Osmaston to Wyaston

5 of us this week, Geoff's daughter Sally had travelled up to see her dad on Fathers Day as a surprise. She set off at 04:00 to get to Blackbrook before the crew set off at 06:00. With it forecast as a very hot morning we Ike decided a nice walk across the fields so it was off to Osmaston and we parked up just beside the pond. The footpath went across the football pitch through a fence and off into the fields. The footpath was sometimes not easily recognisable and we went off track a couple of times but my GPS kept us going. We came to a huge corn field where we had to walk up the tractor paths so as not to damage any crop, the path on the map was straight across the field. We encountered an electric fence, fortunately not switched on. we found a nice shady tree for our breakfast stop and spotted a couple of hares in the field. Back to the car and we ended up at Ike's daughters in Brailsford where we had a nice cuppa.

This weeks route

Osmaston Pond

Swallow

Ike

Sally & Geoff

Rob

Sally & Ike

Rob & Ike

Geoff & Sally

Sally & Geoff negotiating the electric fence

Well dressing in Wyaston

Just checking the map

Breakfast time

Vintage tractor

Sally

One of Rachels Dogs

 We had a good walk with a few moments off track, had to pass through a very boggy area in the woods and spotted some nice wildlife including a pair of swallows, several hares. We got a bit concerned at one stage when a group of young bullocks took too much interest in us passing through their field. A blistering hot morning with little shelter from it. Summer is definitely here, Ike, Rob and Geoff had took their jumpers off and i had my shorts on although i did suffer from a couple of nettle stings.
See you next week.

Hartington to Wolfscote Hill

4 of us today and we headed off to Hartington so we could have a trip up to Wolfscote Hill. We went through Hartington and tried to park a couple of miles out of the village but the spot where Geoff used to park years ago wasn't there any more and so we came back and parked in the square in Hartington. The footpath runs behind the toilets then straight into open country. We wound our way through Beresford Dale then Wolfscote Dale crossing the river Dove a couple of times. After a short trip into Wolfscote Dale we headed uphill to one of the caves and then followed on up towards Wolfscote Grange Farm then onwards to the trig point at the top of Wolfscote Hill. The views from up there are amazing. A few pics at the trig point then headed back down towards Hartington, we stopped for a breakfast break at an old farm and then carried on to the car.

This weeks route from Hartington to Wolfscote Hill

Rob & Ike

The river Dove in Beresford Dale, this is known as Pike Pool

An acrobatic snail

Footbridge over the Dove

This is the cave we checked out.

River Dove in Wolfscote Dale

Heading up to the cave

Wolfscote Dale

Rob & Geoff at the cave

The view from in the cave looking out over the river Dove

Geoff climbing above the cave 

Wolfscote Dale in the valley below. Ike, Geoff and Rob.

Geoff taking a pic 

The track up to Wolfscote Grange

One of the old windows in Wolfscote Grange

Rob petting up the local cat.

He posed for me sitting on a wall

One of the many dew ponds we saw

Found the remains of a sheep's scull

Rob sitting on the trig point

Rob, Geoff and Ike

Another huge dew pond, they were all pretty empty.

Full of tadpoles

Spotted the tower in the trees

Hartington village pond

A cracking walk this morning just over 4 1/2 miles travelling through some great countryside. A bit of a struggle climbing above the cave where the ground was soft and slippy, it was OK for the other 3 they had sticks to support them. A bit windy up at the trig point but a great morning out.

See you next week.