An evening 'stroll' - 7 1/2 miles

After having no choice but to go to Chesterfield during the day, we felt cheated of a walk on our day off. However, with the nights now drawing out, we decided to go out locally for the last three hours of daylight. I'd seen a picture posted on facebook of bluebells in Cumbria. 'That's strange', I thought, 'they're usually at least two weeks behind us'! So, I needed to see if the bluebells were out in our local woods.

We left our cottage and dropped down into Bakewell town.

This is looking downstream on the river Wye, from the famous Bakewell stone bridge.

We wandered along the river, enjoying the cool but bright evening. It wasn't long before we saw them - a sea of blue! So - we HAD got our own show.

It was a joy to see them dancing in the breeze - LOADS of them, all around us.

It was also exciting to see this huge badger sett, at least twenty holes in it.

The smell, oh, the smell, simply divine!

We left the woods and crossed the fields towards Haddon hall. On the way, we saw this fine pair of horns.

This fallen tree shows the power involved - a strong, steel fence, crushed & flattened like so much matchwood.

Next, it was 'up and over' to Lathkill dale. We passed this fine barn on the way.

Looking back, a zoomed picture of Haddon hall.

Looking south from the path over the top, wonderful views this evening.

Then, after crossing a couple of more fields, we dropped down through the woods towards Lathkill dale. The evening sun creating long shadows.

Raper bridge, and a smiling Sue

The bridge and weir.

Then, after walking through trees and crossing Conksbury bridge, we entered the dale proper. 

This is one beautiful dale, especially so on a night like this.

Marsh marigold in profusion here.

A Pen, on her nest, incubating the next generation, is guarded by the Cob.

 The church at Over Haddon

We called into the local pub, the Lathkil hotel, and I just can't get to the bottom of WHY it only has one 'l' in its name?

The beer was nice though :-)

A short walk in the now evening chill brought us home for a well-deserved dinner.

Lathkill and Bradford dales.

Today was a local walk that starts only ten minutes from where we live. Alport is one of the few places that hasn’t been hi-jacked by the parking charge brigade, and you can usually find space here. The walk starts at the bridge over the river Lathkill. The water in this river has a clarity and brightness that has no equal. It is reputedly one of the cleanest rivers in Europe, and it sure looks that way when the sun is on it.

We went through the stile that leads to the path upstream, this lovingly restored cottage on our left, with an immaculate garden, complete with lawn stripes..

Spring is now in FULL swing in the dales. Most of the wild flowers are cocking a snook at the recent cold weather, and coming out anyway.

This flower, Campion, was in great evidence.

Some were a soft pink hue, others, like this one, leaned towards a more purple shade.

Raper bridge, just ten minutes along the path. It looks strange, because there’s a sort of drop for the water. You can just see it falling on the far side.

Looking upstream from the side of the bridge.

Bridge reflections and marsh marigold.

Like some sort of buttercup on acid!

The little smiler – forget me not!

The flowers of sweet cicely, if you rub the leaves, your hands smell strongly of aniseed.

A nice head of stitchwort.

A swan in mirror image - can YOU tell which is right way up????

You can see a video of the River Lathkill, click HERE

We climbed higher up the valley, crossing Conksbury bridge, to gain the higher reaches of the Lathkill. Over Haddon village was just above us now.

The simple dandelion – a weed? Maybe, but a beautiful thing, all the same.

A host of golden ..... dandelions!

Next years babies.

A coot, already with a clutch of eggs, sits patiently on them.

You can see a video of another coot that already has a chick here HERE

Lords and ladies, looking like a lily.

When fully grown, it will look like this.

On a small clapper bridge, we came across this short poem engraved into the stone.

Unfortunately, if you look closely, I think there’s a mistake! Should it say; ‘waters FOR to rise or fall’, or is there one ‘or’ too many?

I would say, ‘it’s not written in stone’, but the thing is – in this case IT IS!!
(NB - see comments, below)

A derelict barn, stark on the hillside above us.

One of my favourite places to take a picture, the small stone bridge and track that leads up to Youlgreave.

There was a mother duck with her five new chicks next to us in the river.

To see the duck & five chicks, click HERE

A short walk down Bradford dale brought us back to the start once more, the bridge at Alport and the car.

Not a long walk, only just over six miles, but it was great to be out.

Lath-Chill dale!

On Monday, as we didn't open the cafe, we decided, among other things, to go for an afternoon walk in Lathkill dale. It being designated as a 'backwater' sort of place, the council don't deem it worthy of grit, so the road to it was.......'interesting'!!

This is the old craft centre, now a holiday let, I think.

Snow on berries - I never CAN resist them.

Some of the locals cars look like they've not bothered trying to get out at all.

Well ICED too, I'd say!

We took the winding road down into the dale. Some lovely Christmassy card scenes on the way. Amazingly, I saw tyre tracks in the snow, and a local lady told me that the milkman had made a delivery that morning!

Over Haddon church.

How much snow is on that bench, do you reckon?

....and this one.

 This is one of Sue’s favourite shots of the barn right in the bottom of the dale.

The clapper bridge over the river Lathkill. We weren't crossing this today, heading up this side of the riverbank.

Snow sticking to the branches of the trees.

Very few people had been down here since the snow fell. It really was beautiful.

Sue was enjoying it.

A series of weirs, with a nice contrasting green against the snow.

Oh no, MORE berries!

And, of course, the cow parsley pearls of snow.

A bunch of keys.

One of the old railway bridge pillars.

This looks SO inviting. You can take a walk in the dale with me here;
WALK IN LATHKILL

Mirror perfection.

A small wooden bridge crosses the river to an old workings. It SO fits in with the dale. See the bridge in a movie here; BRIDGE 

A bower of snow.

You can see just how deep it is here in the dale bottom.

Hold on........HOLD ON......!

Pressing on towards the waterfalls.

First passing a small weir.

Through this too-good-to-disturb gate.

Oh, what have you spotted, Sue?

We came across this, how cute of someone to make a small snowman, and then add the dog!

Icy fingers claw at the waters edge.

Yes Sue, it IS deep.

My goal was to walk up as far as the waterfall, and I thought we’d JUST have the time and light.  

As expected, it was more in spate after the recent rain and snow, so it looked lovely in the approaching evening light.

After this, we hurried back to the car, and home to a nice hot bath, a glass of red and a sit down.