Andy Smith
May 22, 2014
In spite of a poor weather forecast, eight of us (seven
members and one probable future member) assembled in Great
Hucklow. As it turned out, there was no rain at all for the
whole of the walk. After crossing fields and walls with
stiles to Grindlow, we walked by Silly Dale to Wardlow
Mires. We crossed the main road into upper Cressbrook Dale.
Here there were lots of purple orchids, slightly past their
best but magnificent nevertheless.

We headed up to Peter’s Stone and all scrambled to the top
where we enjoyed a coffee break in an unusual situation.
After descending from the Stone, a wild flower book was
consulted and the orchids tentatively identified (early
purple orchids).

The route continued down the dale before climbing out of it
to Wardlow. Continuing east, we crossed a road and paused
for lunch. After dropping down to Housley we took the road
into Foolow and then towards Bretton. The large sinkhole,
which suddenly opened up last Christmas above old mine
workings, had been spotted earlier in the walk but was now
much nearer.

A footpath branched off the road taking us closer to the
sinkhole and we were able to get a good look at it. It is
supposed to be 160ft wide and 130ft deep but we could not
see the bottom.

It just remained to walk the short distance back to Great
Hucklow. Post-walk refreshments in Bradwell were tea and
homemade cakes produced by Rosy (fruit cake, flapjacks, and
raspberry chocolate brownies).

7.5 miles 900 ft of ascent.

—
Andy Smith – Bradwell, Derbyshire, England; andy@…

Mike Doyle
Apr 25, 2014
5 “usual suspects” and one non suspect ( Judith on Easter holiday) met by Gardoms Edge in welcoming sunshine -T shirts,sun glasses & sun hats were donned and,shock horror,a pair of shorts!
The weather remained fine and we ambled along traversing Gardoms Edge and so over to Chatsworth following the high ground and Edges to Stand Wood from where we descended through the park towards Baslow.
Lunch near the park limits was followed by a stiff climb above Baslow and across Gorse Bank Lane with great views of Stoney Middleton and Eyam.One last pull and we reached the Wellington Monument with the track back to the road and the cars with only a group of menacing looking Angus cattle barring the way.We passed unheaded,however, and were soon back at the cars.
A lovely spring day in contrast to the weather since.
Mike

Paul/Vanda
Mar 27, 2014
There were 9 of us on the walk today, some quite suntanned having very recently returned from foreign parts. We left Castleton along the lane below Peak Cavern, then contoured round to the bottom of Winnats Pass. This was climbed, with some members showing their fitness by maintaining an impressive pace whilst still talking all the time! Then we headed south over open countryside with well-marked paths towards Peak Forest. The weather was mainly fine but a brief flurry of hail stones cut short the coffee stop, and a later episode of light rain conveniently stopped just before lunch in the shelter of the beech trees of Oxlow Rake. Heading northeast back towards Castleton, we then joined the Limestone Way, where Andy and Rosie peeled off to their Bradwell home, and the rest of us descended Cave Dale before excellent coffee/tea and cakes in a Castleton cafe. Yet again for most of us, at least some of the views and paths were new – always satisfying for the meet leader. Approx. 7 miles over 3 and 1/2 hours.
Vanda

jmurton94
Mar 14, 2014
8 persons braved the unusually (for this year) warm weather, and enjoyed awalk round RInginglow and Stanage.Even the expected quagmire above Redmiles reservoirs was kind to us. I note Andy has already posted the GPS data, thanks Andy

John M

Mike Doyle
Feb 27, 2014
5 of us met by the side of Ladybower and crossed the dam for the steady ascent of Win Hill.After a brief hail shower we reached the the summit for a ” pre lunch” sheltered just below the trig point,out of the wind with clear views all around.
Marian then peeled off to return to the cars while the rest of us continued to Hope Cross where lunch proper was enjoyed.
A descent through the woods then led us to the Woodlands valley followed by the push up to the pass above Hagg Side.The ridge was then followed over Bridge End Pasture in glorious sunshine with beautiful all round views.The twin summits of Crook Hill lit up beautifully in the winter sunlight was particularly impressive ( why didn’t I bring my camera ?!).
A steady descent then led us down to the Ladybower viaduct and so to the cars.
A great day in the Peaks.
Mike

claire.corker.t21@btinternet.com
Feb 14, 2014
8 intrepids were very lucky to get a beautiful blue sky day albeit a bit windy on top. We had the opportunity to practise our backwards tree shuffle river crossing technique! (dix pointes) and some nice views over the peak district from a bronze age burial ground! a very enjoyable day and many thanks to all who came.
cheers Tom

SEAN JENNINGS
Feb 7, 2014
Six members met at Bridge End car park on an overcast but fine morning.

A breezy walk across Rowlee Pasture afforded fine views of Kinder Scout and the Woodlands Valley whilst the northern horizon was filled with the vast expanse of Bleaklow. The Eastern edges from Margery Hill to Stanage were all clear.

We admired the view from the Castles into the Alport Valley, and then descended into the calm of the Westend for lunch. A pleasant amble along the side of the reservoirs brought us back to our starting point, just as the rain began to fall. About 9 miles.

Thanks for your company.
Sean.

jmurton94
Jan 31, 2014
A select group of 4 did a high level walk on the ridge bewteen the A6 and Cressbrook Dale, designed to avoid the floods and the mud. Even so, one unavoidable puddle managed to overtop my boots. The walk provided good views all round, and gave us the first proper snow fall of the thursday walk series.after lunch we chose the dry alternatve of the rail track and tunnels, so completed the walk with relativly clean boots

John M

Paul/Vanda
Jan 17, 2014
Actually finding Millthorpe was a challenge for some [it’s not sign-posted at all from Owler Bar] but 6 of us were eventually gathered at the small village green in the centre of Millthorpe for the planned 7 mile anti-clockwise circuit south from there. John M. who knew the area, had decided very wisely to wear wellington boots for what turned out to be the muddiest/most swamp-like walk yet, although we were blessed as usual for these Thursday walks with blue skies and sunshine. Apart from squelchy mud and overfull streams, the theme for the day seemed to be friendly people [a particularly cheery crowd of Chesterfield ramblers who were doing maintenance work on the track through Hollin Wood] quirky stiles and numerous horses. Marion and John had been enrolled to help with map-reading [my grateful thanks to you both] so we safely negotiated Moorhall and Barlow Grange before a lunch-stop, after which Marion peeled off for a shortened walk back to her car. Soon after that when the terrain didn’t quite fit what we were looking at on our maps, an extremely helpful farmer put us right and we were soon heading as planned towards Newgate and then Barlow. The varied and very dilapidated stiles continued to entertain us, and Tom contributed by ‘dismantling’ a few more. We almost went off-route in Common Side but spotted our mistake quite quickly, and then had a well-earned sit-down [we could have had a bench each they were so numerous] beside small lakes after the sewage works[!] Then it was a fairly straightforward and direct line up to Cartledge, appreciating its beautiful old hall with amazingly long stone waterspouts jutting out at gutter level, and then a comfortable downhill stroll back to the cars. Thank you to Caroline, Marion, John, Dave and Tom for your excellent company. Vanda

crowthersheffield
Jan 9, 2014
… dawned clear, unlike the preceding night. 6 of us arrived at the Ronseal factory for the start of the Thursday walk (Hugh gallantly getting there after a night shift) and we set of for a micro-tour of the Chapeltown housing estate to gain our main route. I was glad that I’d spent half an hour on Google streetview to identify the roads and footpaths, so we only made one navigational error in the first kilometre…

Arriving at the older housing estate we found one of the post-WW1 steel-and-concrete houses with a section stripped on the outside to expose the construction materials – interesting.

On passing the football pitches we found a work gang drilling and pumping – not sure if they were after oil or just trying to drain the waterlogged pitches. Onwards took us past a reservoir then grass-covered heaps – the whole area was very industrialised with iron smelting then coal mining, but nature has done pretty well since.

Another minor map-reading error added a k onto the route, but the team didn’t seem to notice, even when walking up the A61 for a hundred yards…

A lunch stop in Tankersley churchyard was suggested, but we pushed on under the M1 to the ruin of Tankersley Old Hall, which featured in the film Kes. A sunny bench provided a nice seat, even if the traffic noise was noticeable. Photos of the assembled Castle wrecks in front of the Hall ruins were taken then it was back under the M1 (after a slight detour into someone’s yard) to the golf course. We avoided flying balls, but also the correct route, as we found out when Tankersley church appeared in front of us for the second time – another k was added, but it was a nice day…

Over the A616 again and along the Trans Pennine Trail I thought we couldn’t go wrong – and didn’t until the final half-k when a footpath suddenly descended at a very steep angle. We also misplaced a Churchill tank, but Hugh was last seen disappearing back into the woods to find it. The rest of us headed home just before the rains came.

Thanks to all who came, and apologies for the navigational errors. A nice social walk on a sunny day. Should anyone else want to do the walk it is described at
http://www.walkingenglishman.com/peakdistrict08.htm

Cheers,
Dave