Friden to Middleton

It was Geoff''s turn thi week and with the clocks changing we lost an hours sleep, we met up as usual at the new time of  07:00 and set off up the A6 back to Friden car park the same one we were in last week. Geoff had spotted one of the old green lanes while we were out last Sunday so he planned a walk around it for this week. We went out of the car park and down a makeshift path from the bridge to the road below. There was what looked like one of the old Derbyshire Stoops by the roadside with markings on it but couldn't quite make out what it said. We just went about 3/4 mile along the road to a footpath marker that took us across the fields. We passed a lovely scene with old milk churns set on a platform as they would have been years ago. These were just decoration and had plants growing in them. There was a large pond there with a lot of plants in there and Rob thought it would be full of newts.  Carrying on up the track we came onto Whitfield Lane where we passed an old barn, its a shame these are just left to rot. We carried on towards Middleton where we saw the war memorial for 3 of the villagers. We carried on up the road which turned into a track that got a bit muddy in a couple of places, going uphill we passed some old mine workings and an old quarry. We carried on and as i checked my GPS i saw it said we were approaching an old roman road and just as we got passed a wall i spotted an engraved stone referring to it. The next interesting thing we saw was two people on bikes but one of them was a bit special being one of these recumbent style bikes. From there we headed back to the car past the brick works and to the car park where we had our breakfast before setting off home.

This weeks route

Looks like an old Stoop

Milk churns

Couldn't resist doing a sepia version

Rob, Ike, Geoff

Just note all the old workings on the left running up the field.

Shame they are just left to rot.

Middleton war memorial

Lovely tree lined lane

Ike and Geoff skirting around the muddy track

More old workings

Track into the quarry

Looking into the quarry

The old roman road marker 

Ike 

he marker in the wall on the left

Another of the Derbyshire Low's

Cyclists

Looks a very comfortable ride

Displays on the wall of the brick works

One of the pics on the displays on the walls.

 Had a great walk just over 5 1/2 miles, we heard a curlew and a skylark although didnt see them with lots of cracking scenery.
See you next week.

Parsons Tor Lathkilldale

This was just a recce for me to see how to get to Parsons Tor when the weather gets better. I looked at James Grants book and thought I'd have a go at that. I parked next to the toilet block in the lay by before you get to Monyash on the B5055. I just crossed the road and followed the footpath through the gate. After a couple of nice flat fields the footpath then got a bit rough with a very narrow track meandering through a boulder field, some of them a bit slippy. The track went past the bottom of  Ricklow Dale and the spoil heap from Ricklow quarry then eventually opened out. Soon got to the cave where the river Lathkill gushes from in the winter but it was completely dry. From there a spotted a track leading up the hill where i wanted to be to get to Parsons Tot. Its about 180 feet from the valley floor to the top and i needed a couple of breathers before i got there. Just turned left at the top and followed the path, its no good if you can't stand heights there's little to stop you before you hit the bottom lol. Soon got to Parsons Tor and boy what a view, can't wait to get back in decent light. Did a few pics then just followed the track back past the top end of Ricklow quarry then through a couple of fields to the road then back to the car.

Route around Parsons Tor

 

Entering the dale proper

Rough track underfoot

Me sitting in the Lathkill river head cave

Oh that's me and my twin

View from above the dale

Parsons Tor looking down into Lathkill Dale

Another shot from Parsons Tor

Heading up through Ricklow Dale back to the car.

Only 2 1/2 miles but a bit of up and down with about 180 feet difference between top and bottom. The sky was completely bland so need to go back in good photog conditions, but I'll just use the quick top route to get there and back to Parsons Tor.

Cheers