Out & About: Winster Stoops & Upper Town Stocks

Geoff was away today so the Blackbrook Explorers were down to 3.
Started off with a quick detour to see the StarDisc at Wirksworth (click on youtube link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8tYUk4Nhkc ).

When we got there the visibility was dreadful with low cloud obscuring any views over the town.

Next stop was Winster where we parked just across the road from the old Lead night safe. I had the co-ordinates of the stoops on my GPS so we set off up the road to find the first stoop W8. This turned out to have been modified into a gate post in the distant past by some enterprising farmer.

Stoop W8 (nearest gate post)

Stoop W8 (Dated 1709)

We passed by a small wood and Rob made a quick pit stop before carrying on a couple of miles to Stoop W14 which stood on the crossroads of Elton & Aldwark.

Stoop W14

We then walked back to the car and had breakfast. The mist was still quite bad and my head was soaking wet.

After brekky we decided to drive to the next 2 stoops and the first was Stoop W11, this again is now being used as a gate post which is across the road from Slipper Low Farm, As you can see from the pics The ancient burial site of Minninglow is seen in the background.

Stoop W11 with Minninglow in the background

Stoop W11

We doubled back towards Winster and carried on towards Birchover, we took a road which further up the track had a sign which said not suitable for motor vehicles. On the way we passed the hamlet of Upper Town where we found some old stocks.

Stocks at Upper Town

From there we noticed the next stoop was in a camping complex ( Barn Farm Camping Site). We had a look around and my GPS said we were within 20 feet of it but struggled to find it. I went into the reception and asked if anyone knew where it was and the answer was no. Came outside my gizmo said we were on top of it, walked about 3 paces and Rob spotted it behind a shrub in a container. It was less than 5 feet off the person who didn't know about it, he was just the other side of the office wall!!!

Stoop W7 at the reception stairs

Stoop W7 (Obviously been relocated)

From The farm we passed some Lama's in the adjoining field and parked up a little way down the lane in Birchover. We spotted a house called Stoop House (that's another trip) and a Pinfold.

We had a nice chat to an old gent from the village about Stoop House and some other interesting history of the area and then back in the car and off towards home.

We had to stop just to get these pics of Haddon Hall which you can't normally see from the A6.

By this time the mist had cleared and we had glorious sunshine with blue skies.