The bus took us via Totley, Owler Bar and Baslow to Bakewell in the Derbyshire Dales - a journey of some forty five minutes.
My most pleasant summer stroll took me three and a half hours to complete. It took in the village of Ashford-in-the-Water as well as Thornbridge Hall and part of The Monsal Trail - an old railway track that ran from Derby to Manchester via Bakewell.
South of Cracknowl Wood, I came across an isolated house that has no track to it. Fortuitously, arriving from a long sheep pasture, I met a woman with a sheepdog who knew all about the man who has lived at Cracknowl House for thirty years or more. She has conversed with him several times.
Seems he lives "off grid" without mains electricity, gas or water. He collects rain water and forages for firewood in the adjacent woods. The woman reckons that he is something of an artist and has occasionally sold pictures to make a bit of money.
We shared some envy about the fellow. There's something very appealing about his free lifestyle. Apparently, the authorities never bother him. Seasons come and seasons go and years go by. I could find nothing on the internet about the man and his hermit-like existence.
Betty Lane in Ashford - this is not a drystone wall as mortar has been used.
A few good visits along the way make for a good walk.
ReplyDeleteYesterday's walk was very satisfying.
DeleteLoved the story of the man in Cracknowl House.
ReplyDeleteThese days it is so hard to live like that.
DeleteMany years ago we spent some time visiting Ashford -in the Water at Well Dressing time (May I think ?). A delightful village with six wells I believe. We found it when doing the walk from Monsel Head through wooded areas full of flowering Wild Garli . What a sight that was ! Hope you are keeping well. We have just returned from 6 weeks over your way with our first stop being Haworth. You know how I love Yorkshire. Cheers
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed another great trip Helen and this time the weather gods put out the red carpet for you and Lord Tony.
Deleteummmm, I know you are joking about a hackneyed phrase but "inscrutable" might be a bit of a no-no these days.
ReplyDeleteLife off the grid at Cracknowl House is an enticing prospect so long as the weather is as in your picture.
Why should "inscrutable" be a no-no? It means hard to understand/mysterious. Though hackneyed it remains applicable in my opinion.
DeleteNot the word on its own but the collocation and historical associations (cf "inscrutable oriental"). I dunno, it was that inscrutable Chinese mandarin who burnt the opium in Canton in c. 1840 (cue 100 years of humiliation, etc etc). There are sensitivities.
DeleteA great day for a good walk in beautiful countryside. I envy you that, but I certainly do not envy the hermit his frugal existence - I am too fond of hot showers, central heating, my washing machine, a well-stocked fridge as well as the internet and Netflix.
ReplyDeleteCurious that you should mention the (presumed) nationality of the three passengers occupying the front seats. It doesn't matter, does it?
Well it doesn't matter but they were Chinese so this I think makes my account a little more accurate. Besides, some overseas visitors may be interested to learn that Sheffield has a significant Chinese population - mostly connected with our two universities.
DeleteI used to love mooching around the shops in places I visited. These days I don't dare. I might see and buy more stuff I don't need and where would I put it? Better to stay out of the shops in my case.
ReplyDeleteYou are a shopaholic. Best to go cold turkey.
DeleteInteresting story about 'the hermit' in Cracknowl House, it has a modern picture window. I love the way the Chinese people bagged the front seats on top, normally you see young lads fighting to get them.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese of Sheffield generally love to travel into The Peak District.
DeleteI envy your but route.
ReplyDeleteMy but route? Do you mean butt route? Our downstairs lavatory is in the very next room.
DeleteLovely photos YP, and what a glorious day for a walk in such beautiful surroundings. Cracknowl House and the history of it's owner is intriguing. Looking closely, I don't think that's a modern picture window, I think it's the entrance to an open-ended store. In this day and age of "Big Brother and the taxman" cataloguing your every move, it takes determination to live off grid completely.
ReplyDeleteI'm betting those Chinese on the front seats had probably stayed on the bus all the time! Just to make sure no-one else bagged the seats.
Actually, the Chinese people on the return bus were different from those who were on the outward bus.
DeleteSounds like a delightful day out.
ReplyDeleteIt was and the temperature of the day was perfect.
DeleteLovely photos, thanks for sharing them. That little cottage is beautiful. A part of me would love to live alone and a part of me couldn't stand it. I like talking to people too much, but I also need my quiet, alone time.
ReplyDeleteIn that regard I am just the same as you.
DeleteI wonder what the hermit does for food? Wouldn't he have to shop at least once in a while?
ReplyDeleteSo, what exactly prompted you to describe the Chinese people as "inscrutable"? Were they indeed hard to understand and mysterious?
"Inscrutable" is a term that westerners have frequently applied to the Chinese and I was just carrying on that tradition. I am sure that they often find westerners inscrutable too. I don't think of it as a negative, disrespectful term. I think the hermit could do with a bigger garden to grow more of his own food. It would be fascinating to converse with him.
DeleteI always grab those upper level front seats if I can. Definitely the best view in the house! Is Thornbridge Hall a private house? Many years ago Dave and I stayed in a similar place in Oxfordshire that had been turned into a hotel. The Cracknowl hermit now has an Internet presence, via your blog!
ReplyDeleteIf you are genuinely interested in Thornbride Hall, it has its own Wikipedia page Steve. I slept there one weekend long ago during a sixth form conference for A Level English students. In those days, the hall was in the possession of Sheffield City Council.
DeleteI've spent a fair few days in Totley and Dore and, occasionally, in Bakewell. Seems soooo long ago.
ReplyDelete