News Archive (May 2017)

The Ramblers
Wednesday 31 May

David comments ;

16 of set out from Coal Aston on a lovely sunny evening for a 4.5 mile walk around the Moss Valley Woodlands
A field containing alpacas was quite a hit and our walk was made easier by being able to use a series of new field gates.
These replaced some difficult stiles and had been fitted by members of our amazing Ramblers’ working party.

The Ramblers
Saturday 27 May

Approaching Minninglow

Lunch is over

Harboro Rocks

Playful lambs at Winster

John reports ;

Saturday’s long walk from Winster Top.
Lorraine leading her first group walk of 18 miles with 7 participants.
A great Walk from Winster to Minninglow, and then on to Ballidon, Rainster Rocks, Harboro Rocks, and the High Peak Trail.
Then the the Via Gellia (valley) towards Birchover and a return to Winster.
Decent weather even though rain threatened on occasions.
The lambs at Winster Top were the icing on the cake !
A brilliant walk with a great leader.

Castleton walk (with two guests)

Leaders: Gavin & Rhona Photos: Mel

The Ramblers
Sunday 21 May

A profusion of spring wild flowers ; clockwise from top left: wood anemone, meadow saxifrage, early purple orchid, wild pansy, speedwell and lady’s smock

High point at Wardlow Hay Cop trig point

Peter’s Stone (Gibbet Rock) near head of dale

David’s Cressbrook Skywalk

Photos: John

The Ramblers
Saturday 20 May

The weather was not ideal for the Saturday strenuous walk from Ilam.
John writes ;

Six takers – the walk started on time under fairly ominous skies, but stayed clear until just before Wetton Mill and then the heavens opened.
It rained so heavily we opted not to do Dovedale and the wet limestone and so did another route via Alstonefield – but still covered 18 miles.
The walk was conducted with great humour in spite of the torrential rain.

Early purple orchids

Kath reports on the month’s visually impaired walk ;

Not very many of us this time – only eleven which included two visually impaired and their guide dogs.
The walk started at Pit Lane visitors centre, Pleasley – and from there we went along one of the trails to the cafe at Teversal for a bacon butty lunch.
As it was raining when we resumed the walk, rather than return via Norwood and the Rowthorne Trail, we cut the walk short and returned on the Skegby trail.
Just made it back to the car park as the heavens decided to open yet again. So instead of a five mile walk we only did four.

The Ramblers
Sunday 14 May

Chesterfield Area Walking Festival 2017

Chesterfield & NE Derbyshire Ramblers 50th anniversary

Southern boundary walkers off to Toadhole on a beautiful Walking Festival day

Leader & Photos : Mel

Negotiating Freebirch

Local walkers joined welcome visitors from Canada and Lincolnshire for the western boundary walk.
David led a group of nine from the usually tranquil Freebirch, but today a noisy zone of clay pigeon shooting, in a six mile downward walk through Linacre back to Chesterfield.
A good route on a sunny day, appreciated by all.

The Ramblers
Saturday 13 May

Chesterfield Area Walking Festival 2017

Chesterfield & NE Derbyshire Ramblers 50th anniversary

Creswell Crags

Four walks from the eastern, northern, western, and southern boundaries of our group area this weekend – to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the group.
David led 22 from the Welbeck Estate on the Nottinghamshire border in our eastern boundary walk.
A 14 mile route back to Chesterfield, via Creswell Crags, Bolsover Castle and
Sutton Scarsdale Hall – featuring some of our area’s historic attactions and countryside.
The route between Bolsover and Sutton Scarsdale followed part of the new
English Heritage Walking Guide.

Bolsover Castle

The northern boundary at Lightwood

The Ramblers
Thursday 11 May

Chesterfield Area Walking Festival 2017

The streams and brooks to the west of the town not only add to its attractiveness, but were important for early industry and the town’s wealth.
A ten mile walk, led by Mel.

Val reports on the ‘Five Pits and A Pond’ walk ;

We were 15 people, including 5 Ramblers members and we enjoyed a fairly leisurely 5 mile circular walk from Clay Cross, pausing to look at evidence of some of the history of Clay Cross.
We ascended over fields to the Five Pits trail and along to the Wolfie Pond, with a welcome picnic stop accompanied by sunshine and bird life tempting us to stay longer !
A descent via a disused rail line and beside the present line brought us back to Clay Cross.

The Ramblers
Wednesday 10 May

Chesterfield Area Walking Festival 2017

Andrew hosted a Walking Festival ‘long bus’ event, with 19 people and two dogs turning up in Holmesfield – on a day with wall to wall warm sunshine.
His route was the ‘figure of eight’ trail to Longshaw and back, identical to his walk of July, 2016 at a slightly slower pace – perhaps due to the work involved in getting dogs over stiles.

Not fit for large dogs unfortunately

One stile above Totley, crossed by wire, was particularly difficult – but the law doesn’t insist on dog-friendly stiles.
Strangely only the owner has the right of passage.

The Longshaw route

The Ramblers
Tuesday 9 May

Chesterfield Area Walking Festival 2017

After yesterday’s meander to the west, Mel headed out on an eastern industrial meander, starting from George Stephenson’s resting place at Holy Trinity on Newbold Road.

The Ramblers
Monday 8 May

Cannon Mill

Chesterfield Area Walking Festival 2017

If Chesterfield was ‘the centre of industrial England’, then Brampton was the centre of industrial Chesterfield.
David led a 4.5 mile circular walk from the Town Hall entitled an ‘industrial meander to the west.’
A remarkably traffic-light route using footpaths old and new, seeking clues to the area’s historic past and enjoying a few rural scenes on the way.
A Walking Festival group of 24, armed with an old map.

1898 local map

The Ramblers
Sunday 7 May

Chesterfield Area Walking Festival 2017

Another great turnout for the 34 mile Chesterfield Round Walk on a fine day, with the return of many familiar faces.

The Ramblers
Friday 5 May

Another in the series of short local walks saw Basil lead seven around the western part of Holymoorside and Walton Parish.
A village with a thriving historical society that owed much of its early development to cotton spinning.

The Ramblers
Wednesday 3 May

A woodland route

One of today’s long car walkers remarked that today’s route was one of the flattest Ramblers walks she had encountered.
It was of course a Nottinghamshire circular where hills are few and far between.
Over the 12 mile journey there was only 700 feet of ascent and descent.

Andrew led a group of 24 from Duncan Wood near Budby to South Lodge, Hardwick Village, and Clumber Park itself.