Peak District day 4

We awoke to beautiful cloudless skies and sunshine for the first day on this trip.  Definitely a good day for a walk!  The temperature climbed to around 21°C (72°F) by mid afternoon with no more than a very gentle breeze all day.

Still remembering our generous dinner last night, we both opted for a modest breakfast which we consumed at a leisurely pace.  After applying a coating of sun cream to all exposed skin we set off at around 10.20 on a route described in the pamphlet as "mild".  The distance was only 3.7 miles (6 km) but there was still a fair amount of hill involved.  (Duh, what did we expect? ... This IS the "Peak District" after all!)  We agreed it would be better classified as "moderate", but maybe that was just our strained muscles complaining after the abuse of the previous 3 days.  The app on my phone confirmed that our total elevation climbed was 639 feet (194 metres), with the highest point at 1316 feet (399 metres).

The sunny weather definitely made the surroundings look bright, as if freshly washed, although the countryside on this route contained less of the variety we have seen on the previous walks.  Still very beautiful though.  At some points we had an uninterrupted view of Manchester and surrounding areas in the distance.  We also noticed more types of flowers beside the tracks today, including yellow poppies, orange poppies and tiny blue flowers that looked like a cross between Forget-me-nots and Violas.  A Google search revealed they are called "Germander speedwell", also commonly known as "Bird's eye" or "Cat's eye".  Neither of us had seen them before.

Oi, what is that sheep wearing?

We arrived back at base at around 12.30 and spent the next couple of hours relaxing with a cold drink in the beer garden, still enjoying the warm sunshine.

Tomorrow morning we check out and return home.  We have both enjoyed our first visit to the Peak District and are confident that we will return in the not-too-distant future.

Enjoy the photos!

Peak District day 3

Feeling good again, so we tackled another walk this morning.  Set off around 09.50 after a good breakfast.  Our route today stretched towards the north and east of the hotel, whereas the previous two had been to the west and south.

Total distance walked was about 6.4 miles (10.4 km), which we covered in 2 hours 35 minutes, but again with stops we were out for 3 hours 35 minutes.  Total elevation climbed by adding all the uphill sections together was 1200 feet (364 metres). The highest point we reached was Lantern Pike at an official elevation of 1231 feet (373 metres) above sea level, although my phone said it was 1444 feet (438 metres).  It felt a lot higher than that!

Along the way I managed to lose my sunglasses (had them perched on top of my cap while going through a gloomy stretch under the trees and forgot about them the next time I adjusted the cap).  I posted a notice back at the hotel asking that if anyone should see a sheep wearing a cheap pair of shades, would they please ask the sheep to return them to me.  You never know, maybe the local sheep are more understanding than the horses we met yesterday!?

We arrived back at the hotel around 13.25 and spent most of the afternoon resting our weary muscles.  It was a very enjoyable day out, but it was hard work.  The photos don't really do justice to how steep the terrain was ... and we saw several people attempting the climb on mountain bikes!  Either very fit or very brave or very foolish ... or a combination of all three!

Enjoy the photos!

Peak District day 2

We awoke feeling somewhat battle-weary this morning, but have been doing lots of stretches to prevent the muscles from seizing up totally.  Breakfast did not disappoint - omelettes and accessories rather than full English.

We set off for our morning walk at around 09.45, a shorter and more gentle route than yesterday.  About 2 miles (3.2 km) with far less up and down hills.  We took in the scenery, stopping to "talk" to the farm animals and take lots of photos.  I discovered that the local horses and chickens are not great conversationalists!

We returned to the room for a cuppa and change of clothes, after which we went for a drive around some of the famously picturesque countryside, moving into areas where the hills became much more pronounced.  Stopped in a town called "Castleton" which obviously only exists to support the visiting hikers and cyclists.  We estimated that 80% or more of the local enterprises are restaurants, tearooms and some B&B-type hotels.

We strolled through the beautiful town, taking more photos of the stream running through and the stone buildings.  Ended up in one of the tearooms for a delicious "cream tea", complete with warm, freshly baked scones smothered in strawberry jam* and cream.  (*jam = jelly for my American readers.)  The downstairs seating area was full, but there was more available upstairs.  Forgetting momentarily that this was an old building dating back to the days when people were a lot smaller, I did not notice the overhead beam half way up the staircase and gave my head an almighty crash, resulting in a small graze to the skin and a sizeable lump that will probably remain for several days.  Yes, it was very painful; no, I did not cry, but I did lap up all the attention from the waitresses!

One of the tourist attractions in Castleton is a cave that was previously inhabited by troglodytes who earned a living making rope for the local mining trade, but also served as a hideout for thieves and rogues.  The cave system, which boasts the largest cave entrance in Britain is officially known as "Peak Cavern" but the locals have given it a name referring to a certain region of the devil's anatomy ... see the sign in the photo!

We returned to the room for a nap and shower before heading out to one of the local watering holes in the nearby town of "New Mills".  The food was tasty, but some of the nearby patrons were noisy.  Nevertheless it was a pleasant meal overall.  Hoping for another good sleep tonight. 

Enjoy the photos!

Peak District day 1

Ann and I have taken a long weekend break and decided to spend it in the beautiful Peak District National Park, designated an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).  The area is adorned with lots of green rolling hills, rivers & streams, farmlands, stiles and all the features you would associate with the quintessential English countryside.  A very popular holiday destination, especially among cyclists and ramblers, we have chosen to explore some of the hiking trails in the area.

It took us about 3.5 hours to drive here yesterday afternoon, arriving at about 5pm.  We have booked into a local pub hotel called the "Pack Horse Inn", which is stone-built, typical of so many of the traditional buildings in the area.  Our room is neat and freshly decorated but still in the traditional style, in keeping with the building's architecture.

We had supper in the restaurant last night and then made it an early night.  This morning, after a hearty full English breakfast we donned our hiking boots and set off on one of the mapped hiking trails.  It was a round trip of about 7.6 miles (12.3 km), through a variety of different terrains, including many farm fields, several rough, muddy footpaths, a towpath along the canal, cobbled streets, wooded areas and a track beside an old, disused mill building beside the river, now a tourist attraction and restaurant.  We took our time, but kept a reasonable pace, interrupted only to take photos and appreciate the local surroundings.

According to the app on my phone, we were walking for 2 hours, 51 minutes, but with stops we were out for about 4.5 hours.  If you total up all the uphill and downhill portions, we ascended (and descended) a total of 1017 feet (308 metres).  Having spent most of the last 16 months getting virtually zero exercise, mostly sitting at my desk and seldom leaving my house, this was quite a shock to the system.  My body feels tired and well-worked, but hopefully I will avoid any serious aches and pains.  Tomorrow we will walk some more, but will probably choose a fairly moderate trail.

Enjoy the photos!