Two Dales Around Hall Dale

We set off in the mist up the  A6 and parked at the village of Two Dales opposite an old letterbox, a GR wall box, not many of them left. We walked up the road for a short distance then off up an old pack horse track. This was  a steep incline on very rough ground, slow going. The mist just got worse and we could hardly see a lot in front of us. We walked past an old friend the stoop on the old pack horse route. Then it was through the woods above Woodside Farm. Out of the woods and onto the heather clad moors where it was very damp. The track had almost turned into a stream and we frequently had to go off track and through the heather. By the time we got to the road we were all soaking wet. We decided to stick to the road on the way back to the car to avoid getting more wet. There was one notable feature none of us had seen before and that was a sort of memorial at the top of Bent Lane. We have all seen the flower memorials at the roadside but this was something entirely different. This involved a box, a plate, a champagne glass, lots of cigarette buts and an apple with pound coins stuck into it. I would love to know what that was all about.

Route around Hall Dale

Rob

Ike and Geoff

Geoff on the old pack horse track

The stoop pointing the way to Chesterfield.

Ike taking a pic of the stoop[

The stoop is now incorporated into a gate post.

To fry or not to fry

Misty woods. Geoff & Rob

Some misty woods

These colours are as seen, the rust colour is from pine needles.

Geoff battling through the bog.

Ike & Rob

A little cairn out on the moor

A memorial to someone.

Hardy sheep

Tree house needing some TLC

Some glorious colours in the woods

Water trough

This water trough next to where we parked had 3 goldfish in it.

This walk was just about 5 1/2 miles with an initial ascent over 700 feet, hard going in places but never the less a cracking morning.
See you next week.