Category: 2021

Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby – November 2021

This was a walk in north Yorkshire from Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby via the Cleveland Way on an unusually sunny and warm day in November 2021. It’s got to be one of my favourite walks with blue sky full of many different sorts of clouds and dark seas below. At times, it was very blustery but remained warm.

It’s hard to get very good pictures with the sun so low in the sky and I struggled to take them without my shadow appearing! My camera, an antique Canon 30D takes good pictures but it does benefit from stronger sunlight. I’m still pleased with many of the pictures but it doesn’t quite capture the glory of the day.

It was at this point I did think about turning back. The streams (know locally as becks) means many descents and ascents on the Cleveland Way. There was a bit of a bit of muttering about ‘the joy of becks’ at this stage. The steps can be very slippery, especially the sections that are smoothed stone covered in mud.

I thought I’d walked further but I’d only done less than half way. Fortunately I’m stubborn, so I carried on and hoped for more level walking. Silly me!

God bless Colin Thompson and his bench!

I’m not sure it’s wise to obstruct the first view of Whitby Abbey from the south with a caravan park:

After that, it’s the descent via the 199 Steps to Whitby.

To be honest, I didn’t find Whitby very inspiring, hence no pictures. If you like places full of older, aimless and bored tourists looking in shop windows, it will suit you well. The lack of friendliness and engagement is a complete contrast to that of walkers I met on the way.

The bus back to Robin Hood’s Bay was welcome!

It’s the most wonderful walk along the coast with beautiful views and big skies but it is a challenge if you aren’t very fit (like me). However, I’d do it again like a shot!

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

Ravenscar to Robin Hood’s Bay and Back Again – November 2021

This was a walk in north Yorkshire from the hamlet of Ravenscar along the cinder track of the former Scarborough to Whitby railway line to Bay itself and then back via a section of the Cleveland Way.

The day started misty and dark but ended up as a glorious day with sun and blue sky – very unusual for November.

The cinder track mostly stays in shade this time of year so it’s a good deal cooler and damper than on the seafront cliff edge which catches the low winter sun. However, it’s a relatively easy walk, about 5.5 miles gently sloping down to Robin Hood’s Bay and into Bay itself.

Be warned that if you’re thinking of eating in Bay, many places are closed for the season or opening times are later. Both fish and chip shops don’t open until 4.30pm, so no treat for me!

I walked back by the Cleveland Way to Ravenscar. I found it very challenge as the trail descends down to where local streams (known locally as ‘becks’) run into the sea. The trail is well looked after and has steps but it is hard work getting up and down these inclines. It’s probably not for the faint-hearted or if you have dodgy knees or a bad back!

On a positive note, the views are spectacular. Spot the pillbox falling into the sea and the myserious standing stones, if you can!

The sunset was what you might call ‘unusual’.

I was out walking for over eight hours and returned to my car completely shattered but very happy. If I’d known, I’d had probably walked the Cleveland Way section first and then come back via the cinder track.

C’est la vie!

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

Bamford Edge and Overlooking Ladybower Reservoir, Derbyshire – November 2021

A lovely walk along Bamford Edge, an elevated gritstone ridge looking down on Bamford village and then overlooking Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire.

The wind was howling, the sky was full of changeable clouds, rain, sun and blue skies, depending on the moment.

And lastly, who can resist a picture (or two) of the intrepid explorer posing?

And a video…

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

Bamford up to Ladybower Reservoir, Derbyshire – October 2021

A decent walk from Bamford in Derbyshire up to Ladybower Reservoir which supplies drinking water to the East Midlands.

The plan was originally to walk for Bamford up to Bamford Edge, another one of those granite cliffs which dominate the skyline. Unfortunately the road up there (‘The Clough’) is closed off, so we had to settle for walking along the Thornhill Trail heading north.

It’s still a lovely walk…

Were pretty lucky with the weather but the day was quite changeable. Five minutes later, it looked like this…

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

A Snowy Day – closer to home, Derbyshire – January 2021

We don’t often get snow, or in this case the heavier variety. It may sound childish to some but there’s still some magic in watching the arrival or snow for me.

It’s also surprising to see how badly local drivers managed when the roads were covered…!

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

Birds on the Feeder – closer to home, Derbyshire – January 2021

Greenfinches, bullfinches and blue tits in the back garden, on the feeder in January 2021. They are territorial little sods!

The pictures aren’t that great at times because the camera was quite new to me and I had to shoot through a double glazed window. It’s impossible to be outside without alerting the birds – even the click of the camera makes them fly away.

I’ve since tried with a tripod and a remote control (me inside and out if direct view) but it takes them about a week to get used to the new ‘thing’ in their environment and the camera clicks still send them scattering.

You’ll also see how fast they can be when they fly…

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

From Etwall (nearly) to Eggington Junction, Derbyshire – February 2021

This is yet another old railway line which would have run from the now defunct Derby Friargate Station to Etwall and then joining the mainline south of Eggington Junction.

It’s not a terribly exciting walk but when we’d been in Lockdown I grabbed the chance for a short walk, despite the cold and the snow flurries! Luckily the sun came out later on the way back.

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

Jinney Nature Trail, Staffordshire – March 2021

The Jinney Nature Trail is the remains of old railway line that ran from Tutbury & Hatton via Rolleston-on-Dove to Burton-on-Trent. It closed in the 1960s thanks to the idiotic Lord Beeching and his drive to close many parts of the rail network as possible.

Happily it is now a short walk (about two miles) from Rolleston to the outskirts of Burton. This was my first chance to get out for a walk for ages and to be more than 9.9 miles from home, because of Covid restrictions. Any fitness is hard to acquire, but easy to lose!

Four miles was quite enough…

Spring is a favourite time of year, so there are as many pictures of flowers as possible!

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

    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’!