Sir Joseph Whitworth & Denby Fishing Ponds.

This week Geoff was indisposed because he was taking not one but 2 women to the car boot sale in Alstonefield. Unfortunately he couldn't sell them and ended up bringing them back!!
In the meantime myself Ike and Rob went to the Whitworth  park in Darley Dale. Ike had seen something on TV about the ponds there drying up so we went to have a look. Apparently the normal flow of water into the ponds had been diverted and water had to be pumped in to ensure the safety of the wildlife.
A water supply has now been restored.
We had a wander in the park and found a couple of interesting things out about the man himself.
Sir Joseph Whitworth, 1st Baronet (21 December 1803 – 22 January 1887) was an English engineer,entrepreneur, inventor and philanthropist. In 1841, he devised the British Standard Whitworth system, which created an accepted standard for screw threads. Whitworth also created the Whitworth rifle, often called the 'sharpshooter' because of its accuracy and is considered one of the earliest examples of a sniper rifle. In January 1887 at the age of 83, Sir Joseph Whitworth died in Monte Carlo where he had travelled in the hope of improving his health. He was buried at St Helen's Church, Darley Dale in Derbyshire.

Entrance gate to Whitworth Park

A heron landing in one of the ponds

A collection of mangles just opposite the park

This is Darley Dale station

Look at this post box built into the wall

Darley Dale Station

Darley Dale Station

Plaque of Sir Joseph Whitworth on his monument

Monument to Sir Joseph Whitworth in Whitworth Park

The rear of The Whitworth Institute

Signal box

Lovely little tub filled with plants in a garden.

 We found an information board stating that the cottages on Church road and Green Lane had replica wooden missiles that would have been fired from his field guns ,fixed to the gables. Unfortunately there is only one left. We had a chat to a guy setting up a car boot sale in the car park opposite the pub in Church Road. He is a water quality inspector for Severn Tent and gave us some great info about his job travelling around to all the reservoirs, rivers and soughs checking the water quality.

Only one replica left and its on this gable end.

The last wooden replica shell for Woolworth's field guns.

Railway track at the bottom perimeter of the park

Steam engines run by Peak Rail

Great cricket ground at Darley Dale CC

 After Darley Dale we flitted down to Street Lane near Denby to have a look at the fishponds down there.

Nice way to give the hedge a trim behind Street Lane. When he saw us he came and had a chat and gave us some great info about the old pits and railway tracks that were dotted all around here.

One of the fishing ponds at Street Lane

One of the fishing ponds at Street Lane

A new fishing pond has been constructed but has yet to be stocked.

Damsel Fly

This farm is where the hedge cutter lives and the new fishpond is his as well.

Great place to spend the afternoon fishing.

Another cracking Sunday morning, meeting 2 really interesting folk, next week we should be back to full strength.
Cheers

Gipsy Bank, Wolfscote Dale and Narrow Dale

We were back to Alstonefield this week and parked in the free car park where the car boot is held every last Sunday of the month.
This was a completely different walk to last weeks. When we arrived it was drizzling and quite miserable compared to the heatwave we've had. We sheltered for a while and then set off towards Gipsy Bank and the river Dove in Wolfscotedale. A steady walk out of the village and down a farm track, over a couple of fields and onto Gipsy Bank. Gipsy Bank is a decent of over 300 feet down to the river Dove via a series of hundreds of steps. Geoff was struggling with his knee's and he was very glad to get to the bottom. It was a lovely stroll along by the river seeing lots of birds, even a heron. The walk through Narrow Dale was amazing just grass on both sides of the steep sided dale. and the route back to the car was a steady climb but not really noticeable.

This is Frank Mottram he has lived in this house all his life.

Thought we were seeing things when we came face to face with an 8 foot tall dinosaur 

Ike & Rob sheltering from the rain.

Baby calf feeding.

This looks like an old trackway

Gipsy Bank with great views down the Dale

Views on the way down to the river Dove

Views on the way down to the river Dove

Views on the way down to the river Dove

Me with Wolfscotedale in the background.

Geoff coming down the Gipsy Bank steps

Views on the way down to the river Dove

Geoff with Wolfscotedale in the background

Footbridge over the Dove with the old stepping stones alongside it.

Geoff, Rob & Ike

The river Dove running through Wolfscotedale

The river Dove running through Wolfscotedale

The river Dove running through Wolfscotedale

The river Dove running through Wolfscotedale

A dipper sitting on a rock 

The river Dove running through Wolfscotedale

The 4 of us after breakfast

Rob & Ike

We came across this old Lister  stationary engine in the middle of Narrow Dale

You can see where the Narrow Dale name comes from

Thirsty work

Rob & Geoff checking the position on the map

Me at the Alstonfield Green Well

Rob at the Alstonfield Green Well

The Green Well was the main supply of water to the villagers until about the mid 1800's until a couple of reservoirs were built and the water was then taken from a pump which is still in the village.

Village pump

This was another cracking walk taking us through 2 different dales, Wolfscotedale and Narrow Dale with a short hop into Beresford Dale. This was just over 6 miles with some beautiful views especially coming down Gipsy Bank. The river has numerous weirs which were originally put in for fishing probably over 400 years ago. Roll on next week
Cheers