd messed about for about 45 minutes, time we could ill afford at this time of year, as the sun goes very early! I blamed the snow - Sue just kept giggling!

The evening light was now fading, and the long, white track led to Chelmorton, and the car.

The sun began to set on our lovely day, so we watched it's last rays before going home to a nice, warm bath. The sky, which had been clear all day, now began to cloud over.
Another special day locked away.

Around Eyam

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:33:00 +0000

Pestilence and plague??? Not today, we hoped!

Last week, we had a superb day, I would say as close to perfect as you can get. Today was more typical, with showers forecast all day, and a grey outlook. Oh well, not to worry, it IS January, after all. We decided on somewhere not too far from our door, and chose Eyam. I erred on the side of caution, and packed my brolly (umbrella), as I always like to keep my camera to hand, if possible. With a brolly, you can cover up for the duration of the shower, if you pack your camera away each time it rains, it becomes a pain in the a...... well, you know!

We parked in the centre of Eyam, and started the walk through the churchyard.

As most people know, Eyam is famous for one thing - locking itself away when the bubonic plague, or 'black death', became virulent in the village. Rather than infect the surrounding areas, the residents locked themselves away, with terrible consequences. If you don't know the whole story, look here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyam
Here's where it all started - plague cottages.

Eyam is FULL of cottages with a similar, tragic story.

Anyway, don't want to get all morose! As you can see, rather grey, but that was to be the pattern for most of today. The fields and paths were boggy too, again, not unexpected. We passed a rather large collection of new houses to our right, before climbing up to the path that runs behind the Eyam youth hostel.

Still very murky out there. This was just before crossing Sir William Hill road, and Eyam moors.

Looking over to Burbage rocks.

The path across the moors.
It kept on spitting with rain, but we still considered it better to be out than stuck indoors though.

Now and then, it showed a promise of a brighter day.

We eventually dropped off the moor to Stoke ford. This beautiful place is a meeting place for lunch and can get very crowded in summer. Today, we were alone - just us and a pile of orange peel some idiot had just discarded.
I picked it up, noting it was surprisingly light, and no trouble AT ALL to take home!

There are not many flowers around this time of year, well - not much of anything really, but fungi and mosses can still provide a pleasant sight.

Again we had to face the deeper mud where there was no side tracking it. This path up Abney clough was probably the worst all day. Good job we had good boots on.

We soon reached the hamlet of Abney. I first noted this lovely post box on a house, then the Victorian letter box, and (rare these days) a RED phone box!

The little robin, the gardeners friend, also pops up to say hello fairly often when we're walking.

We turned left at Abney grange, then right to drop steeply into the top of Abney clough. This really IS a steep down and up but, there being a handy bench seat, we decided to have lunch anyway with Sue complaining she didn't fancy the climb up the other side with a full tummy. It rained again while we sat there with our soup (Heinz tomato again - mmmmmmm) and tea but the brolly saved us!
On the top of the grange outbuildings was this unique 'sheep and lamb' weather vane.

On the far side of the clough, we saw this land feature. At first, Sue thought it was maybe spoil from mining, but we couldn't see any mines? After another look, we decided either a landslip, or glacial 'drumlins'.

At this point, the sun peeped out at us and bathed the grange in light.
I have marked our path to give you some idea of the terrain.

Sue tackles the final few metres of the steep path out of the clough.

But a look left showed us that the weather could change at any second.

Now, this looks more promising!
A lovely glow, as the light catches the escarpments of Burbage rocks.

There are some really good field patterns around here, and the way the light was catching them today made them even more impressive.

The Barrel inn, Eyam edge.
I had been here on a number of occasions, but Sue had never been in.

Time to put that one to bed - cheers!

The lovely bar in the Barrel Inn.

And what they would term 'essential equipment' in these parts.

After slaking our thirsts, we dropped off Eyam edge, past a REALLY ugly factory (no pictures), and made our way back to the village.
We passed some interesting places and things on the way though.

'Would suit enthusiast'

We entered the village, and I couldn't leave without getting a picture of the stocks.

And, of course, the final rays of the day were captured for all to see.

Snow, snow, QUICK QUICK - SNOW!

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:42:00 +0000

.....or; 'slow, slow, sat nav, slow'!

Our first day off in THREE WEEKS! We had worked hard, and we deserved it. It dawned (for a change) JUST how the weather men said - cold, sharp and clear - PERFECT for walking. There was a sprinkling of snow on the high ground, so I decided we'd do the Castleton skyline walk.
Sue had been given a new sat' nav for Christmas, so we turned it on. ( http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nWFj3fPLx8I ). We knew the way, but just wanted to see which way it would go. A big surprise was; 'at the end of the road - turn LEFT'????? We ALWAYS turned right, but we let her have her head, and followed the instructions.
I wish someone had told her that it had been snowing;

I soldiered on, but it WAS very dicey! It's probably a great way to Castleton in good weather, but I think I'd give it a miss on the way home, and go via major roads.

The views across the fields gave us a taste of what was to come. The skies were clear, pristine and bright
We soon arrived in Castleton, found somewhere to park, and set off.
To say it was cold was an understatement. Sue didn't start to feel her feet for about an hour, and it hurt my teeth to breathe, but that was all just small asides - what mattered were the SUPERB conditions.
A quick look left, and there was Mam Tor - the 'shivering mountain'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mam_Tor

We saw this young Shire horse in the frost and snow.

The sun, as it rose, came through the trees with a magical light. The fields had that frosty mist on them, the one where you KNOW it's damn cold just by looking at it.

We walked along the road to Lose hill hall, and set off on the climb to Lose hill.
This track doesn't look steep in the picture, but believe me - it WAS!

A glance back to the Hope valley revealed the only carbuncle in the area - the Hope cement works.

Ah well, just keep looking forward then, there were PLENTY of great views today.

I had been given a snowman hat for Christmas, so I thought I'd give it an outing.

It seemed like ages since I'd heard the 'creak' of fresh snow underfoot.
Today I was reminded just how much I love that sound. Every footstep brought pleasure!

Looking right, we could see the tip of the Derwent edges.

But it was time to press on for the top. Sue is just about there in this picture.........

....and her reward was this spectacular view along the ridge to Mam tor (left), with Rushup edge beyond, and Brown Knoll to the far right.

Not many people about today, but I managed to get two walkers in this pic with us!

The Edale valley, and the southern edge of Kinder Scout. We thought there'd be even more snow up there, but as you can see, not much more than where we were.

We set off, with huge smiles on our faces, towards lunch at Mam Tor. I had packed my favourite canned soup - Heinz tomato - JUST the thing, with a hunk of fresh bread, to warm the cockles of your heart on a day like today.

Deep and crisp and even.

The shivering face of Mam tor, from Back tor.

Looking back to Back tor.

The old, collapsed road was a sliver of silver with the coating of snow.

This picture of the sky tells it all, what a GREAT day to be out.

We eventually reached the top of Mam tor. The sun was now beginning to get lower, and the final hundred feet or so we walked in shadow. NOW you could feel the biting cold eating into even the warmest of clothing.
(We still had another layer though, just in case it got any worse)

Someone, the Peak Park, I imagine, had added six icons, or pictures, depicting events on Mam tor.

Again, the Sparrowpit road, like the old road, was picked out in the snow, snaking across the moors.

Our next destination - the gorge of Winnats pass.
When the old road collapsed the last time, the road up this pass was improved to take the increase in traffic, and the old road was abandoned.

Come on Sue - get the snow shoes on!

Looking back to the face of Mam tor in the lengthening evening shadows.

A solitary vapour trail over Winnats pass.

The road, as it snakes down the pass.
These limestone cliffs make for a really impressive walk at any time of year, but when there's snow, it's probably at its best.

You just have to be careful, and watch where you put your feet.

SUE!! I said CAREFUL!

Oh, now she's just plain showing off!

Towards the end of the walk, and this is cave dale.

Soon, we were surrounded by the smoking chimneys of Castleton, and back at the car.
The light was fading, and the sky was turning pink in the evening glow of the sunset.

It had been a super day, and when we woke the next morning, it was drab and wet, so we felt even better that we had 'stolen' another good day to walk.

We felt it was well deserved!

Christmas in the Three Stags Heads pub

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 08:30:00 +0000

Remember when pubs were about just meeting up with friends and actually TALKING?? When what mattered most was the company and the beer? A place where most people felt at ease and relaxed, warm in the knowledge that little would change. Well, the Three Stags Heads is such a place! Stuck back in time, there's no TV, but LOADS of people, characters and a storyline to watch. No music, except the music of laughter, conversation and the crackle of a real fire, no computer games or fruit machines, you can get rich on life in there, that's all.

Jeff Fuller is a master potter, as well as a damn fine host. He and his wife Pat make the Three Stags what it is. You either LOVE it, or you hate it. I am firmly in the former camp. It's clean but basic. Dogs are welcomed, nay, ENCOURAGED to sit anywhere. If they squabble, so what? They'll work it out, just like people do!

Christmas is a very special time at the Stags. Jeff & Pat make ALL the decorations from local flora. The 'piece de resistance' is the kissing bower in the back room. (Of course, there are always plenty of places to kiss in the Stags, as they also collect mistletoe locally, and hang bunches all around the pub).
It's my ambition to spend a new years eve there one day soon.
Enjoy the pictures, and if you're nearby, enjoy the superb beer that Jeff serves - it has NO equal!

Here it is - doesn't look much, does it?

It never pretends to be anything but a pub. A good, old fashioned pub.

First job at Christmas - make GOOD use of that kissing bower!

The lovely display over the main fireplace in the front room.

And what fire would be complete without a roasting of chesnuts?

Centrepiece of the fireplace decoration. Yes, those apples ARE real.

Jeff Fuller, mine host.

That chair is Jeffs. Sit in it at your peril!

Look, I'll move if it gets TOO warm.......ok?

The main window, candlelit.

The kissing bower in the back room, by flashlight.

By candlelight.

The full monty!

Look here boy, a stuffed cat!

Can I eat it?

COURSE I can - with a little help from my friends!

Now this is what I CALL a bunch of mistletoe!

Right, better get a pint in.

CHEERS

(Better not be in this chair when Jeff gets back).

Xmas night in Bakewell

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:36:00 +0000

Last year, on Xmas night, we took a stroll around Bakewell. It was lovely to see all the lights on the trees, and the traffic-free streets. I took photo's, but a lot of them were blurred. This year, I have a new SLR camera, and a tripod, so I hope I've done a better job! You can be the judge, as my efforts are below.

Please remember, you can left click on any of the pictures to see a larger version. The tree at night is well worth looking at full size. Just click on the 'back arrow' (right at the top, left of your screen) to return to the blog page.

This is Monyash road.

Here is Bakewells Xmas tree, in the centre (to the left of the war memorial).
It's not a very grand affair, but better than last years, which blew over after just two days, and the result after re-erection was like a pile of branches!
Just below the tree, a really nice model of the Nativity.
The Rutland arms hotel & war memorial.

Water street, with riccis cafe on the left.

Looking up Water street to the Pudding parlour.

Water lane. Not many Christmas trees on here. This year has seen a record low in the number of businesses putting a council tree up. A great shame, as it really brightens and cheers the town up after dark.

The lovely window at Wye accessories.

A lone tree by the river, lit up by a street lamp.

The swans and ducks came over to see if I had any bread.
I was looking forward to some really nice shots of the bridge, but I was amazed to find that the council don't light it up at night!! That really would look nice as it's a natural for that sort of thing.

Bridge street.

...and an arty one with car lights....

And finally, Matlock street. Then it was home to settle down for the night.

Merry Christmas to all my readers. I hope you all had a good time, and best wishes to everyone for the new year.

Les :-)

A few pictures from around Bakewell

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 08:58:00 +0000

Just a few snaps from around Bakewell.
Happy Xmas to you all,
Les

My lovely walk down to work, which I NEVER tire of.

A sea of mist in the Bakewell valley.
Bakewelll church in the morning light.
Bell ringing practice every Thursday.
And what a beautiful sound it is!

A look up into the wintry trees.

We decided to watch the sunset last week.
The temperature inversion left the river all misty and lovely.

The small bridge at Ashford in the Water.

The sun sets over a house just outside Ashford.

And then I got this great shot of an old tree and the crimson skies.

Looking over Monsal dale from the road at sunset.

The final rays of the day.

Goodbye 2008, welcome 2009.

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures over the year, I'll continue to post more in the coming year.

Well worth the wait..............the Derwent edges

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:24:00 +0000

Well, we've had a two-week lay off, due to family commitments, etc, so we were RARING to get out this week.
We were lucky with the weather, and got a lovely, cold, clear day.
On the drive to the reservoirs, we deliberately took in 'surprise view' (so called because it 'hits' you as you drive around a corner) instead of taking the short cut through the back of Hathersage.
As you can see, it was well worth the short detour.

We had a BIT of a late start but, once we got going, it felt REALLY good to 'feel the wind in our sails'.
We parked up at the Ladybower car park, and set off for the hills.
The short walk along the road gave views like this one over the reservoir.
And so, the climb up to Derwent edge began.
A look over our shoulder brought a sigh of wonder at the beauty around us.
The bracken is all brown now, a great change from the green swathes of Summer.
This is Sue, hands on hips, in her 'climbing position'.
The view over to Crook hill and farm.
Later on, when it got dark, the farm looked like a ship on a sea of darkness with just its lights visible.

A turn of the head, and this is the view over to Stanage edge (where I was attacked by the 'killer grouse' - see previous blog entry).

Pretty soon, we reached the top of the climb (just ahead here) and the views REALLY started opening up!

Here is Sue, drinking in her reward for the climbing.

The show of rays from the sun over Ladybower and Win hill was spectacular. It was just like one of those laser shows. Of course, the camera can't do that sort of scene justice, but this was my best shot.

Sue and Ladybower.

Another couple of 'rays' photo's - I try my best!

...and yet, the sky to the North looked clear?

As were now now gaining height, it was a LOT colder, and the wind chill was quite noticeable. The ground was frozen beneath our feet, and we had to take more care here.

Sue negotiates the frost and snow on the path.

This was our next stop, the 'Cakes of bread' rocks.

We had a warming cup of soup here.

In some places there were vast areas of ice we had to cross, but the views around us made it all worthwhile.

This view of the Edale valley is super. I LOVE the way the haze 'makes' a picture like this.

Again, the sky STILL looks nice in the North.

A cold, but lovely view from the 'cakes of bread'.

The snow was a lot deeper in places now, Sue had to be careful on this patch.

The icy path stretched forwards, paved now in places, due to erosion.
These slabs were surprisingly easy to walk on, we thought they'd be deadly.

We noticed this Ordnance Survey 'benchmark' on a rock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordnance_Bench_Mark

This is where we decided to turn back, as time was getting on.
We could have dropped down to the reservoirs, but on a day like today, we wanted to stay high.

The sun was getting lower now, and made for some lovely shots over the valley.

Turning to what was right beside me, as opposed to in the distance, I saw some other lovely patterns in the ice.

All too soon, the sun left us and sank behind Mam Tor.
We now had to get down off the edge fairly quickly, as the light would fade and walking in these conditions in the dark is NOT recommended!

We got down just in time, the final 1/4 of a mile or so was along the road, so the gathering darkness didn't matter. Every cloud has a silver lining, they say, and mine was this fantastic photo of the night sky over Win hill. You can see Venus and Jupiter to the left.

And that was it, the end of a great day. We didn't feel at all tired, which was a surprise.
Not surprisingly, however, was our car was on its own in the car park when we got there.

A day out in Nottingham

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:15:00 +0000

No walk this week, as we planned a trip to Nottingham to see the lights & the German market.

On the way, we got off the tram to take a trip around the arboretum. It's a place my Mum used to take me, and I hadn't been since I was about 12 years old. I vaguely remembered some of it (like the aviary), so it was good to refresh my memory.

I really liked this cast iron 'tree roots' artwork on the end of the benches there.

This is the old bandstand.

A bit sad-looking, all shut up for winter, but I bet it's seen some good summer nights!
The Chinese bell tower.

Close up of the bell (well, it's a replica now, like so many old artifacts)

Here's why it's a replica.

The lake and fountain.

These flower beds are amazing in spring and summer.

Now though, they are asleep under the frosts of winter but you can still see the outline of a duck design in the plants.

The old aviary. It's full of budgies and cockatiels, just like when it was I was a lad.

How many of you can remember drinking from fountains like this when you were kids?

They used to be EVERYWHERE, but all sadly disappeared (no doubt due to health and safety - you see, people died in their MILLIONS by drinking from these.......NOT!)

Then we got to Nottingham.

There was an ice rink set up in the old market square, in front of the council house.

We also noticed the new statue to Brian Clough, manager of Nottingham Forest football club.

He took the club to many wins.

We then went for lunch in a place the Corner House.

This is a view of the city through the Xmas lights.

A lovely city street.

The new fountains in the old market square.

There were some lovely decorations in the arcade - this is Sue & I at the main tree.

On the market was my favourite stall - the German sausages.

In past years, they couldn't cook them fast enough to satisfy demand. This year they seemed VERY quiet - the credit crunch, maybe??

A view along the stalls of the market.

And that was it - we made our way home before the rush hour, then went to Buxton to see

'The Messiah by candlelight' at the theatre.

We're hoping to do a walk next week, so watch this space!

Kinder Scout, Mam Tor, South Head & Mount Famine

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:38:00 +0000

At LAST, we got a really good forecast for our Tuesday walk, and so decided to do a big-ish one. It started out as a nine-miler, but due to Sue's excitement and; 'lets do THAT as well' mentality, it turned into just over ten miles and just over 2,000 feet of ascent!
This is the view we got as we topped Winnats pass. Rushup edge was to our right and we were hopeful that this type of 'clearing cloud' would be the order of the day.

Looking back was better, this is the view along the Mam Tor ridge to Lose hill.
However, we also saw this HUGE bank of clouds, just rolling across the hills.

The forecast was for a cloudy start, improving as the day went on. The trouble with Kinder Scout, where we were heading, was it didn't often pay attention to the weather man, and sort of just did what it wanted.
We reached Bowden Bridge, and looked forward and up to Kinder. Oh dear, COVERED in heavy cloud and mist, This did NOT bode well.

Those skies look a bit black too. Would we get a soaking? It looked that way.

Ever the optimists, Sue, Tom and I set off for the wild, grey yonder, hoping it would turn into the wild BLUE yonder.
Looking ahead, we didn't think there was much chance of THAT!

Well, well, what do you know? As we climbed, the sun grappled it's way through and started to burn off the mist, leaving us warm, and with the sort of views we'd hoped for. The stiff climb up William clough had us sweating, and soon we were down to tee shirts - in late NOVEMBER.

The recent rains made for some nice little waterfalls.

Here's Sue & Tom, pressing onward and upward.

Due to erosion, as on so may paths in the Peak district, the final few metres are slabbed. It's not the prettiest of things, but I agree with it as something is needed, and this seems one of the most sympathetic ways to tackle the problem.

This was the view North to Saddleworth moor.

Kinder reservoir.

Here I am, having topped out. The view back is STILL a bit angry looking, but so far NO rain.......YET.

The path around Kinder edge.

The sheep seemed totally unconcerned with it all.

The cliffs around the edge make a great viewpoint back.

After a walk around the edge of Kinder Scout, we approached the downfall (a waterfall). This place used to attract ice climbers in winter when it froze as a solid wall of ice. We seldom get those sort of winters now, and I have yet to see this 'wall of ice' I've heard about and seen pictures of. There had been a lot of rain recently, and we expected a bigger flow, but this is about par for this waterfall, and I've seen it in this state many times.

Rocks on the edge, and view back to Kinder reservoir

Looking over the lip of Kinder Downfall.

How WILL we cross this 'raging torrent'? :-)

The water from the moor is VERY brown and 'peaty' (surprise, surprise).

This is the view looking back to Kinder downfall from Sandy Heys.
The falls are in the nick to the right, so you can't see them.

Looking South.

The wind does strange things to the rocks up on Kinder, this one looked at though it was balanced on three points.

Some wind sculptures.

Who does this rock look like when turned on its side?

We eventually reached the trig' point at Kinder Low ('low' meaning 'high' in Derbyshire), and set the timer for the 'team picture'. The cool wind had made us put our coats back on.

We could see Mam Tor in the distance now, and very nice it looked too.

This is where Sue had her; 'lets do THAT', moment. This is South head, and Mount Famine in the blue (yes, it had turned) yonder. Our path lay to the right here, past Edale cross, but Sue had other plans. Although it was getting a little late, we figured we'd got time to take them both in, and still have time to get back before dark.
So, off we set.

We hadn't really figured on the extremely boggy conditions, and spent a lot of time trying to negotiate the thick, oozing peat.

It slowed us down for a while, but things improved when we got onto the hills.

A look to our right revealed this horrendous sky over Kinder, where we'd just come from. How on EARTH were we to stay dry with THAT lot looming???

Only one thing to do - press on, and we reached the summit of South head in no time at all.
This is the summit cairn of rocks.

South head - done! All that was left was to walk over Mount Famine.

What a lovely end to the day. As we did the final climb over Mount Famine, we were treated to a lovely sunset.

We reached the valley floor again, and in the dying light of the day, I took this picture of a weir.
We all went for a well-earned pint in the 'Sportsman' pub and congratulated ourselves on a terrific walk (and not ONE spot of rain all day).

Surprise weather on Longstone moor, and Jeff the potter!

noreply@blogger.com (Les,) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:01:00 +0000

This week we planned to go up onto Kinder Scout with a couple of friends ( http://peakwalks.blogspot.com/2008/06/kinder-surprise.html )
but the forecast was really dire, so we decided to put it off. Sue & I decided to do a more local walk, over Longstone moor because, when we woke up, the sky was incredibly blue and clear!!! We cursed the weather man, and got ready to go. Following the pattern of the last week or two, by the time we'd got ready, it had started to cloud over and as we drove up to Monsal head, where we started the walk, the skies darkened and it started to rain. The sun was trying to get through, as you can see, but the rain made us jump back in the car to see if it would pass.

Incredibly, after one or two more false starts, it DID pass, and we set off in hope.
Now that Autumn is well over and we're into winter, there are very few leaves left, so wood walking is far more drab.
Still some nice fungi to 'spot' though.
These are birch brackets, or 'razor strop' fungi, so called as they say you can sharpen a cut-throat razor on it by 'stropping' it on the rough surface of the fungi.

As we gained height onto the beginning of Longstone moor, we looked back to Monsal Head.

This is the view as you top out on the moor. The sky still looks black, and we had our waterproof coats on but, touch wood, it hadn't rained again since we left the car. The wind was a cold & cutting westerly though, but the coats kept it at bay.

Again the sun tried and tried to pierce the heavy cloud, here it is picking out a farm in the distance.

Our first goal today was the Three Stags inn at Wardlow mires. One of our favourite pubs, it is PACKED with character. The main one is Jeff Fuller, the landlord. Although the pub is now only open at weekend, we decided to just take a look - and we were lucky! Jeff's other passion is pots and his work sells for quite respectable prices. Jeff saw us, and came to the door and invited us in. We felt really honoured, as he can be quite a private person. He showed us all around the old cow shed , which is now the pottery, and allowed me to take pictures.

Also, he went into the pub and brought us a pint of beer! This is Jeff with one of his bespoke beer mugs. You KNOW you're special if he makes one of these for you.

A close study of Jeff applying colouring 'slip' to the pot.

These are the various brushes he uses to get different effects with the slip.

A 'Three Stags' beer mug, ready to be fired.

One of his square plates, ready for the kiln. He says he loses about one in three of these when they are fired.

Pat is also a potter. Where Jeff has his own electric fired kiln, complete with a door. Poor old Pat has to make do with a home-made version!
It really looks unsafe to me, but what do I know? We were amazed to learn that Pat has to brick up the front every time she does a kiln of pots! It DID strike me there was no door to this Heath Robinson affair, but to have to go to all THAT trouble, it MUST be love!!

FIRE in the hole!

Thar she blows.

After the lovely tour, we took our glasses back into the closed bar. It gave me chance to take a couple of pictures. This is the bar, nothing fancy at all, dogs rule here.

The 'house beer' - deadly in pints at 8% gravity!!!
(Sorry the picture is a bit blurred - it wasn't the beer - honest!)

DON'T ask for lager in the Three Stags!

And here is the 'piece de resistance', this is a PETRIFIED CAT, which was found down an old mine shaft. If you look on top of the case, you can also see a petrified RAT.

All too soon, we had to leave to continue the walk. We crossed the road and entered Cressbrook dale.
A short way along the dale is this lump of limestone called 'Peter Stone'.
The dale was VERY flooded from recent rains, but passable.

Looking back along the dale, you can see how much water was in it.

The weather was still holding out for us though, and a glance up the steep dale side showed blue sky.

....but a look back showed the threat of rain.

"I know, let's sit and eat our lunch before we get to the top - we'll be more sheltered".
This was what Sue said, so we sat in a force ten westerly and ate our home made spicy pumpkin soup, caraway seed bread and Emmental cheese.
The views weren't bad though.

We continued, through the now leafless scrub, to the bottom of the dale.

We passed this amazing tree trunk, which had fallen across the path.
Look at the twists in the trunk. How did that happen?

We next reached Ravenstor cottages, usually inhabited by climbers for the crags opposite.
I am told that only one is permanently lived in, the rest are all holiday cottages.

Finally, we got to Water cum Jolly dale, where I KNEW the mill race would be in spate, and therefore good for pictures.
After this, it did start to spot with rain, but only a little, and we arrived back at the car reasonably dry, and VERY happy with our day.