 |
| Lydgate Farm in Aldwark - it offers B&B accommodation |
Thursday was hot. Weather forecasters on the television were warning we Britons to stay indoors and avoid vigorous exercise so naturally that inspired me to go on a ten mile walk in Derbyshire. My starting point was the tiny village of Aldwark which is west of Matlock. Once it was on the old stage coach route from Derby to Buxton but now it's a forgotten place and would be very peaceful if not for the sound of nearby limestone workings.
From Aldwark, I headed for Winster and then along Bonsall Lane, taking a cross country footpath south to another small and rather delightful village called Ible. I had planned to continue strolling southwards from there into Griffe Grange Valley but there was a bull in one of the fields through which the little used public footpath runs. He advanced in my direction as soon as he saw me approaching and wasn't coming over to exchange pleasantries or even to talk bull. His horns were lethal weapons and he was snorting pure testosterone so naturally I chose to take a detour. This involved me receiving a jolt from an electric fence and squelching through boggy ground. Thank you Bully!
Up to Griffe Grange, through the woods then along to The Limestone Way footpath where farmers were making hay while the sun shone and then west to Longcliffe with yet more limestone works. Then back in an arc to Aldwark - which means "old fortification".
I love to walk in shorts and a T-shirt. Usually I don't even bother with a backpack but on Thursday I took a couple of bottles of water, sunglasses, a hat, a full size map of the Peak District and a banana with me. I forgot my canister of "Adrian" bull repellent - but of course remembered my trusty camera to bring you these passable summery photographs. Please click to enlarge:-
 |
| Countryside north of Aldwark |
 |
| Farm ruin by Stunstead Lane |
 |
| Farm ruin near Bonsall Lane |
 |
| Butterfly and thistles near Ible |
 |
| Making hay on Limestone Way |
 |
In Longcliffe. How much longer will our characterful red phone boxes
survive? This one isn't even re-painted any more. Damn those mobile phones! |
Another worthy cause for your retirement YP ~ photographing every last Red telephone box and mapping their GPS coordinates on Geograph website for future generations. chip chop!
ReplyDeleteChip-chop? I am not your slave Carol! I have snapped many red phone boxes but I don't want to make it my life's mission.
DeleteI only have midge repellent it must work for bulls as I have had no trouble with them.
ReplyDeleteThis is not an area I know so thanks for the walk.
Midge repellent is surely unnecessary Adrian. What you need is a beekeeper's hat. The overhanging net will repel all midges. You could even fashion two smaller ones for the dogs.
DeleteYour photos have heart-tugging quality for me, YP! And I would have done exactly the same upon that heat warning on telly.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a bit over a month since I've been back from Yorkshire, and already I have that longing to be there again, and go on many more walks.
Yorkshire will be waiting for you Miss Arian - and maybe Derbyshire too. So glad you liked my pictures.
DeleteAh, Winster is familiar territory YP. A lovely part of the world.
ReplyDeleteSo you know Winster? That's good. It's one of Derbyshire's less well-known jewels. Shirley has never been there and hadn't even heard of it when I mentioned my Thursday walking route.
DeleteSpent two weeks in a cottage on the west bank in 2008. Delightful village and The Bowling Green pub good for Sunday lunch.
DeleteNice to head from you Yorkshire Pudding - always good to hear from a Yorkshireman. Never heard of bull repellent, but with a lot of AI about we don't get all that many bulls here in the Dales, except the odd one with a suckler herd and they are usually not bothered.
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling by Lady Weaver. Down in London they must have many bulls because there's such a lot of bull***t there!
DeleteIt's always good to be reminded just how much grass there is still left in England. It's not all concrete.
ReplyDelete