Coal Aston towards Unstone

In my ongoing quest to cover the local paths I drove to Coal Aston to help me reach further into North East Derbyshire. This is an area with many intersecting paths so the task is larger than for some pasts of 'my map'. The majority of the land is agricultural, a combination of diary farming and small arable fields. Some smaller plots are paddocks for horses, recreational riding looks to be popular around here.

Although there were a few dry weeks in late May, recently there has been a little rain so the hedgerows and field boundaries have been flourishing.

Port Patrick coastal path

This morning I went out-and-back along the Southern Upland Way and a little of the Rhins of Galloway Coast Path for 2 hours. The latter seems to be under development still and where it became unclear on the ground I headed back.

As is so often the case there was a fair amount of walking involved due to steepness and/or uneven ground. However, the coast is picturesque and there was no need to rush.

Whenever I'm in this area I think that one day I should walk the cross country Southern Upland Way but haven't committed to it fully!

Running water even in a dry spring

The hills around Sheffield are, of course, separated by numerous brooks that are well known in the area.

The Burbage bridges are popular landmarks and meeting places. After plentiful rain it can be quite a challenge to cross the stream beside the bridge, but at the moment stepping stone rocks are well exposed.

The path down Wyming Brook is fairly steep and not easy to ascend or descend. The brook tops-up Rivelin reservoir with crisp, clear water from the moors.

Intentional camera movement (ICM)

I'd read about the effects that could be made by camera movement so had a little experimentation whilst on a walk in the local woodland. My legs felt too tired for a run. These are the best.

The path is naturally ringed by trees and is enhanced by a rotation that emphasises the arches.

A simple flower picture becomes more abstract with a distinct background. Fill-in flash fixed the petals in place.

Photography while out and about

On my last few runs I've taken my LX5 camera as the images are far crisper than those from my 'mapping' iPhone SE. Some of its controls are showing signs of wear and I've been considering buying a replacement. However, despite the online hype for a plethora of cameras I haven't found one that I'd be prepared to spend on just yet. The influencer videos have encouraged me though to make an effort to find good angles to photograph rather than become trapped in GAS (although I may already have this for trail-running gear!).

My favourite route to the moors from home is via Limb Valley which starts from a semi-managed pond.

Typically the bluebells in the local woods are at their best in the first week of May. This year they arrived early but are lasting well in shaded spots.

The top of Limb Valley leads onto a very popular byway that leads into the Peak District National Park. I frequently use a section of the track, and perhaps monthly, run to its far end at Fox House.  

Houndkirk Road is littered with milestones and old gate posts. This one is on the site of the old inn. I often wish there was a cafe with toilets on the moor, although there are perfectly good pubs at each end of the byway.

The cotton grass is perfect at the moment, and with the spell of dry weather it's easy to cross directly from Oxstones to Houndkirk Road on the peat without getting wet feet.

Even in urban environments nature works hard to make an impression.

Ringing Roger

This morning I was in Edale, setting off just as the village was getting busy. I could see a stream of hikers heading up Grindsbrook Clough so decided to head east, starting with the ascent to the viewpoint of Ringing Roger.

Looping towards Lose Hill gives an excellent view of the valley which I find preferable to the Kinder plateau.

Despite making an effort, progress was relatively slow as the ascent is steep, the level paths have stones waiting to trip you up and the 'flat' route past the YHA is anything but!

North East Derbyshire

In my ongoing exercise to walk all of the rights of way on my local OS 1:25000 map, I headed to Unstone to walk in the South East corner of the map. I designed a marathon-length circular route to include a range of terrain and opportunities to take a break at a village pub or cafe.

A few kilometres at the map's edge were along the Chesterfield canal path, or Cuckoo way, which I've written about previously. Turning away from the canal I found that bridges over the river had been dismantled and so my intended path, and an alternative, were not possible.

 

This part of Derbyshire is quite different to the Peak District. Much of it is post-industrial, some agricultural and a fair proportion is suburban. The borders between the zones sometimes have surprises, for instance an area of HGV storage in a derelict farm.

Some of my route was along the Sheffield Country Walk which I'd like to complete as a single route one day. It included some very pleasant woodland that took me to the village of Ford where I was able to buy a long overdue coffee.

Every small town used to have a garage with a petrol station and the remnants of one were still in place in New Whittington.

Due to route changes on the go, I didn't quite cover the intended mileage but I was happy with 42km in 6:34hrs. Incidentally, the route included almost 900m of ascent as it literally went uphill and down dale.