Friday 26 February 2010

Cold and dull ...

No ... not me, though you might have thought it was according to a comment elsewhere from 'Anonymous' who said I should make it more personal ...

Now, where was I ... ah, yes, Hassop Station on the Monsal Trail. Again I was on mi tod, Natasha having stayed at home.

I went out to do another walk for the revamp of Teashop Walks in the Peak District.

The first part was along the Trail towards Great Longstone. I say 'along' it was more a case of walking at the side of the trail, where the dog muck was ...

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

 I nearly got as far as Great Longstone but swung back along the road towards Hassop Station and Toll Bar House. I passed Rowdale House ...

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

   Just beyond Cracknowl Wood is Cracknowl House. There's no drive to it but it seems to be lived in. It's a strange place ...

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

 In the field wall next to Cracknowl House there's a metal kissing gate with an interesting weight to keep the swing gate shut.

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

I reached the bridleway that leads into Bakewell. The slope running down to Holme Hall is fun ... basically a sheet of ice. Holme Hall looked good though ...

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

I wonder who lives in a house like that ?

Just beyond Holme Hall is Holme Bridge, a 17th century packhorse bridge leading towards the A6.

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

Walking alongside the A6 I passed Victoria Mill before following the stream at Brookside.

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

Down at Bakewell Bridge, astride the Wye, I watched the wildfowl being fed. It had started to rain by this time and a drop of water must have got into my dictating device as it just stopped recording or playing back. It has since recovered.

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

After walking up to Bakewell Station I turned left to follow the Monsal Trail back to Hassop, passing under the road between Bakewell and Hassop as I went.

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

The sky actually seemed a bit bluer as I got nearer to Hassop Station.

Hassop Station and Bakewell ~ 27th December 2009

Since then the Country Bookstore and the tearoom has closed ~ just as I was about to use it in my revamped teashop walks book.

Date of walk ~ 27th December 2009

Length of walk ~ 4 1/4 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 112 1/2 miles

Thursday 11 February 2010

Boxing Day, 2009

I was on my own that day for some reason ...

I walked along an icy and slippery Baulk Lane towards Brookfield Manor, Hathersage Church on the hillside behind me ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

Sheep were scratching around in the snow, looking for the odd tussock of grass ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

After passing Brookfield Manor, I crossed the road with Bronte Cottage to my right and walked up the field to enter The Warren ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

In the Warren there's a newish handmade footbridge ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

 There's more about the bridge here ... http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/index/news/news-display-page.htm?id=17861

Once I'd got past Green's House and walked up the side of the plantation at Dennis Knoll, I turned round as the sun was just starting to catch some of the landscape behind me ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

 I zoomed into the middle distance of the photograph above. The next photo shows Carhead Rocks and Cattis-side Moor ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

After zooming in a little more the next photo shows a closer view of Carhead Rocks on Cattis-side Moor ~ neither of them are names I use but they are shown on the Dark Peak OS Map ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

Perhaps it was the cold or the snow ... whatever it was, there weren't many walkers about. I climbed up Long Causeway towards Stanage Edge. By now the sun was more visible as I looked across the valley towards the mast on Shatton Moor ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

At the top of Long Causeway there was a great view north-west along Stanage Edge.

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

It was so good to see so much snow I went a bit trigger happy ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

One too many photos of Stanage Edge perhaps ... 

I descended through Stanage Plantation and then followed the path through the wood towards North Lees Hall ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

 I stopped for a coffee leaning against the gate at the edge of the plantation, admiring the view towards North Lees Hall [in the trees ahead] ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

A couple of other walkers passed me as I stood there ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

Then I reached North Lees Hall which looks better in winter than at any other time of the year ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

... though from the lower side it didn't look quite such a wintry scene.

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

Continuing down the path from North Lees Hall I passed to the left of Cowclose. After a field or two there's a great view of Hathersage Church ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

 At the edge of the churchyard one of the yew trees was nicely backlit by the sun ...

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

Hathersage ~ Boxing Day, 2009

  Date of walk ~ 26th December 2009

Length of walk ~ 5 3/4 miles

Total since 1st September 2009 ~ 108 1/4 miles