From the village hall at Onecote in Staffs, eight people plus 3 dogs set off to complete a round to bag three trig points. A romp along a quiet lane led to the first trig of Bradnop at the side of the road – just reachable over a dry stone wall and barbed wire. An ominous white van drew up – me thinking it was the local farmer trig police, but no, it was Elen! After a brief hello and chat we crossed the first of many boggy and muddy farm fields that opened up to ever expanding views across the Manifold Valley.
The sky was clear and a beautiful sunny day set the scene for a host of animal sightings – some farm animals, others wild. These included: geese, ducks, alpacas, pheasants, buzzards. kestrels, a hare, rabbits, grouse, cows, sheep, cats ……… and others that the grey matter won’t recall.
After a coffee break, and a descent through mud into Ford, where more than one body ended up horizontally in the mud, we ate lunch on a log.
Some path re- routing around a farm led to mixed fortunes. We missed the second trig point of Moor Top but met a local alpaca smallholder who educated us in how they make a lucrative business – selling their poo and dressing them up for weddings! We also learned of a nearby aircrash site memorial for an RAF plane that was sent out to drop supplies to villages cut off in the snow in 1947.
We made the detour and descended to the very pretty village of Butterton for the planned trig number three – Butterton church tower.! Opposite stood the Black Lion . A unanimous vote to stop for a drink in the garden gave the leader time to replan the ongoing route. After a further hour across fields, moorland and lanes we reached our cars .
An approximate ten mile round on slippery ground, in sunny weather, with ever lively company gave a great day out, in this less visited part of the Peak District.
Needless to say, we visited the missed Moor Top trig point on the car journey home!
Ali
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