Over Haddon and Lathkilldale

Well it was chucking down with rain when i arrived at our Robs at 07;00 and didn't hold out much luck for getting out. I was met by Geoff on the driveway and he said he had just cranked up his computer and he wasn't going. Ike came around and he was all for it and so was Rob so it was just the 3 of us.  With all the rain we've had we though go somewhere to see the results so we set off for  Lathkilldale. It was light rain when we set off and almost stopped when we arrived at Over Haddon, we just parked in the main street and got booted up.
We just walked downhill to the river Lathkill where the little bridge is next to the old mill building. Not surprising the river was in full spate, in the past we have stood in the middle when it was bone dry.
We just had a nice gentle stroll along the river until we reached the remains of the Old Carter corn mill, there's nothing really left there apart from the water course where the wheel pit would have been and a couple of mill wheels nearby.

Over Haddon seems an unlikely birthplace for a former head of MI6, a position Maurice Oldfield rose to when he was appointed Director of the Secret Intelligence Service, in 1973, by Edward Heath. He joined the army in 1939, volunteered for the Intelligence Corps and was posted to the Middle East ending the war as a Lieutenant Colonel. After the war, he was awarded an MBE and joined the Foreign Office, where he gradually worked his way up to the top of the ladder. He was knighted in 1975, died six years later and is buried with his parents in the churchyard.

Along the riverbank Lathkill

Slab bridge over the Lathkill

After all the rain a bedraggled sheep

Rob standing over the Mandale Sough. We have walked inside that in the past. Have a look at http://explorerjims.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/lathkill-dale-mandale-mine-sough.html

Mandale sough

Rob & Ike

Wooden bridge leading to the remains of Mr Batemans House

River on the left and flooding on the right

Covering over an open shaft

One of the many weirs on the Lathkill

This is where the old Carters corn mill used to stand.

Mill wheels from Carters corn mill

You can just make out the ruins of Mr. Batemans House

These stone pillars are what remains of the supports for an aqueduct that came from upstream  to power a large wheel in the pumphouse for the Mandale lead mine.

Riders crossing the river

Look carefully at this slab on the bridge and you can make out all sorts of shelled creatures encased in the limestone.

Another old mill building (not sure what its called)

One of the old buildings in Over Haddon

St. Annnes Church, Over Haddon built in 1880.

We got slightly wet but nothing to worry about and it was nice to see the river in full flow. We had intended to go up to the cave where the water comes out into the river but we just left it a bit late to get to it, that's another week.
Cheers

Lumsdale Revisited

Well the weather this morning looked terrible and we weren't even sure if we were going out. I got up to Robs at 07:00 to see Ike walking down the lane to Robs house not dressed for the outdoors. We had a chat, to go or not to go. We went to Robs and he wasn't sure about going, i went round to Geoff's and knocked on his window. Ike and myself had a cuppa in our Robs then Geoff joined us but not before Ike had woken Joan up talking to loud. Rob went and fed his chickens while Ike went and got ready. We decided to risk it but not go very far and Rob suggested after all the rain we've had we could try a look at Lumsdale Falls. We set off at 07:45 and its only half an hour up the road just outside Matlock, We parked up and it was thankfully dry so we just walked up the well worn path up to the falls. Quite spectacular springs to mind and with lots of autumn leaves about its a photographers dream so my apologies for all the waterfall pictures.
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.

Position of the water falls

Ike & Geoff

Rob with my tripod

Interesting bricked up window.

 From Lumsdale we went down to Cromford to have a wander around there.

The Bear Pit where a lot of water courses meet

Ike

Ike Geoff & Rob

An old pig sty next to the Bear Pit

Cromford Pond

Heron

Ducks coming into land.

Very small bell tower

Lots of chimneys

Rob

Small mill pond at the top of the village

The famous Scarthins Bookshop

War memorial

Tea pot used as a nest box

Not seen any of these in Cromford

 Lovely leisurely walk up the Lumsdale Valley and then onto Cromford. We got a bit wet at Lumsdale but the shower soon passed and the sun made a very brief appearance I took my tripod and needed it for the long exposures of the water falls to give the milky smooth water.
See you next week.