Month: August 2021

Rolleston on Dove to Tutbury, Staffordshire – March 2021

This was a walk from Rolleston-on-Dove in Staffordshire, along the River Dove to Tutbury and back by a very quiet road and across country back to Rolleston.

If you’ve got time, Tutbury Castle is worth a look. Be aware that it is privately owned and opening hours are eccentric. At the time of this walk, the castle wasn’t open because of Covid.

There were lots of dramatic and changeable skies where it looks like you need to pack for every sort of weather: sunglasses, sunscreen, raincoat, hat and scarf. Fortunately, despite dark threatening skies, it remained dry with just a light shower for a few minutes.

It’s very English location with pretty villages, old churches, swans and spring flowers just starting to bloom, slightly spoilt by the Nestle factory in Hatton. Even if you ignore it visually, the smell of coffee can be overpowering.

This is the session I discovered that I had dirt on the CMOS sensor of my camera, so you might spot unidentified objects here and there. These are the perils of trying to understood what goes wrong with a ‘proper’ camera after using my phone for so long…

I thought it would be nice for the swans on the Dove near Hatton to get their own small section:

These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

    Earl Sterndale, Derbyshire – April 2021

    This was an intended walk from Earl Sterndale to Chrome Hill, also known as The Dragon’s Back. Park outside the church, opposite ‘The Quiet Woman’ pub.

    It was one of those days where intention and actuality don’t overlap and I didn’t get far. It’s a walk to definitely go back to but it requires a level of fitness I didn’t have on that particular day…

    To be fair, I’d overdone the walking the week before at over nine miles and hadn’t quite recovered!

    Enjoy the pictures of clouds and dramatic skies, the lambs at their gambolling and frolicking stage and daffodils.

    These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

    The Rest of Spurn Head, East Riding – August 2021

    I really enjoyed going to Spurn Point a couple of weeks ago. The post and pictures are here.

    I didn’t get to walk much of it because of problems with my foot and I was unprepared for the walk! The herculean task awaited and I couldn’t resist the challenge. Seven hours and 8.5 miles later I got back to the car with sunburn, a sore back, knees and foot but happier than I’ve been in ages.

    It’s a peculiar place. The further south you walk, the more lonely it feels. The washed away road lies in huge rafts of concrete scattered around like toys for giants. The remnants of Spurn Head’s history are also scattered about: the ruins of fortresses and the worn remains of anti-Tank blocks from the Second World War litter the beaches at low tide.

    There’s eroded brickwork and mysterious concrete shapes everywhere.

    Nearly everything made by human hand is in ruin leading to more impression of desolation, the exception being the RNLI station and housing for their staff. It leads to some reflection on the futility of battling the sea and how we tend to think we have mastery of nature.

    On a more positive note, nature bursts forth everywhere and it is overwhelming Spurn Head’s history, good and bad.

    Happily the walk back north on the beach on the eastern side was much more wild and empty. As you head north, though, there’s more remnants of man’s broken constructions.

    That’s enough deep thought for now… thankfully!

    There’s far too many pictures as the sky was beautiful and the coastal features were incredibly photogenic.

    I’ve split the pictures:

    Birds:

    Flowers:

    Sea, sky and ruin:

    Check the high tides as Spurn Head can be cut off at it’s narrowest point, a mere 50 metres wide. Do also look at the signs at the car park about safety if there is a high tide.

    Go to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust website for more information about the area and better photos…

    I recommend the fry up in the cafe at the Spurn National Nature Reserve.

    These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

    Ashbourne to Mapleton, Derbyshire – April 2021

    This walk started in Ashbourne right at the beginning of the railway tunnel which was once part of the train line joining Ashbourne to Buxton which was closed in 1963. It’s now the splendid Tissington Trail. I’ll cover that in another post.

    Park in the Ashbourne Leisure Centre Car Park and you’ll see the tunnel. I cut across country eastwards when I got out of the other end of the tunnel, eventually walking along the River Dove.

    The walk ends at the almost Orthodox-looking church at Mapleton. I returned by going up the hill behind the church and joining the Tissington Train back to Ashbourne. There’s lots of beautiful countryside, horses, sheep, donkeys, alpacas and other wildlife on the way.

    Apologies if there are too many pictures, it’s sometimes hard to know when to stop when I’ve enjoyed a good day out…

    These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

    Spring Flowers in the Garden – at home April & May 2021

    Spring is a favourite time of year when literally everything is bloom: the apple and pear tree, daisies on the lawn and even the holly bush has flowers.

    These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

    The Moon – at home May 2021

    Sometimes I see things that are worth photographing even when they are closer to home…

    I keep trying to get better pictures of the moon as I struggle to understand how to use my Canon 30D more. Because the camera is rather ancient, it probably doesn’t deal with contrast well (e.g. a bright moon in a night sky) but I keep battling away.

    Occasionally the results are ‘ok’.

    These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

    Mapleton to Dovedale, Derbyshire – April 2021

    Another cracking walk in Derbyshire starting at Mapleton (sometimes spelt ‘Mappleton’), parking outside the local church, a curious looking building that looks like it should be on a Greek island somewhere but built from sandstone.

    Mapleton is less than two miles by car from Ashbourne but there is also a splendid walk from there to Mapleton partly using the start of the Tissington Trail in Ashbourne and the old railway tunnel. I’ll post on that walk at a later date.

    I walked from Mapleton to Dovedale but accidentally ended up in Ilam, which was no displeasure. Another walk around there is definitely needed at a later date.

    Then it was over the hill to Dovedale which was very busy. It’s worth going early or out of season to appreciate the area without falling over tourists!

    Then back to Mapleton going around Thorpe Cloud. It’s quite a challenging walk at this stage (for me) but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The tourists melted away at this stage. Go up Thorpe Cloud for a fantastic view.

    These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

    Errwood Reservoir, Goyt Valley, Derbyshire – May 2021

    A fabulous walk around Errwood Reservoir in Derbyshire. It’s only four miles from Buxton, but it is a million miles away in peace and quiet. It can be quite steep so a stout pair of walking boots is recommended. Even if there hasn’t been rain for a while, the peat moorland around the reservoirs hangs on to water and gradually releases it so expect soggy walking at times.

    I managed a bit of athletic jumping from dry spot to dry spot.

    Also expect some of the paths high up to be quite worn from lots of visitors and take care. On a warm, hazy day in May I encountered half a dozen people at most.

    It’s quite curious to be up so high but see sand and taste salt from some prehistoric sea that once covered the area.

    There’s plenty of car parks around the trail. Take your pick!

    These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

    Saltfleetby, Lincolnshire – June 2021

    This is another favourite walk and a beautiful beach. It’s another one of those places that’s too wild for too much commercial activity, so recommended by me!

    Free parking right next to the beach which is also recommended.

    I headed south from Saltfleetby, along Mogg’s Eye and turned back just after Anderby Creek. There’s a cafe there where I enjoyed a fried breakfast.

    It was one of those ‘beautiful skies’ day, so there’s far too many pictures of clouds and blueness…

    These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!

    Chapel St. Leonard’s Beach, Lincolnshire- July 2021

    This was from a walk from Chapel St’ Leonard’s heading north on the beach. About six miles.

    I didn’t find the town itself very exciting. It was very quiet when I arrived around 8am. It was a lot busier later in the day. A lot of people go there to retire.

    I parked in Parklands car park which is a ten minute stroll from the sea front.

    I wouldn’t exactly classify this as ‘an exciting walk’ but it was pleasant enough: a warmish sun, a fresh wind and probably five or six people at the most, getting very busy around 11am.

    You can see the excitement of Skegness in the distance if that’s your thing?

    Some curious lumps of petrifies wood. I thought it might be a piece of forest from Doggerland, then name given to the land that is now under the North Sea. It might also be from a ship?

    These pictures and videos are @Aidan Parr 2021, so please ask permission if you want to use them. I’ll probably say ‘yes’!