From White Lodge Picnic Site to Sheldon - and back - with the Group.

Yesterday I led twelve members of the Derbyshire Dales Group of the Ramblers's Association [plus Hedley's dog, Jess,] on a five mile walk.

There was a cold wind blowing and the open nature of the countryside, especially on the first half of the walk meant that it was best we kept on the move, though we did shelter underneath a wall for our coffee stop just before 11am.

Deep Dale was muddy and as we tramped up it we got nearer to the snowline. A hare ran across the hillside above us but other than this and some blackbirds there was little wildlife about in the dale itself.

At the top of the dale we reached Wheal Lane, an unsurfaced track, where we turned left. Coffee was taken in the shelter of the wall. Away to our right five Fieldfares flew into a tree as a flock of rooks fed on a field 50 or 60 yards ahead of us. After 15 minutes we had to stick our heads up into the cold air and walk across the fields, into the wind, to Sheldon. We kept moving as fast as we could and eventually enjoyed some respite in the bus shelter at the top of the village.

It was nice walking down through the village, past The Cock and Pullet [it was open as we passed though the open fire viewed through the windows looked inviting].

We turned left on a path at the bottom of the village leading into Little Shacklow Wood. Don and I were saying that it's an uninviting wood though it was a favourite with someone who later ended his life there [and to whom flowers are left by the entrance to a cave in the wood].

The path leading down from the wood to the River Wye was slippery and muddy and some of them walked through the dead undergrowth at the side of it.

We turned left beside the river, with me at that point leading from the back. Then we headed back to White Lodge meeting a few more walkers now, two groups of them following a guidebook and looking underdressed without rucksacks or provisions presumably.

Don left us to walk back along the road but the remaining 12 and Jess followed the path through Great Shacklow Wood to get back to the start. It seems that all enjoyed the walk .... and I was looking forward to whupping the Scots in the Six Nations .... ah well, at least Derby County won.

Pity we didn't go out on Saturday rather than yesterday. Saturday was sunny [we spent the day in Meadowhall] whilst Sunday was overcast with the sun peeping through just very occasionally.

We parked at Upperdale just below Monsal Head and then walked along the Monsal Trail. Someone [the Peak Park Rangers presumably] have been cutting back the trees beside the Trail and so this opens it out more.

We got to Cressbrook Mill and even on a cold day D's Brew Stop was busy with people sitting outside sampling the drinks and hot vegetable soup. It's good to see the Mill now full of apartments. If nothing had been done who knows what would have become of this historic old mill.

We pressed on, rising up the hill before bearing right to Ravensdale Cottages - by the way English Nature have posted a notice that no ravens have been seen of late looking for nesting sites in the tor you can see in the background in the photo. I'm never sure who owns these cottages - are they part of the Chatsworth Estate or private ?

We climbed up through the Cressbrook Dale Nature Reserve. Here the walls and even some of the old trees are covered with moss which adds to the feeling of dankness.

Eventually we came out into the open and turned right to head onto the access land where we eventually reached Wardlow Hay Cop - a trig point seen from miles around. A trig point we hope to paint in due course. It was good to use some access land. So far we've not been out on it much.

After that we followed the concessionary path down into Hay Dale where we walked down the quiet lane back to the car.

I've not worked out how far we'd gone - probably less than five miles - but it was an enjoyable walk on someone special's birthday.

Drive and Stroll Press Release

Countryside Books have just sent me a draft press release in respect of Drive and Stroll in Derbyshire and the Peak District so production of the book is moving ahead at a pace. It is likely to be on sale in early May.

They are suggesting that this blog be featured with a view to inviting my readers to comment on the walks they do them - that will be fun !

Pictured is a nettle leafed bellflower that I saw growing in a hedgerow near Waterhouses in the south of the Peak District. This is another photo that hasn't made it into the book - still it would lose something in black and white.  

Proofs received

The proofs of Drive and Stroll in Derbyshire and the Peak District dropped through the letterbox this morning and Paula from Countryside Books would like them back by next Wednesday - which shouldn't be a problem.

The proofs look good but as usual one or two photos [which I thought would be featured have been omitted] - such as the one here. It's interesting how we have different ideas as to what ought to be in and what didn't.

Still, the checkers have all got their names in [unless I've forgotten someone] and it sounds as though the book will be out in June or July just in time for the summer.

For me, like many others I'm sure, the work is done and the book is out of the way. I am now looking forward to the next project - whatever that is. I never become blase about the books I've written as I feel very lucky to have done them [and it's what I always hoped I would be able to do] but sometimes I think I spend too much time looking forward and not enough time looking back thinking "You've achieved quite a lot ....." - perhaps it's human nature.

Plantlife update

Looking back on Sunday's working job I can reflect on what a good day we had. It wasn't cold, it wasn't too wet and it wasn't windy.

Ten of us were out on the side of Deep Dale including four members of the Derbyshire Dales Group of the Ramblers' Association. Some of those four are also members of Plantlife and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust - there's a fair bit of cross-fertilisation.

We hacked at and cut down hawthorn and hazel so that the precious limestone grassland isn't over-run. Alan [pictured] was the Peak Park Ranger in control and once he'd got the fire going he tended this for most of the day.

You can see from the picture that we were working on quite a steep slope which made dragging cut hawthorn in particular difficult.

Some of us finished off at 2.15pm and by the time we had got down to the car park [near the road in the photo] we could see others were starting to wend their way down the bankside.

Plantlife who own the dale need more members so visit their website if you're interested in wildflowers - their website is at http://www.plantlife.org.uk/. They are undertaking a survey in May to calculate how many Early Flowering Orchids there are in this one reserve - they believe there are a million cowslips and they think there may be about the same number of Orchids.

Back home I counted the small puncture wounds where the hawthorn had retaliated as it was being cut down.

Working with Plantlife

This coming Sunday, the 12th February, members of the Derbyshire Dales Group of the Ramblers' Association are going to be working with Plantlife in Deep Dale, near White Lodge Picnic Site.

To get there drive up the A6 from Bakewell towards Buxton, a mile or so beyond the Ashford in the Water turn, White Lodge is on your left.

You can visit the Plantlife website at http://www.plantlife.org.uk/ - we'll be working with them clearing the dale side of overgrowth I should think. We won't really know what we're doing until we're there to be honest.

There's should be a photograph with this but it's proving awkward so perhaps I'll upload it tomorrow ! Ah - managed it .... it just wouldn't upload last night. Anyway this is a photo of us working on the hillside last year. We were cutting down all the small trees so that the grassland is preserved.

From White Lodge Picnic Site to Sheldon - and back.

Sunday, 5th February 2006 : a grey day with some high level fog and no sun.

We walked from White Lodge up Deep Dale and we couldn't help but notice that the bridleway has got muddier this last few years. The stream was in water so that may have something to do with it.

There are quite a few posts in the dale courtesy of Plantlife which tell you a bit about the history of the place and the flowers you can expect to see. It also tells you that there is such an organisation as Plantlife. This is their only site in Derbyshire [and we'll be working there a week today with them].

We missed the stile on the left at the top of the dale leading to Sheldon but backtracked and found it ok - not paying enough attention to the map.

Across the fields we went seeing our first walkers since the car park. Sheldon itself was quite - the main sign of life was in the Cock & Pullet - a nice pub if you get the chance to visit it.

Then we went down into the wood where we found a few flowers at the bottom of a tree which seems to be a memorial of some type. I will try and post the picture in a few days after finding out something about it, if I can. The tree stands near to the entrance to a cave so I suppose it could be in memory of someone who died underground.

A coffee stop in the wood and then we followed the main path back to the start. We met quite a few more walkers and at least four of them had walks books which they were following.

At last - it's done .... and 'Drive and Stroll in Derbyshire and the Peak District' will hit the shops later this year.

Yes, the various questions on the manuscript have been answered; the maps have been checked [we nearly ended up with 'Parwick' rather than 'Parwich']; and, well, it's just great to be free.

This great feeling will last about two weeks after which my life will begin to seem aimless again. Still, I'm sure I will be able to fill my time with plenty of other things.

Pictured is Lyme Hall in summertime. You could spend a day up at Lyme Park near Stockport with no problems at all. There's some excellent walking through the park and down to the Maccclesfield Canal. Then there's a tearoom and a restaurant. After that you could walk round the garden or visit the Hall - though I have to say I've not been in it.