Skip to content

News Archive (February 2017)

The Ramblers
Sunday 26 February

A weekend return for John and Tricia to the Ulley area ;

We welcomed three guests on today’s nine mile walk around Ulley Reservoir.
A fascinating highlight was watching two deer sprinting across an open field.
Fortunately the walk was finished before the rains came to end a windy day.









The Ramblers
Wednesday 22 February


Ulley Windmills (February 2017)

Photos: John   

19 members, led by John and Tricia, took advantage of a sunny and sometimes windy summer like day to walk 11 miles through Rother Valley Park to Aston Fish Ponds and Ulley windmills, returning via the Chesterfield Canal at Norwood and using many paths
that are infrequently used.



A Lumsdale circular for the ‘medium car’ walkers which began at Highfield School, Matlock and followed an anti-clockwise route via Lumsdale, Tansley, and the Cuckoo Stone.
Colin and Pat led the group of 24, and we are also indebted to Alan of the Lumsdale Project for a guided talk through a valley of ‘picturesque decay’ which remains an important reminder of early industrial times.
Lumsdale circular (Feb 2017)

The Ramblers
Sunday 19 February


A Robin Hood circular, via Edensor and Pilsley – with a return via Baslow Edge and Birchen Edge.

Leader: Robert    Photos: John

Heading down into Chatsworth from the Robin Hood

Heading down into Chatsworth from the Robin Hood

Both the Jubilee Rock and the Wellington Monument owed much to the remarkable Dr Wrench

Wellington Monument on Baslow Edge

Wellington Monument on Baslow Edge


Jubilee Rock

Jubilee Rock


Stoop and Companion Stone above Edensor on the Bakewell track

Stoop and Companion Stone above Edensor on the Bakewell track

Cryptic Companion Stones are a distinctive feature in this part of Derbyshire.

The Ramblers
Saturday 18 February


A good five mile stroll today in Chatsworth Park for 17 (including five visually impaired).
Reg was the leader in weather suggesting spring is not too far away.

The Ramblers
Friday 17 February



A dull, but mild, day for a three mile morning walk between the two English Heritage sites of
Sutton Scarsdale Hall and Bolsover Castle.
A fairly direct route over the M1 motorway and on to the Carr Vale Nature Reserve and the Model Village in course of renovation – before making the short climb to the Castle for lunch.

Bolsover Model Village

The Ramblers
Wednesday 15 February



A Leicestershire start for a dozen of the long public transport group.
Hints of a holiday with the train to Derby and a transfer to the airport Skylink bus.
However the journey was cut short at Castle Donington bus station and a nine mile walk via the Donington race track and the Cloud Trail had to suffice – ending with a walk along the Trent – Mersey Canal to Shardlow for a return Skylink bus.
David was the leader.
Donington Hall
Crossing the Trent on the Cloud Trail
Trent-Mersey Canal
Heading in the right direction




A trip into Yorkshire for the ‘long car’ group.


Approaching Roche Abbey ruins
Roche Abbey from magnesium limestone outcrop
A return to Laughton en Le Morthen with it’s impressive church. Apparently going east nothing as high till you get to the Urals !

Leader: Chris    Photos: John


Chris led 18 walkers on a walk through history ;

We started from Laughton en le Morthen village hall; the good news being that parking was free, always a bonus !
Then across the fields to Firbeck, admiring the beautiful display of snowdrops on the way before turning left at St Martin’s Church.
In the field beyond the church we passed a monument commemorating RAF Firbeck, a 2nd World War airfield which rekindled Mel’s boyhood fascination with airplanes such as the Westland Lysander and Austers.
Mel and the ‘boys’ waxed lyrical.
We stopped for coffee at Roche Abbey, a 12th century Cistercian monastery and, despite the soaring Gothic arches and the beautiful setting, there were no new recruits for the monastic life.
Suitably refreshed, we set off through Maltby Crags wood and had lunch overlooking the small village of Carr.
We then made our way up through Terrace Woods and, as we dropped down past Thurcroft Hall, we stopped to take in the fabulous view of Laughton en le Morthen church across the valley.
Clouds were gathering when we got back to the village but we were persuaded, with not too much arm twisting, to take a detour around the back of the church.
There we were rewarded with the chance to see one of the best preserved examples of a motte and bailey Castle in the county.


The Ramblers
Saturday 11 February



Mel led a small group of eight members from Poolsbrook Country Park ;

…. to walk a route to celebrate the excellent restoration of the former Ireland Colliery site and the areas history relating to the pig iron works at Renishaw.
Following a brief lunch at the picturesque Foxstone Dam the group returned via Nether Handley and Barrow Hill before crossing the Cuckoo Way to re-join the trail to the Country Park.

Foxstone Dam

Foxstone Dam


The Ramblers
Wednesday 8 February


Wellington is left in the shade on Baslow Edge

The Wellington Monument on Baslow Edge


Edna led the ‘long car’ walk with 22 walkers ;

10.6 miles over 4hrs 50min.
The weather was miserable in the morning, but it didn’t rain and brightened up in the afternoon.
A route from Curbar Crossroads via Gardoms Edge, the Robin Hood Inn, Dobb Edge, the top path through Chatsworth, Beeley Hilltop, and into Chatsworth for lunch.
We followed the river back to Baslow, up to Wellington’s Monument, and then back to the cars.
First half muddy, second half much better !



Muddy conditions for one of Derbyshire County Council’s waymarked trails.
A quick visit to Old Whittington’s Revolution House and then an eight mile circuit via New Whittington, the Handleys, and Hundall for a group of eleven, which covered the bulk of the Whittington and Handleys’ Trail.
Basil the guide.
Early daffodils at Nether Handley

Early daffodils at Nether Handley



A follower in West Handley ?

A stealthy follower in West Handley ?

The Ramblers
Sunday 5 February



Headstone Tunnel

Headstone Tunnel


Light at the end of the tunnels on today’s Monsal Trail.

Leaders: Mel & Jenny    Photos: John

Cressbrook Tunnel

The Ramblers
Wednesday 1 February


Jack led today’s medium car walk from Ashford in the Water ;

The original planned route was amended to avoid some of the worst of the present ground conditions but occasional muddy stretches were nevertheless ‘enjoyed’ by the 21 walkers who turned out, despite a poor weather forecast.
We soon entered Churchdale where the snowdrops are already in bloom in the grounds of its impressive Churchdale Hall.
There followed a spell on the Monsal Trail before exiting to cross the soggy pastures adjacent to Hassop Hall and heading for Rowland, with the top of Longstone Edge in the distance obscured by low cloud.
The ‘marmalade lady’ of Rowland did a roaring trade with the Ramblers before they continued via Great Longstone to Monsal Head for a well-earned lunch whilst enjoying the spectacular views of Monsal Dale.
The walk continued down to the viaduct before entering Headstone Tunnel and soon leaving the Monsal Trail to follow field paths back to Ashford to complete an enjoyable 7.5 miles.


Eleven took the ‘Comet’ bus to Shirland for a 9.5 mile walk to Clay Cross, led by Val.
A village route via Stonebroom, Morton, Pilsley, North Wingfield, and New Tupton – finishing with a section of the Five Pits Trail.
A misty, drizzly start but the walk ended with a bit of sunshine.
The geograph site captures quite a few footpaths. We could do with more, labelled with their right of way name perhaps.