One Ash Grange Farm

This week was a return to the same parking spot as the previous 2 weeks. We followed the footpath to Lathkilldale for 2 fields and then veered right and the footpath led us above the side of  Lathkilldale for a short distance then off towards One Ash Grange Farm.

One Ash Grange Farm was a medieval farm and a Quaker meeting place dating from the 12th century. It was originally settled by the Cistercian monks of Roche Abbey. 

Atmospheric Gateway to Lathkilldale

Medieval pig sty

I think this is supposed to be a monk in the garden

One Ash Grange Farm

Cold store used by the monks

Over view of One Ash Grange Farm

Spring is coming, they are stripping off

Breakfast stop

Fag break

Just look at those boots - shining!!!

Moneyash Church

2 old friends - Stoop and Minninglow.

We were certainly blessed with the weather this week - lets hope it continues.

We had more styles to climb over than we have ever encountered in the past and Geoff was just struggling a bit, so next week is going to be a bit easier.

Cheers

The River Lathkill is Back

After a couple of weeks off for good behaviour we were back on the trail of the missing River Lathkill.
On the way there we encountered rain then a snow blizzard. By the time we parked up at the west end of Lathkill dale it had almost stopped raining.We set off along the well worn footpath, although it was a bit wet.
Just a couple of fields in the rocky ground gets a bit tricky to walk over being wet and slippery. It was especially tricky for the two old uns me and Geoff.

Difficult terrain over the rocks

Relief at getting through the rock field.

 After we got past the rock field area it was a lot easier to navigate the footpath.

This is a beautiful Dale.

Me on the dry bed of the Lathkill Dale cave.

Footbridge

Geoff squeezing through a style

Dipper posing for a pic

One of the many waterfalls on the Lathkill

Don't know what this is all about.

Footbridge at Batemans House.

Water in the Mandale Sough

Some body's been busy.

This is our breakfast stop in previous visits.

The bridge at Carters Mill with a small amount of water flowing through.

The ground around the Carter Mill bridge was covered with these lovely plants.

The sluice gate was open and made the river look very odd.

The weirs on the Lathkill

Geoff waiting for our lift.

Well we just wanted to see if the river was back and indeed it is. There was no water coming out of the cave , but it soon appeared further downstream. There was even a bit of standing water in the Mandale mine sough and a little coming out of the between Carters Mill and the weirs. It was odd to see the water channelled through the sluice gate on the second to top weir. After the grim start with the rain and snow it turned out to be a good morning.
Roll on next week.

Derwent & Howden Dams

This week we decided to go and have a walk around the North Derbyshire reservoirs to see how full they are.

We set off at about 6:40 and arrived at a parking area just a hundred metres away from the Fairholmes visitor centre, unusually we were not the first ones to park up, there were 5 cars already in residence. Its just a short walk up to the Derwent Dam which is at the south end of Derwent reservoir. These reservoirs The Howden, The Derwent and Ladybower all supply water to most of Derbyshire and parts of South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

Derwent Dam

 The construction of the dams was started in 1901 and finished in 1912. The huge blocks of stone were transported from Bole Hill quarry near Grindleford on a specially created 7 mile long standard gauge railway. After providing a million tons of stone the quarry was closed in 1914 with the railway shortly after. To accommodate the army of workers a small temporary town was built. With workers and families the town grew to a population of almost 1000. Most of the buildings were constructed using corrugated metal sheets and hence it became known as TINTOWN. Its proper name was Birchinlee and it had everything a normal town has, a cinema, canteen, post office, hairdressers, school and a pub. Unfortunately some workers died during the construction and they were buried in the churchyard at nearby Bamford.

West Tower of the Derwent Dam

 The dams were used by the RAF in 1943 where 617 squadron (The Dambusters) practised there low level flying and bombing techniques they used on the Ruhr dams in Germany. There is a small museum dedicated to the 617 Squadron in the west tower of the Derwent Dam.

We walked past the Derwent Dam which houses the 617 Squadron Museum and just a few metres away we saw this memorial to Pip the sheepdog.

Memorial to Pip the sheepdog

Tip and his 81 year old master Joseph Tagg went out walking on Howden Moors but were reported missing in December 1953. It was 15 weeks later after the worst of the winter when they were found and Tip was miraculously still alive lying next to his master. 

We carried on and eventually spotted Howden Dam in the distance. We passed a couple of notice boards giving information about Birchinlee (Tintown) then we left the footpath and went down to the reservoir edge and followed the bank around to the dam. .

Derwent reservoir

Derwent reservoir

Howden Dam in the distance

Geoff looking at the notice board for the Birchinlee "Canteen"

Rob & Ike reading about Birchinlee

We had a couple of obstacles one of which was a small brook. Brother Rob decided it wasn’t that small and ran at it and tried to jump it, big mistake. Unfortunately I only had time to snap the after event, he got his feet wet and dented pride

Brother Rob in the ditch

Rob photographing Howden Dam

Howden Dam 

Rob in front of the Dam wall

Me at the Howden Dam

Me at the Dam

Great spot for breakfast, but very noisy

The water was pouring over the dam wall and what the photo’s don’t give is the deafening sound of falling water, awesome.

Ike snapping away

Rob snapping the West Tower

Rob in front of the dam wall, gives a bit of scale

West Tower Howden Dam

West Tower Howden Dam

Top of Howden Dam

Water pouring over Howden Dam with a deafening roar.

We had our breakfast here, did a few more pics then it was back down the road to the car. We walked about a mile and spotted this guy on this “Ski” type form of transport, it looked good and he was going at a fair rate. Shortly after that we caught the Sunday Dam bus and got back to the car.

Off the bus and head for the car.

A cracking morning having walked about 5 miles and although the light was poor at least it wasn’t cold.

See you next week

Cheers