Hartington Holiday!
Thanks to Nev and Jane for arranging a couple of days cycling under the expert guidance of Reid Anderson in the lovely limestone landscape of the southern Peak District. And a chance to cycle the southern section of the Pennine Bridleway.
Members from the Yorkshire Dales, Lancashire, NPSP and Welsh Borders groups all thought this a splendid idea too and bit by bit we gathered, first at Hartington then again at the head of the Monsal Trail for our first day’s excursion: down the Manifold Trail, up and over to Ilam for lunch then back along the Tissington Trail.
It was glorious weather, fine and sunny but never too hot and five battery and eight pedal powered boys and girls headed off for the first cafe stop at Wetton Mill where we enjoyed the sight of several fine vintage cars purring along the lanes.
At the end of the trail there is quite a steep uphill section to get you out of the Hamps Valley over to Ilam, which strangely enough is actually back in the Manifold Valley. However a short sharp climb gave way eventually to a gradual grind as we made our way to the ruins of Throwley Hall, an undoubted highlight of the ride so far, prompting resident former building inspector Eric to explore and declare it genuinely Medieval - in parts!
http://www.throwleyhallfarm.co.uk/history.html
Another impressive and well preserved Hall, Ilam, awaited us with a National Trust teashop and impressive gardens and church to investigate.
http://www.peakdistrictinformation.com/visits/ilamhall.php
Hunger and thirst satisfied, we made our way out of Ilam to the Tissington Trail at Fenny Bentley and thence north to Parsley Hey where we found the cafe still open and selling the most wonderful local ice creams! All that remained for the day was a lovely slow descent of Long Dale.
Day two promised much of the same though we were slightly down in numbers. The day, for some, began with the gradual ascent of Long Dale to Parsley Hey; one of those climbs which is so imperceptible that you hardly notice it - a tail-wind did help of course! For others, who chose to drive to Parsley Hey it proved a little problematical as the road was blocked to cars by roadworks and they had to take the long way round!
Convening at Parsley Hey we then set off south down the Tissington Trail in fine weather heading for the actual village of Tissington with its impressive Hall, Well and of course Tea shop for the first brew of the ride if not the day!
http://www.derbyshireuk.net/tissington.html
So began a very pleasant ride cross country, following Route 54, with some very welcome off-road sections avoiding main roads, to Carsington Water and then on to Wirksworth for lunch. The long steep descent into the town was ample warning of what was to come after lunch. However, after a bit of a search, we found a splendidly welcoming, if slightly chaotic cafe, The Sour Cow, which does a great disservice to the wonderful proprietors who brought us endless pots of tea and coffee and toasted sandwiches, whether we’d ordered them or not!
Payback time approached as we began the long grind up the road past Middle Peak Quarry to join the 1 in 8 inclined plain up to Middleton Top, the start of the Pennine Bridleway and site of the still working steam engine that hauled the wagons up said inclined plain.
http://www.peakdistrictinformation.com/visits/middleton.php
The High Peak trail thereafter is a wonder of early railway engineering with stationary engines hauling wagons up nine inclines along its entire length from Whaley Bridge to Cromford in its day.
http://www.peakdistrictinformation.com/visits/highpeaktrail.php
Eventually Parsley Hey hove into view to end the excursion for those re-joining their cars there while the rest of us enjoyed the ride down Long Dale yet again, though this time into the wind!
What a splendid couple of days - thanks again to Jane, Nev and Reid.
Day one photos can be viewed on Flickr here:
All photos are downloadable from Flickr and if you have any more to add please send them to me.
Rob Newton