Out & About: Lumsdale & the Shuckstone Cross

One of the many waterfalls at Lumsdale

This week there were 5 of us, we had Gordon who was on holiday from Northern Island and staying at Rob's next door neighbour. We thought we would take him on a whistle stop tour around the local area.

First stop was the Lumsdale valley with its magnificent waterfalls and ruined mill buildings. Some of these old mills are thought to date from the 16th century.

These spectacular waterfalls are in a remote narrow valley in Lumsdale near Matlock in Derbyshire. The millpond at the top of the valley is at an elevation of some 598ft and by the time it gets down several falls it levels out at about 350 ft. The water comes from the Bentley brook and it was used to power water mills in the 16th century, pre dating the world famous Cromford mills which are just a few miles down the road. There are still several ruins of the old mill buildings which are now under the protection of the Arkwright Society.

Gordon & Rob

With all the rain we've had the waterfalls were in full flow.

Geoff inspecting one of the ruined buildings

Over the wheel pit

Interesting architecture everywhere

Bottom mill pond

Mother & chicks in the mill pond

Pond Cottages were originally a cupola used for smelting lead from
around 1749 and were changed into mill workers cottages in 1813.

Beech House was once the Senior Mill Managers residence
in charge of the Bentley Brook Mill Complex.

Roll on summer and a splash in the brook

Its not Pea soup

After we had a wander around Lumsdale we headed off to High peak Junction to have a look around there.
We parked in the car park at the John Smedley Mill complex and walked down to the HPJ and settled down for breakfast.

Breakfast time

Keep flapping

What an ugly duckling!!

More Orchid's

Plaque on the wall near the High Peak Junction

Leawood Pump House

The Wharf Shed built in 1850 at HPJ

The 1793 Wigwell Aqueduct

Getting ready for the Olympics

When we returned to the car we saw one of these information boards, this has some interesting facts on it including a reference to The Shuckstone Cross. We had never heard of it so decided to go and find it, i put the rough coordinates into my GPS and off we went.
It was only a couple of miles up the road and we parked in a small lay by about 1/4 mile from the footpath. We followed the footpath and with the GPS we eventually found it, well whats left of it.

Remains of The Shuckstone Cross

The Shuckstone Cross is to be found in Shuckstone fields and the name Shuck refers to a robber or murderer, so obviously you didn't wander over these fields in the dark or alone. Only the base survives in situ, the shaft was apparently used for a lintel in a wall in 1777 and is now part of a mantelpiece in a house in Crich. In 1788 a number of Roman coins were found around the cross.