Monday 21 October 2013

Odd Boots & Froggatt Bridge

Froggatt Bridge is a late 17th Century grade 11 listed building.
After missing last week due to the miserable weather we were eager to get out and about, Geoff thought we should keep to a decent footpath because everything would be wet and soggy. We headed out to Froggatt to amble along the lower footpath from the village to Grindleford. 
We parked in the village got the rucksacks and boots out, that's when Ike realised he had 2 ODD BOOTS, fortunately they were a left and right boot. (He later rang Angela and she told him there was an identical pair at home!!!). The village of Froggatt is situated beneath the gritstone escarpment of Froggatt Edge, on the well wooded banks of the River Derwent, between the villages of Grindleford and Calver in Derbyshire. The name Froggatt probably derives from the fact that there were originally 17 fresh water springs situated in the village, three of which can still be seen. 
Geoff had previously walked this old packhorse route 20 years ago and remembered that it was part paved.
The track took us though open country where we had to cross a few fields which were quite wet. One of the fields had quite an accumulation of mud and water at the bottom of a slope, some of us went "upstream" of the boggy area but Geoff thought he could navigate across it, BIG MISTAKE, he ended up past his ankles in lovely mud.
We went into Froggatt Wood and part way through it found a lovely little slab bridge over a stream, Geoff immediately went into it and cleaned off the mud from his boots and trousers. 
We carried on and came across another lovely glade with a pool and stream running through it, the light was crap for photos but i wedged the camera against a tree to steady it for a couple of pics. After we came out of  these  woods with a strange name of Horse Hay Coppice we had to cross another stream and then onto Grindleford bridge. We stopped and had breakfast at the sports field on the other side of the bridge.
Ike with his odd boots on






Geoff & Ike on the slab bridge




Stream & pool in Horse Hay Coppice

Lovely paved track

Add caption


Grindleford Bridge

Breakfast in style with proper seats!!!
The route back to the car was through the village of Grindleford along the B6521, B6001 past Stoke Hall and then back to Froggatt village.

View downstream from Grindleford bridge

This is called BELL INN COTTAGE

Grindleford Model Laundry built on the site of a former Tannery

Behind Grindleford Laundry

Just like this little chap in a front garden in Grindleford

Seat in the grounds of Stoke Hall

This is the old Toll House

View to Froggatt Edges

Giant steps down from Froggatt Bridge

Froggatt Bridge is a late 17th century grade 11 listed building with 2 types of arches..


Its fungi and not an alien UFO

View downstream from Froggatt Bridge

The village post box (A GR)

Back at my car and off to Calver
We got back to the car and called into the boot shop in Calver where our Rob had himself a new pair of boots. So its a competition next week as to who's got the shiniest boots.
See you next week
Cheers

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