Monsal Dale Weir

All 4 of us this week and with the grotty weather we thought of going on a trail with some hard surface so tried to avoid grassy fields because after all the rain they would be really wet. We called in at Shotters Spring to have a look at a pond there but it was really wet and not able to get to the waters edge. We ended up at Bakewell hoping to walk to Hassop via the old rail track but it just wouldn't stop raining. We sat in the car for a while and Rob just asked a question which one of the Derbyshire weirs was the highest so after a discussion we ended up in White Lodge car park on the A6 and set off for Monsal weir. We went across the road from the car park over a style and onto the footpath which went across an open field then through the woods and over a stream. The walk took us alongside the river Wye and through Monsal Dale with Fin Cop towering above us. We eventually got to the weir and it was in full flow after all the rain, a spectacular sight. After taking a few pics, Geoff decided to go back to the car and drive it to Cressbrook where he would meet us while we carried on the walk under the Monsal Head Viaduct and alongside the river to Cressbrook. On our travels this morning we saw a dipper on the river and a sparrowhawk drop from the sky into a bush and he came out a second later with his breakfast clutched in his talons.

Me at Monsal Weir

Our route through Monsal Dale

Don't know what these are

Shotters Spring

Ike

Geoff

Geoff ducking under a tree

The 3 wise men

Geoff

Footbridge over the Wye

First glimpse of the Monsal Weir

Monsal weir

Monsal weir

Rob at Monsal weir

Rob

Me at Monsal weir

Monsal weir

Top of Monsal weir

Monsal weir

Monsal weir

Monsal weir

Looking upstream from Monsal weir

Looking downstream from Monsal weir

Monsal weir

Ike and Rob

Monsal Head Viaduct

A couple of dogs enjoying the water

The Viaduct

Bridge over the Wye

Rob & Ike

Nice little plants growing in a wall

A Victorian letterbox

Having breakfast

Lovely views of stone walls

Peter's Stone and Cressbrook Dale

Peter's Stone

 This was only 2 miles but the weather dictated where we could go. On the way back we had a detour via Peter's Stone and rerouted around Bakewell due to traffic problems. Despite the rubbish weather it was still an enjoyable morning out. P.S. When we got back to Belper it had been bone dry all morning.
See you next week.

Ironville to Stoneyford

I was away last week on holiday so missed last week and there was only 3 of us today, Rob was off to a reptile fair. Geoff wanted to go and walk part of the unused section of the Cromford Canal between Ironville and Stoneyford. We parked at Forge Row in Ironville and just followed the footpath. It started along a track then through some woods until the track ended up at a railway footbridge where Geoff used to cross years ago. We kept on the same side of the railway line and the track took us through some more woods and then into open fields with long flowing grass. The sun was up and it was quite warm with only the sound of birds, absolutely bliss. The footpath took us to Stoneyford a very small residential settlement with of about 6 houses. There used to be a pub there on Boat Lane but sadly now boarded up. While we were there a large tipper truck came down the lane and he just squeezed past the bridge, looks like he's done it a few times before. From there we started to head back along the side of where the Cromford canal used to be, its been filled in at this section. Part of this section was a bit muddy after all the rain this week. The track passed through the Erewash Meadows Nature reserve and very nice it is too. After a short while the canal position became quite obvious and then water filled. We had our breakfast next to the bridge where i took the Flying Scotsman picture a couple of weeks ago. After that it was short walk back to the car.

Grazing horses

This weeks route

This style that Geoff is climbing through has a telegraph pole as one post and a railway sleeper as the other post.

Geoff recons this used to be a wooden footbridge years ago

Tracking off through the jungle.

Ike

Numerous types of grasses 

Ike and Geoff

Looks like this gate has been repaired about 10 times

Lovely long flowing grasses

Boarded up pub on Boat Lane

A very tight fit

Nice garden at Stoneyford

Round up

Me 

Looks like Ike is holding his nose to jump in

Overgrown Cromford Canal

Mother and babies

Water in the Cromford Canal

The old Mechanics Institute in Ironille

These houses in Forge Row are made from composite material some of it vitrified clinker material.

 This was a lovely gentle walk mostly on level even ground and only 3 1/2 miles through varied scenery. Woods, fields and alongside a canal from the 1790's. Nice peaceful morning with some SUNSHINE almost forgot what it looks like.
See you next week.