Sunday, 30 March 2014

Peveril Castle, Cave Dale & Old Man of the Mountains.

This is the week when the clocks changed so we had one hours less sleep but it was still a 06:30 start from our Robs. We decided to go back to Winnats Pass but walk along the opposite ridge from Castleton. We parked at the green in Castleton and walked up through Cave Dale, past Peveril Castle high up on the eastern side. We got so far through Cave Dale then saw a sheep track up the side and followed it. A bit hairy in places, you just didn't have to look down. We got above the Castle and headed up the track towards Winnats Pass.
This weeks route in blue
Ike & Geoff with Robs car

The Green Castleton

The path to Cave dale goes between these cottages

Track through Cave Dale

Track through Cave Dale

Track through Cave Dale

Ike with Peveril Castle above him

Peveril Castle above Cave Dale. The ruins of a medieval keep castle predominantly dating from C11 to C14. Among the first of the Norman castles to be built in England after the Conquest and granted to William Peveril, who was thought to have been an illegitimate son of William the Conqueror and one of his most trusted knights. 

Ike & Rob

Peveril Castle above Cave Dale

Geoff squeezing through the pass in Cave Dale

Peveril Castle above Cave Dale

Peveril Castle above Cave Dale

Geoff on his 77th birthday climbing above Cave Dale on a sheep track. 



Me at the top of Cave Dale

Geoff & Rob getting stripped off.

This is the only building visible as far as the eye could see.


Rob

Geoff

This is a stretch of old lead mine workings

The view across Winnats Pass to Mam Tor in the distance

Looking down into Winnats Pass.

Breakfast time where we had a piece of birthday cake to celebrate Geoff's 77th Birthday. He does alright climbing mountains at 77.  There cant be many people had happy birthday sung to them on top of Winnats Pass.



Another view of our breakfast bar

Ike & Rob. The wall running down across the valley is where we climbed down last week.

Rob 



The southern entrance to Winnatts Pass.

Entrance to Speedwell Cavern
This was a special day for Geoff celebrating his 77th birthday. We had a bit of cake on top of Winnatts Pass. This was a lovely walk with some nice views in Cave dale even with the misty conditions.
See you next week.

Sunday, 23 March 2014

The Road to Nowhere

An early start this week and it was Geoff's turn to take us up to the Shivering Mountain Mam Tor). We wanted to have a look at the old A625 Sheffield to Chapel En Le Frith road that was destroyed by a land slip way back in 1979. It took an hour to get there and we parked just alongside the old Odin Lead Mine.
It was quite cold but nice and bright as we set off following the road.We soon got onto the old buckled road with some white lines still visible but the cats eyes had long gone.
This weeks route - less than 3 miles. 
Geoff parked up

The remains of a crushing circle next to Odin Mine


It doesn't look much but Odin Mine is a disused lead mine and is the oldest documented mine in Derbyshire and is thought to be one of the oldest lead mines in England. The mine was worked by the Romans and  is a Scheduled  Ancient  Monument

First proper look at the displaced road the old A625 Sheffield to Chapel En Le Frith road that was destroyed by a land slip way back in 1979







This is the view from above Blue John Cavern.


Breakfast stop


Rob

Geoff

Me with Winnats Pass 200 feet below

Ike, Rob and Geoff

Steep descent to the road


Winnats Pass looking south east

Geoff keeping his hands warm





Almost back to the car

Ike found an old water trough

Ike using a shoe horn to get his shoes on.

View looking north to Winnats Pass.
Although we started out in decent weather when we got on the top it was bitter cold with a wicked wind and we even got a blasting from a passing hail storm. The walk was quite short at under 3 miles but the scenery was spectacular, well worth the trip.
See you next week.