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.

Swarkestone Junction to the Trent Viaduct

This week we returned to Swarkestone Junction but we ventured along the eastern course of the canal to the Trent Viaduct via the old railway track.
Before we set off from Plains Lane i had spotted the Waning Moon just above the tree line at the other side of the valley. I got a quick snap and it wasn't until i looked at it on my laptop that i saw i had also got the Planet Saturn in the frame.
It was Ike's turn to drive and we arrived about 08:00 ish, changed into boots and set off. It was a lovely bright crisp morning with a bit of frost and mist about.

The Waning Moon with Saturn in the top left hand corner.

Someone has got the fire stoking up

Gorgeous warm light on the wall of that bridge.

The light catching these overhanging branches and the bridge.

Swarkestone Hall Farm on the left

Ike walking into the Sun

Geoff

Willington Power Station Cooling Towers

Spiders web on the bridge

Lovely mist 

Misty river Trent

We found this old pressure vessel of some sort next to the river, we think it may have been a pump

Ike

The Trent Viaduct

Underneath the arches, i dreamed my life away........

Jet just took off from East Mids

I'm assured this part of the points is called a frog

Geoff getting stuck

Geoff, Ike & Rob

Swarkestone Hall Pavilion also known as Swarkestone Stand and The Grandstand is a 17th-century pavilion. It may have been built to celebrate the marriage of Sir John Harpur in 1630.

The Parish Church of St James was heavily restored in 1874-76, by F.J.Robinson, with only the south west tower and the Harpur chapel remaining intact. The chapel contains alabaster monuments to Sir Richard Harpur (1577) and Sir John Harpur (1627), and a chancel tomb to John Rolleston who died in 1482.

Close up of the Pavilion

Had a nice chat to this barge owner, it was his barge smoking in the first pic.

Another cracking walk, in bright glowing sunlight, you just cant beat a mixture of water and sunrise, magic.
See you next week.