Well it was chucking down with rain when i arrived at our Robs at 07;00 and didn't hold out much luck for getting out. I was met by Geoff on the driveway and he said he had just cranked up his computer and he wasn't going. Ike came around and he was all for it and so was Rob so it was just the 3 of us. With all the rain we've had we though go somewhere to see the results so we set off for Lathkilldale. It was light rain when we set off and almost stopped when we arrived at Over Haddon, we just parked in the main street and got booted up.
We just walked downhill to the river Lathkill where the little bridge is next to the old mill building. Not surprising the river was in full spate, in the past we have stood in the middle when it was bone dry.
We just had a nice gentle stroll along the river until we reached the remains of the Old Carter corn mill, there's nothing really left there apart from the water course where the wheel pit would have been and a couple of mill wheels nearby.
Over Haddon seems an unlikely birthplace for a former head of MI6, a position Maurice Oldfield rose to when he was appointed Director of the Secret Intelligence Service, in 1973, by Edward Heath. He joined the army in 1939, volunteered for the Intelligence Corps and was posted to the Middle East ending the war as a Lieutenant Colonel. After the war, he was awarded an MBE and joined the Foreign Office, where he gradually worked his way up to the top of the ladder. He was knighted in 1975, died six years later and is buried with his parents in the churchyard.
 |
| Along the riverbank Lathkill |
 |
| Slab bridge over the Lathkill |
 |
| After all the rain a bedraggled sheep |
 |
| Rob standing over the Mandale Sough. We have walked inside that in the past. Have a look at http://explorerjims.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/lathkill-dale-mandale-mine-sough.html |
 |
| Mandale sough |
 |
| Rob & Ike |
 |
| Wooden bridge leading to the remains of Mr Batemans House |
 |
| River on the left and flooding on the right |
 |
| Covering over an open shaft |
 |
| One of the many weirs on the Lathkill |
 |
| This is where the old Carters corn mill used to stand. |
 |
| Mill wheels from Carters corn mill |
 |
| You can just make out the ruins of Mr. Batemans House |
 |
| These stone pillars are what remains of the supports for an aqueduct that came from upstream to power a large wheel in the pumphouse for the Mandale lead mine. |
 |
| Riders crossing the river |
 |
| Look carefully at this slab on the bridge and you can make out all sorts of shelled creatures encased in the limestone. |
 |
| Another old mill building (not sure what its called) |
 |
| One of the old buildings in Over Haddon |
 |
| St. Annnes Church, Over Haddon built in 1880. |
We got slightly wet but nothing to worry about and it was nice to see the river in full flow. We had intended to go up to the cave where the water comes out into the river but we just left it a bit late to get to it, that's another week.
Cheers
