Two Dales & Beeley Moor

After last weeks route march we thought we should have an easy walk this week.
We started off at the usual time of 6:30am and decided next week it would be a later start of 7:00am.
When we arrived at Two Dales dawn was just breaking. We parked up in the village and headed up the hill onto an old packhorse track to Stoop E19 Which is now in use as a gatepost having been relocated from its original position. It was only just over 1/2 mile to the stoop but its all uphill AS USUAL, its a rough track with a lot of loose material and well worn.
Never the less when we got there we were rewarded with a great dawn red sky and mist down in the valley.
We took a few pics and Geoff filled in the inscriptions with chalk to make the writing stand out better.

Stoop E19 in the dawn light

A view down towards Two Dales

Another view of stoop E19

The 3 images above are all HDR images using Photomatrix and Photoshop.

The trip downhill to the car was a lot easier and in decent light with some great views over the valley.
We decided to have a drive around to some of the stoops that are close together and generally easy access from the road.
We drove up to Beeley Moor and the first stoop up there was E17 just by the roadside.

Stoop E17 showing the split in the top.

Stoop E17

Geoff getting close up of inscriptions

Jim Rob & Ike at Stoop E17

From E17 we went off to Stoop E16 which is just a few yards off the road in the Beeley triangle. This stoop has a modern stone block alongside it.

Ike chalking in the inscriptions on Stoop E16 Beeley Moor

HDR image of Stoop E16 with the modern block alongside.

From E16 it was only 1/2 mile up the road to E15. We just parked on the grass verge and had to climb over a wall with a layer of barbed wire, very carefully. Once over the wall it was a slog through the bracken, quite high and wet.

Another trek through the jungle to get to Stoop E15

Stoop E15

Stoop E15

Ike watching very carefully. Ouch!!!

After E15 we went back to the Beeley triangle for breakfast. Beeley triangle is very popular with twitchers, there's all sorts of birds come through this area in the autumn & spring.
After breakfast we were off to the next Stoop E22 on the edge of Beeley Moor again just at the roadside.

Stoop E22 coloured green with micro organisms

E22 stands at a junction and is easy to see.

Even Rambo came out to have a look

Rambo got stuck in the top of an old telegraph pole and had to be rescued.

The next stoop E24 Geoff had already visited and this was not the run of the mill stoop.
It had been removed a lot of years previously and is now used as a lintel stone in the eaves of a farmhouse. We got permission to photograph it from the owner a very nice lady who told us some history about the farm, now called Darley Forest Grange which was formerly called Moor Farm. It dates back to 1500 but had to be substantially rebuilt in 1784.
There was a fire some years ago and the stoop was incorporated into the wall.

Stoop E24 in the eaves of  Darley Forest Grange.

Darley Forest Grange

Owner of  Darley Forest Grange with the crew.

Earnest Tyford with his 3 1/2 pound potato

While we were at the farm Earnest Tyford showed us an enormous potato he had grown which weighed in at 3 1/2 pounds. According to Earnest there is a ghost in the farmhouse and is said to haunt the cellar.
After the farmhouse we went off to Hopton to Stoop W12 to get some up to date pics.

Geoff & Ike chalking the inscriptions on W12.

Stoop W12 this is what its like to be famous. The paparazzi get everywhere!!

From Hopton we went off to Alport Stone in search of the last one of the day, stoop W13. This is almost covered in gorse bushes and very difficult to see from the path.
Alport Stone is a 20 foot high pillar of gritstone and was acquired by the national trust in 1930. It was the first acquisition by the NT of a scenic nature in Derbyshire.

Ike & Geoff at gorse covered  stoop W13

Geoff with Alport Stone in the background.

Some great views over the Ecclesbourne Valley

From W13 we headed home via Dalley lane in Belper where there is an old mile stone outside of Field Cottage. It is beginning to crumble but you can see some of the inscription. Not known how old this is.

Old mile post on Dalley Lane Belper

That's it for this week - my favourite pic below.

Stoop E19 - a combination of flash & HDR