News Archive (Feb 2014)

Thursday 27 February


The Round Walk is Chesterfield’s pedestrian M25, a 34 mile circular route that can be done in one bite, as in the Chesterfield Area Walking Festival each May – or in varying smaller pieces, dependent on time, taste and energy.

It’s nine years old this year and is a great credit to former Footpath Secretary, Dennis Ransby, and the project team that set it up.
No route is maintenance free, and thanks are also due to those who have kept walking it and maintaining it in the intervening years.

There are still copies of the original leaflet available for those without a copy. Inevitably there are a few changes that have occurred. The Alma Inn at North Wingfield is no longer there as a waymark, for example, and bus arrangements for getting to various points on the walk will have changed. Is there still a ‘no tipping’ sign in Brimington ?

The route instructions nevertheless, laboriously recorded by Rob Haslam, are still fundamentally correct.
We’ve taken the opportunity that technology gives us to replicate them, where they appear still relevant, in a PDF file that can be viewed, downloaded, or printed as required. Just click on the adjacent image.
If anyone comes across errors or omissions let us know and we’ll endeavour to keep it up to date.

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Wednesday 26 February


A bit of warm sun and wind quickly makes an impact on this winter’s atrocious ground conditions. No one lost their boot in the mud today.
21 were drawn to a Kelstedge circular, led by Anne. A fairly gentle route, apart from a walk up to Ashover Rock (the Fabrick) – 299 metres above sea level, the highest point for miles around.

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Saturday 22 February

Snowdrops are a welcome sign.
Thanks to Cathy for these photos of today’s Whaley Thorns circular.

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Thursday 20 February

Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from that plain. And no sooner did Don Quixote see them that he said to his squire, ‘Fortune is guiding our affairs better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them’….

You don’t have to be a latter-day Don Quixote to view wind turbines as giants to be slain.
Everybody has their view on how effective they are – and few would say they add to the landscape.
However, with climate change there is a clear objective to increase the proportion of our energy that comes from renewable sources – and in places like NE Derbyshire (away from areas of outstanding natural beauty like the Peak District) they are beginning to make a greater impact, albeit on a relatively small scale.
As Ramblers, we are notified of planning applications when they are to be sited near to public rights of way.

We can no doubt expect to come across more ‘windmills’ in the future.
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Wednesday 19 February


A good February day to be walking. Mild with some sunshine, although sadly creatures with webbed feet are still faring better in much of the countryside.
Andrew led 14 ramblers on a route from Bradway, on the edge of Sheffield, to Baslow across the damp Eastern Moors.
The walk passed one of the cryptic Companion Stones associated with moorland in this part of the world.

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Monday 10 February


Thanks to all our leaders and walk organisers, we’re fortunate in being able to offer up to 400 walks a year within our own group of the Ramblers.
With both car and public transport walks of various lengths we try to cater for everyone, but a recent email suggested there could possibly be more walks at the weekend for people who use public transport.
Sunday is always a poor day for buses and trains, but Saturday is usually a weekday service – and bus pass holders are not restricted by a 9:30 am start for free travel.
Not every car walk can be easily accessed by public transport – but some can. Of course it’s not just a matter of getting to the start, but having a reasonable return service once the walk is over.
Websites like Traveline are well worth book-marking.

They show, for example, that the Rowthorn Trail circular on Saturday 8th March is available to anyone catching the 9:35 am Pronto bus from Chesterfield Coach Station to the Glapwell Young Vanish Inn, followed by a short walk. There are other options avoiding Chesterfield, such as the Bolsover – Clay Cross service.
Pronto buses back from Glapwell to Chesterfield normally run every 30 minutes during the day.