Darley Dale to Peak Rail

I was poorly last week so i missed that trip. 4 of us this week and when i arrived at Plains Lane to pick up the boys it was damp and murky with very poor light levels. We weren't sure where to go and ended up parking outside of St. Helen's Church in Chuchtown Darley Dale. We walked back down towards Whitworth Park and from there we walked along the cycle track to the Peak Rail sidings. The gate was open so we just walked into the complex we went past a WW1 trench installation and of course brother Rob had to go and find a way in.  We spotted a narrow gauge railway track that Geoff wanted to look at then we found a bench for our breakfast. I had a look at my map and saw a footpath across the fields would give us a different way back to the car.

This weeks route

St. Helen's churchyard

St. Helen's church in the dusk.

Railway station at Darley Dale

An old GR postbox

Could be trouble here. 3 males and 2 females

Signal Box

Looks like the old boot graveyard

Big brother is watching you

Still murky and dark

Peak Rail sidings

Ike, Rob & Geoff

Old truck

WWI trench

Rob

Narrow gauge railway

Old air raid shelter

Geoff getting through the gate

Unusual fence line

Geoff squeezing through a style

Quite a few of these holes in the wall, not sure if  its to let animals through or floodwater.

This looks like an old water pump

Another grand old post box

Two ladies with their great danes only 4 months old.

Back to the church

 It was a 07:30 start with very poor light levels for photo's but still It was good to get out with the boys today. As usual we put the world to rights 

See you next week

Quick Visit to Stanton Moor & Whitworth Park

We had a bad start today, when i arrived there, Rob and Geoff were up and about but no sign of Ike. We went down to his house which was in darkness and knocked on the door, then i phoned him. He answered and said he would be half an hour but it didn't end there, he had been out the night before and couldn't drive so we switched weeks and i drove. We set off after 06:40 and because of the late start and the weather we ended up at Stanton Moor. We only got just past the Corkstone when we got caught in a load of rain out on the open moor. We carried on to the Nine Ladies Stone circle and took a bit of shelter under the wishing tree.  After the rain eased off we carried on the circular route back to the car where we decided to have our breakfast in the shelter of some trees. It was still quite early so we decided to call in and have a little wander around Whitworth Park in Darley Dale. This is a really nice park with a sizable pond where we spotted a heron. We headed back to the car and home. Guess what it had hardly rained in Belper and we were like drowned rats, that's life.

The Corkstone

Loads of heather in in full bloom

Rob, Geoff and Ike in the rain

Ilke

First glimpse of the Nine Ladies

The Nine Ladies Stone circle and the Wishing Tree

One of the many items hanging from the wishing tree

Rob, Ike& Geoff looking at the info board

Geoff

Reflections

Back at the Corkstone

Coming out of the quarry

Breakfast time

This is in Whitworth Park

First glimpse of the heron in Whitworth Park

We intended to go to Bamford Edge this morning but a late start and the weather was against us so we improvised with a couple of short walks in the drizzle. Still an enjoyable morning where we put the world to rights as  usual.
See you next week.