Saturday 8 December 2012

Grandfather and grandson ...

The day after I was wandering around the Goyt Valley in the cold I was strolling much nearer home with my grandson, Benjamin.

We parked up on Bent Lane, Darley Dale, and walked past an old stone barn that may very well have been used by my great grandfather a century or more ago [he farmed nearby Burley Fields Farm at the beginning of the 20th century] ...

Halldale and Bent Lane ...

It's sad to see the barn so dilapidated now. I can remember it when it looked in much better condition.

At the other side of the field we entered Halldale Wood ...

Halldale and Bent Lane ...  

This wood is owned by the Woodland Trust and is very dear to my heart. Not only is it local but it's a marvellous wood where you very rarely see anyone ... except grandfathers and grandsons posing for photos ...

Halldale and Bent Lane ...  

I don't normally keep my bobble hat or my gloves on for long but that day was cold.

We walked down into the valley bottom where a wooden footbridge crosses the brook.

Halldale and Bent Lane ...

Time for some more posing ...

Halldale and Bent Lane ...

I never did this with either of my grandfathers ... go walking. My paternal grandfather had died when I was Benjamin's age and my maternal grandfather ... well, I never got to go for a walk with him, though he did show me his New Zealand White rabbits and his homing pigeons which he always seemed very proud of ... 

If you cross the bridge you come out on the far side of the wood but we wanted to stay on 'our' side so we followed the path as it zigzagged up through an old, overgrown nursery ...

Halldale and Bent Lane ...  

Most of the nurseries are now grass fields and in the middle of one of the fields there's an old stone building which I reckon the nurserymen would have used to shelter in. You can see there's a chimney and I dare say on cold days they would have gone in here, mashed a pot of tea and had a natter ...

Halldale and Bent Lane ...  

This walk was followed on the 21st January 2011
 
Length of walk stroll ~ 0.95 miles *
 
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 24.37 miles
 
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 22nd January 2011 ~ 553.42 miles
 
7 of 2011
 
* distance calculated on Ordnance Survey's Getamap

9 comments:

  1. What a lucky boy spending time with his grandfather,it looks has if you both enjoyed it.I always loved walking with my grandson,but he has grown up now and got other things to do.As for the barn I always hate seeing them falling apart.Ann

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    1. Benjamin and I get on well and we have a lot of fun ... as for the barn it seems such a waste doesn't it Ann.

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  2. Looks like Benjamin might well carry on the family tradition (created by you) of walking. Maybe you should encourage him to carry a camera himself and document his walks.

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    1. You reminded me that he already has a camera Mitch but like so many youngsters nowadays he spends too much time playing computer games [at least in my mind he does].

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  3. Great walk with Young Benjamin Charlie! He certainly was enjoying his walk with you around the land where your family is from!

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    1. There's another walk to come where I took Benjamin back to the farm where I grew up ...

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  4. Great pictures, Benjamin is really growing. I still remember the walks and museum visits with my grandfather, it's the best of memories.

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    1. Yes, Benjamin's 12 now ... 13 in March. My grandfathers always used to frighten me a bit. I don't think it was them ... I was a bit of a wimp.

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  5. Benjamin is going to be a lady-killer. I mean that in the attractive way of course. Bobble hat is a new description for me. We see bobble-heads but they bounce on top of little dolls.

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