News Archive (February 2020)

Saturday 29 February

Calver

Leaders: Pat, Cathy, & Mel   Photos: Mel      

A February 29 walk is not without its hazards ?

On a day with varying prospects and a theme relating to Valentine’s Day and the Leap Year, nine members enjoyed some bright sunshine interspersed with a couple of very short bursts of very white hailstones.
Starting from Calver Sough with a bacon butty, the chosen route over Hare Knoll then descended to New Bridge to use a short stretch of the Derwent Valley Way.
A short climb next to Knouchley Farm and a descent to Stoney Middleton, with a short stop at the Roman Baths.

Black Harry Lane with Eyam Edge in the background

Next on to Eyam for a coffee stop with a little photographic fun just short of Lovers Leap to celebrate the theme of the walk.
After descending through Eyam Dale the track up to Lane Head was followed to reach Black Harry Lane for a fine group photograph – before returning to Calver through Rough Side and Coombs Dale.
The day was completed with a visit to the café at Calver Garden Centre for tea, coffee, and scones to finish the walk with a flourish.

A damp Chatsworth Wednesday 26 February Baslow to Matlock Leader: David       More of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way – with the day’s plan to do Sections 3 & 4 (Baslow to Matlock). More dampness between Calton Lees and Rowsley Despite the soggy conditions we managed Section 3 to Rowsley, but opted for the drier cycle track from there to Matlock. Eight on the walk.                  Even more dampness on the Rowsley to Matlock section Matlock Darley Bridge, Winster, Bonsall Leader: Andrew   Photo: Mel       Below Bonsall Lane

Saturday 22 February

Bakewell

Leader: David   Photo: Mel    

Bracket fungi

Just four of our regular members turned out for today’s walk from Bakewell – perhaps deterred by the heavy rain earlier in the week and an unpromising forecast.
We were joined by a lady originally from Brazil, who has lived in Chesterfield for the past three years.
She proved to be a delightful companion on what was her first ever walk in the Peak District – and was a little surprised by the hills, amazed by the extensive views, and bowled over by the architecture of Edensor.

Kathleen Kennedy grave

Our walk of under nine miles took us up past Bowling Green Farm, over Haddon Hall land through Manners Wood (rather spoiled by the mass of litter from the plastic tree protectors left in place when outgrown by the trees they protected as they were planted).
We crossed onto the Chatsworth Estate and over Calton Pastures, past the Russian Cottage, and over the very wet and slippery parkland – and on to Edensor.
A short detour in the churchyard, colourful with daffodils and snowdrops, for a look at the grave of the Marchioness of Hartington – Kathleen Kennedy, sister to John F Kennedy.
Then the long drag up the hill to Ball Cross with a gale blowing in our faces, and back down into Bakewell.


Much to our surprise, we managed without a drop of rain throughout the walk.

One of the wetter bits of the Nottingham Canal

Wollaton

Leader: David  

A rare dry morning at the moment for a nine mile walk along the disused Nottingham Canal and the Robin Hood Way – from Ilkeston Rail Station to Wollaton Park in Nottingham – via the 1951 ‘Festival of Britain village’ of Trowell.
A good hardcore towpath kept serious mud to a minimum.
Light rain arrived for a lunch under cover at the 16th century Wollaton Hall – with its similarity to Hardwick, both having been designed by Robert Smythson.
A post-lunch walk through the Park and the adjacent Nottingham University led on to a Skylink bus to Long Eaton and a train return to Chesterfield by 3pm.
Five enjoyed a very flat Nottinghamshire walk at a reasonable pace.

Wednesday 12 February Eckington Leader: Michael   Thirteen ramblers (including one who hadn’t walked with this group before) set off on a 5 mile circular from Eckington – taking in Bramley, Ford, Plumbley, and Mosborough. The weather was fine and the strength of the wind had dropped from the previous day’s storm. There was, though, evidence of the weekend’s storm with a tree almost down and the bridle way littered with twigs and branches. At Bramley it had been my original intention to descend into the valley by way of paths across the hillside. But after the heavy rain of the weekend I decided the better option was to stick with the road which took us down to Ford. This proved to be a convenient lunch stop. Next, we climbed up the road to a bridle way which, though wet in places, took us safely to Plumbley and Mosborough. From there we followed field paths and stiles down into the valley without coping with too much mud. This final stretch along the Sheffield Country Walk took us back to Eckington and a bus back to Chesterfield. With North, South, and East Chesterfield Ways well established, a good route from the town westwards to Chatsworth and the Peak District is overdue.                                                Leader: David Heading across Eastmoor Three members left Chesterfield Rail Station (where a spur of the Trans Pennine Trail ends) to set out on the newly developed cycle path that leads through Queens Park and Walton Dam to Somersall Park. By this stage we had been joined by three more en route. The journey continued across fields to Holymoorside and then over Holy Moor and Eastmoor to Hob Hurst’s House, before descending to Chatsworth House. Shadows again, this time over Ashford Ashford in the Water Church Dale, Bakewell, Wigger Dale, Over Haddon, Kirk Dale Leader: Graham   Photos: Mike & Mel Ashford without shadows 25 walkers, with three guests from Scunthorpe, on this 10.5 mile circular    The top of Kirk Dale, with a snowy Kinder in the distance

Wednesday 5 February

Hathersage (2)

Leaders: John & Dermot   Photos: John & Mel

31 walkers participated in the second part of the Hathersage Hurtle – a 50% increase on last week!
Such was the success of our first half of the route that the news had travelled, and we had three visitors from Scunthorpe coming to join us.
We left Hathersage Station and walked along Baulk Lane and commenced the steady climb to Dennis Knoll.

A lone explorer approaches High Neb

From there we climbed up onto Stanage Edge, stopping for coffee beside High Neb and continued along the Edge via the trig point to Burbage, where we took lunch.
Then we dropped down towards Longshaw, stopping briefly to look at the bullet holes from WW2 on the rocks opposite Carl Wark.
The return to Hathersage was via Padley Gorge and the banks of the River Derwent.
Like last week, a route of over 11 miles.

Sunday 2 February

Cutthorpe

Old Brampton, Holymoorside, Wigley, Linacre Reservoir

Leaders: Naomi & Chris   Photos: John       

Leaving Linacre Reservoir

Crossing fields at Old Brampton

Crossing the Hipper