Sunday, April 24, 2011

Moscar Moor, Stanage Edge, Burbage Valley and Fox House.


I've done this walk before, as part of a longer walk I did last year...but I haven't blogged about this section so far.

I got off the bus at the county boundary and joined the waymarked Sheffield Country Walk leading southwards towards Stanage Edge. The entire route is easy going, being fairly flat, although at a high altitude, and on a clear day the views are spectacular. Today wasn't a clear day though, it was misty and quite chilly compared to Doncaster, which was considerably warmer when I arrived home.

About half way along the journey I noticed some vehicles in the distance which were not parked on a road; as I got closer I saw that it was a convoy of four-wheel drive vehicles that had been driven across the moors and was now struggling to descend a steep, narrow and dangerous section of track. People were out of their vehicles removing boulders which were blocking the way...and the embankment was crumbling because of the combined weight of eight or nine cars.

Two motorcyclists were struggling to get by as I took the photograph.



About half a mile further on I stopped to eat my sandwiches and enjoyed watching groups of students rock climbing, bouldering and weaseling between the gaps between the larger rocks.



Later on I stopped for an orange lolly from the ice cream van that usually parks at the Upper Burbage car park and then had a leisurely stroll back to Fox House.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Litton, Wardlow, Great Longstone, Rowland and Calver.



The day began with a pleasant walk across fields from Litton to Tansley Dale, a beautiful little valley which I hadn't visited before. I then walked along the bottom of Cressbrook Dale and then climbed up towards Wardlow; this being the most difficult climb of the walk.

More fields were traversed before reaching Longstone Moor. This expansive high moorland covered in heather seems somewhat out of place so far south in the White Peak.

I then walked down the road to Great Longstone, a village new to me. Both of the shops in the village were closed - maybe it was half day closing - but there was a lovely smell of roast beef wafting from one of the pubs; I wasn't tempted though, I had to make up for lost time spent lingering on the moor.

Rowland is another half a mile or so to the east across fields; there were pleasant views to the north of Longstone Edge before I descended through woodland to the Hassop to Calver road. By this time I had given up on my effort to reach Calver in time for the next bus, so when I reached the village I had fifty minutes to spare.

Since I was feeling very hungry and a little weak I popped into the Outdoors Café and enjoyed a pint a tea and a toasted currant teacake with jam.

I walked across the road to the bus stop. Three buses were due in a short period of time. The second one arrived first - five minutes late.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Bamford, Yorkshire Bridge, Aston, Hope and Castleton.


I got off the bus at the bus-stop for Bamford railway station - this is as far as this service goes into the village. I had intended to walk a few hundred yards further into the village and take a path which leads past the old mill and across a footbridge and weir. I had to make other arrangements though; part of the footbridge had been washed away, last month it seems.

Fortunately, I only had to retrace my steps for a couple of minutes; but checking the map I realised I would have to walk right through the village and nearly a mile further until I'd be able to cross the River Derwent at Yorkshire Bridge.

Yorkshire Bridge has an interesting history and is unique in the Peak District. It was constructed as a planned village in the early decades of the twentieth century to house residents when the villages of Derwent and Ashopton were evacuated so that the Upper Derwent Valley could be flooded to form the Howden, Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs.



I then climbed and subsequently descended the path which leads to Aston, the last few hundred yards being along a sunken lane with many wildflowers blooming on the steep verges. The next stage of the walk was across fields and along a short stretch of the River Noe to reach Hope, where I stopped for a cup of tea at one of the tea rooms located next to a pub.

It was then a short easy stroll to Castleton, with pleasing views of Lose Hill and the Great Ridge.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Brough, Win Hill, Hope Cross and Hope.

Sunshine and showers today - fairly typical for April I should think.



I caught the bus to Brough and walked down the lane towards Aston, but turned off before the village, taking a path that would eventually take me to the summit of Win Hill by a new route to me; the south eastern flank.

I then proceeded westwards, but after a few hundred yards was greeted by an unexpected eyesore: large areas of the lower slopes of Lose Hill had been covered in netting. I suppose it's probably just re-seeding and is only temporary, but why couldn't they use green or transparent netting, instead of white?

The walk to Hope Cross is easy, gently sloping downhill.



Apart from the last few hundred yards into Hope, this section was the only part of the walk I had done before.

I continued for a few minutes beyond Hope Cross and then took the path down to Edale End and joined the road at Bagshaw Bridge.  After walking along the road for about half a mile I took the path from Normans Farm which leads along the bank of the River Noe - a very pleasant half-an-hour or so.

Because Winnats Pass is closed today for re-surfacing and safety work the Edale to Hope road was quite busy and this somewhat spoiled the final approach into Hope.