High Rake and Stanshill Dale

Just 3 of us again this week and my  turn to drive. We parked up about 6 feet from where we did last week. Just a few yards away from the car and on the hillside under a bush was a memorial, still being looked after and with a wonderful view.This time we turned east and walked along High Rake which as the name suggests is an open quarry, it still looks active with one or two bits of machinery lying about. We found an old green lane which must have been used by miners eons ago and this lead us downhill until we got almost to the hamlet of Rowland. From there we followed the track towards Great Longstone and started walking uphill back in the direction of the car. For breakfast we found this lovely seat with a great view. The weather had been a bit iffy, it started out OK but got a bit damp and drizzly and then passed over, this meant that for a spell i had to put my camera away although i didn't miss much. The last 3/4 of a mile was a killer, part of it just a slight uphill but the rest was very steep and involved a bit of hands on, it was an ascent of over 470 feet and a lot of puffing and blowing. We got to the car and went down through the village of Great Longstone where we spotted the old village pump which we had completely missed last week.

This weeks route

Great views from the car park

A lovely memorial for John Henry Jupp.

Meadow Pipit

The road to High Rake

Rob & Ike beside the workings on High Rake

High Rake

Rob

Green Lane

Red Campion

Ike & Rob

Ike & Rob

Ike

Ike & Rob at this style in the middle of a field but no fence either side of it.

Cowslip everywhere

Cowslip

Ike

Flowers on Cow Parsley

Dew pond, they were dotted  around almost in every field

Rob holding up the electric fence wire for Ike to get under.

Purple Orchids

Purple Orchid

Me in the middle of some Cow Parsley

Just look what your mates get up to behind your back!!!

Great Longstone

Breakfast

View up Stanshill Dale

Stanshill Dale

Chaffinch having a bath in one of the dew ponds

This is the biggest buttercup field I've ever seen

Old barn

Blackbird

Ike climbing up the steep incline

Ike puffing and blowing at the top/

Great Longstone village pump.

 This walk was only about 3 1/2 miles but it had a lot packed into it with some stiff climbing at the end. The sky was rubbish for taking pics but with a half descent sky this walk would be a photographers dream.
Cheers