17 April 2021

Springtime


Yesterday, Clint agreed to take me west once more. It was another lovely spring day when the green of the fields was greener and the blue of the sky was more blue.

We were heading back to the same region I visited on Monday but a mile east of the grouse shooters' cabin. There were squares for The Geograph Project that I needed to bag. Clint parked himself on Cow Low Lane close to Cow Low Farm and immediately began napping - with his mandible relaxed, he soon began snoring quietly. Ewes with new lambs occupied the adjacent fields and some of them rushed towards me believing perhaps that I was the farmer bringing supplementary food pellets.

Hob Tor looking towards Chapel-en-le-Frith

With no public footpaths marked on my map, I headed across sheep pastures under ancient Lady Low with its Neolithic round barrow, then I found ways over or through drystone walls up to Black Edge where I was delighted to discover an unofficial but pretty well-trodden path skirting Combs Moss which is a rough and extensive grouse moor.

TP1406 Black Edge

I walked for a couple of miles towards Buxton, passing a triangulation pillar numbered TP1406 before turning back following  the little path all the way to Castle Naze - an Iron Age hill fort that now overlooks Combs Reservoir. There I found an ancient diagonal path that ran straight as an arrow down Short Edge. It must have been created by the ancients who made the hill fort or perhaps by stone quarrymen of previous centuries.

Farm cottage in Martinside

Soon I was back on Cow Low Lane trudging back to Clint who was no longer napping but singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" to a perplexed  ovine audience. They scattered as they saw me approaching. Soon I undertook a little diversion to Martinside and on to Chapel-en-le-Frith railway station before heading east once more to prepare a nice chicken curry for Friday's "tea" - which is what northern folk tend to call their main evening meal.

When Nurse Pudding came in the house she said,  "Mmmm! Something smells nice!"

Chapel-en-le-Frith railway station

22 comments:

  1. A lovely day for a walk by the look of it from your photos.
    That first one reminds me of the delicious slow roasted lamb shank I had last weekend. Yum.

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    Replies
    1. Did you get some strands of lamb's wool between your teeth?

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  2. What do the numbers on the lambs signify? Do you know?
    Another stunning walk about, Mr. P.

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    1. On the left there are two lambs each with the number "5" on. They are twins belonging to sheep number 5. The numbers are vital in helping the sheep farmer to manage his/her flock.

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  3. Cow Low Farm, and Lane. What an interesting name - I wonder what it's roots are - other than cattle can be said to be lowing?
    Chapel-en-le-Frith looks such a traditional railway station - something straight out of the "Railway Children".

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    1. In Derbyshire the term "Low" is usually attached to ancient burial place. Overlooking Cow Low Farm is indeed a small hill called Cow Low. I would guess that "Cow" has nothing to do with cows. Please go here:- https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=13498

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  4. Lovely photos. Shirley is lucky to have a chef.

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  5. Better Chicken Curry than Lamb Hotpot.
    Just saying, lad.
    Horseradish Haggerty

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    Replies
    1. Mary had a little lamb... with spring cabbage, roasted potatoes and mint sauce.

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  6. Over Easter Meike's mother made a Swabian dish, Maultaschen.
    Pasta shells with smoked meat and spinach. Sounds wunderbar !

    I am watching a brilliant documentary (YouTube) on Germany history.
    *Eric Hobsbawm: The Consolations of History.*
    8 April 2021. London Review of Books.

    MI5 illegally burgled Hobsbawm's London home in 1955 and stole thousands of documents. A wee bit fascist of our spooks.
    Hotpot Haggerty

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  7. Mary had a little lamb. The midwife fainted.

    We have "tea" also. None of this "Dinner" business. Great photos.

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    Replies
    1. Mary had a little lamb, her brother had a pig
      When threatened with a carving knife they danced an Irish jig.

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  8. Anonymous11:27 pm

    "Aye Laddie, spray paint some numbers on those lambs so we know which one is which".
    I love one side of the train station.

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    Replies
    1. With your political leanings, I am guessing the left platform.

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    2. Anonymous11:42 am

      So good that you know what a benevolent dictator communist likes, Comrade.

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  9. Looks like a very challenging climb.

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    Replies
    1. Not so challenging Red. Quite easy going really.

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  10. Again, the type of walk I would enjoy very much. Thank you for beautiful images, both as photographs and for my mind.

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    Replies
    1. I my never get to walk with you in person but at least we can walk vicariously together.

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  11. Cow Low Lane is a great name. I think working class Londoners say "tea" for their evening meal as well. It has confused me more than once!

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    Replies
    1. In Derbyshire "Low" indicates an ancient burial site - normally on a hill.

      Delete

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