Sunday, May 13, 2012

Fox House, Longshaw Estate, Curbar, Calver, Froggatt, and Grindleford.




I got off the bus and walked for a couple of hundred yards down the Grindleford road and took the track into the Longshaw Estate. Just beyond Longshaw Lodge, where the information centre, tea shop, and public toilets are located, I took the footpath that forks to the right, and headed for the pond. I've never visited the pond before; it's nothing special, but I did spend a few minutes watching the ducks.

A few minutes later I was walking through woodland and noticed a tree with some strange growth on its trunk; it didn't seem to be causing any problems though.



I then walked across an area which I'd describe as heathland, and then a slight climb across grassland towards Tumbling Hill. I kept stopping and looking behind me because the views were magnificent.



Instead of taking the path which goes along the bottom of the cliff face (I think it's actually an old quarry) I climbed the few yards to the summit and followed the path; which soon merges with the lower path, just before Hay Wood car park.

I then walked along the top of Froggatt Edge, mostly using the main path, a few yards back from the top of the cliff; but sometimes going to admire an interesting rock formation and the wide-ranging view...being careful because of the gusty wind.

At the southern end of Froggatt Edge is Curbar Gap, where I walked along the road for a couple of minutes and then took a footpath down into the village.

Calver is right next to Curbar; I came down onto the main road at Calver Mill, where the 1970s TV series Colditz was filmed, and then walked north along the road to the café, where I enjoyed a very hearty cooked breakfast.

I then re-traced my steps for a few hundred yards and took a footpath leading up through woodland, my only serious climb of the day. At the top there were some grassy meadows where cows and sheep were grazing together. The views of Froggatt Edge and northwards up the valley were lovely; but by this time the sky was much cloudier than earlier.

I came down and crossed over the river and then followed the Derwent Valley Heritage Way to Froggatt, and then Grindleford; stopping to photograph the old stone bridge at Froggatt.


1 comment:

  1. A nice little write up.

    I never realised that some scenes from Colditz was filmed there.

    ReplyDelete