Monsal Head to Great Longstone

We had a trip out to Great Longstone today up the A6 and via Bakewell we parked on the road opposite the Monsal Head Hotel. All 4 of us and Robs turn to drive we got there just after 06:40 and there was 2 cars already parked there. We walked towards the Monsal Head Hotel and turned right up the hill. We got some views of the Viaduct that you don't normally see and in the lay by there was someone asleep in a sleeping bag in there car. It was only a few hundred yards up the road and we turned into Chertpit Lane which is just a farm track. We stuck to the Lane for about 1/2 mile then took a detour to have a look at a dew pond. The views from here were quite spectacular despite the poor light levels and drizzle.  We got back onto Chertpit Lane then onto down past another dew pond where we bumped into a lady with her 4 dogs, Jean she was called and we had a very long chat. She pointed out a notice to us and suggested the grammar was not quite right. We all think it could have been worded better.
From there we went down the lane and past the Dale Farm Camp site and onto Moon Road then to the village of Great Longstone where we had our breakfast in the posh bus shelter.
After brekkie we carried on back towards the car passing through Little Longstone and the Congregational Church.

This weeks route around Great and Little Longstone

Just love the layers in this shot

Monsal Head Viaduct

Not a great shot but its a Curlew

Fantastic Moss on these walls

Gorse bushes in full bloom

Rob

Ike

Monsal Head Hotel in the middle of the shot with Robs car in the lane off to the left.

Dew Pond

Gorse

If you wondered where all the old baths went, now you know, in farmers fields

Highland Coo's

Springer Spaniels

Its been suggested the grammar is wrong on this notice

Jean with her dogs

Not sure what this is looks like some kind of pump

Great Longstone village pump

Great Longstone village cross

Breakfast time

Scarecrow

Village stocks

Lady cyclists

Little Longstone Congregational Church

 Just over 3 miles and a very pleasant walk, met a lovely lady with 4 springer spaniels, heard and saw a Curlew and some highland cattle. Surprisingly the Daffs are still in full bloom around there, spring is hanging on up there.
See you next week.

Lathkill Dale & Fern Dale

Another 06:00 am start and it was off up to the top end of Lathkill Dale. It was Ike's turn to drive and it didn't take long to get there. Booted up and through the gate and the first stop was a dew pond to see if there were any newts in it, there was quite a few. We've been through Lathkill Dale a few times but this time we were taking a new footpath that led us into new territory Fern Dale. Fern Dale is a lovely little dale with lots of limestone outcrops with tree's growing out of them. On our trip around we bumped into a chap we had spoken to a couple of years before, his name is Bill Gee and a very knowledgeable man. We had discussions about the local area and Horse drawn funeral carriages of all things.

Route around Lathkill Dale & Fern Dale

The first Dew Pond

Many sheep & lambs

This is one of those Water Boatman insects

Geoff & Ike

Snail

Views of Lathkill Dale

Heading into Manchester

First one this year

Peacock in One Ash Grange Farm

One Ash Grange Farm pond

Ike & Geoff

Breakfast stop

Spotted Magpie Mine way across the valley

Rob, Ike, Bill Gee & Geoff

Trouble getting over the style

All the sheep went running to Rob, they thought they were going to get fed

One of the larger Dew Ponds

Limestone walls

Views of Fern Dale

The ground was carpeted with Celandine

Another Celandine

Found him just as we were coming through the last gate at Lathkill Dale

Another cracking little walk only 3 1/2 miles, through some lovely scenery. We saw a hare, peacock and heard several skylarks and an abundance of lambs plus a meet up with Bill Gee.

Being out in the countryside is good for the soul.

See you next week

Cheers

Jim