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"  Padley Gorge - Grindleford  "

Date & start time:    Sunday 19th March 2017, 11.50 am start.

Location of Start :    Roadside at the head of the valley, Grindleford, Uk ( SK 258 800)

Places visited :         Padley Gorge, Grindleford, Owler Tor, with lunch at the Grouse Inn.

Walk details :             2.8 miles, 640 ft of ascent, 2 hours.

Highest point :          Where we parked the car !

Walked with :             Jenna, Ann and our dogs, Harry and Dylan.

Weather :                    Spring-like, sunshine and showers, a cold breeze when out in the open.

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Sunday finds us in Sheffield close to the Peak District.

Our daughter Jenna has invited us over on our way back from Tickhill in order to see the house in the city that she is hoping to buy.

First, we take advantage of the sunny morning to go for a local Peak District walk.

The choice of walk, in view of the showery nature of the day and the strong and cold winds on the Edges, was Padley Gorge.

Ann and Jenna . . . wrapped up warmly at the start of the walk.
The woodland would protect us from any poor weather.

We start off in lovely sunshine but that smudge on the lens reminds me it was spitting with rain too.

From the car we were looking across to the rocks on Owler Tor which we would visit later.

This is the edge of Hathersage Moor just four miles west of the outskirts of Sheffield.

The high ground is Higger Tor and the lower summit to the right, the site of the iron age Carl Wark hill fort.

We drop down to the riverside path and follow down the left hand side of the valley . . . no bridge crossing for now Dylan.

After the recent wet weather, the quick shower at the roadside and the heavy mulch of decomposed winter leaves

the path through the rocks was relatively slippery . . . not the easiest of walking.

This is an ancient broadleaf woodland, protected no doubt by the presence of an old "stately home" just up the hill.

Lying by the track, an unfinished mill stone made from the local rock.
The Burbage Brook is quite full and peaty brown due to the rain.

Jen points out a tree she has crossed on previous visits, when the weather and the tree trunk were a lot drier than today.

It looked decidedly moss covered and slippery at this time of year.

A fresh, brown coloured beech sapling growing in the woods.
The path crosses a larger unnamed stream.
   
In places steps made going up and down the path easier.
A small bridge below us crosses the main river.

Plenty of this woodland, rush-like plant . . . sorry name unknown.

[  Now identified as Great Woodrush . . . thanks to Gill in Borowdale ]

A bright green rhododendron against a peaty brown pool . . .
. . . caused by the tree fallen from the opposite bank.

Lower down a long earth-covered bridge and access covers implies the passage of some large water pipeline underneath.

We saw what looked like more Water Board building higher up on the other bank later in the walk.

The main river and woodland were looking delightful.
Jenna enjoying the sunny walk down the valley.

Nearing the bottom there was a rocky weir and mill race leading off to a mill pond on the other bank.

After crossing the river on a wide stone bridge we find the old mill buildings.

A small old wheel, minus its wooden covering protrudes from the building.

No sign of a bigger water wheel but then there was access to the site to see where it would have been.

Who knows, it might even have been internal to the building.

The adjacent house is someone's home, part of the mill complex and with spring flowers in the windows.

Across the road a small garden . . . and a railway train ?

The Grindleford Station is just over the way . . . the track heading for Sheffield enters a tunnel just 50 yards to the left.

- - - o o o - - -

We've reached the half way point of the walk . . . now to climb all the way back up !

It starts with a walk up an unmade road past some rather nice local housing.

A nice new-build . . . same price as Jenna's house I imagine,

except that it has a couple of extra naughts on the end of the price !

Jen takes a break lying on a local boulder.

In geological terms could this be regarded as classic "grit stone bed-rock".

Onward and upward as we make our way up the path on this side of Burbage Brook.

The stream that we saw Ann and Jenna crossing earlier . . .
. . . with Jenna's tree trunk bridge below us now.

Nearing the top of the woods now and the valley opens out once more.

We are passed by a bold female mallard . . .
. . . who proceeded on down the path.

. . . not over-phased by the large number of visitors today.

One young lad is practicing his mountain bike skills by climbing the boulders whilst still riding his bike.

He's obviously been watching too many Danny Macaskill videos !

A passing shower has left a low rainbow over the head of the valley.

Rather than go directly back to the car we turn left and climb up through the moorland paths to Owler Tor.

Jen explaining to Dylan the workings of a modern mobile phone.

We were hoping for a view of Edale and Mam Tor . . . but not just at the moment as another shower passes us by.

The memorial plaque to the memory of Richardson Evans . . . on Owler Tor.

Harry and Dylan climb on to a lower rock shelf.

We were surprisingly close to the road . . . and the car park that serves visitors to Owler Tor,

Millstone Edge and the old Grey Millstone Quarries that are just around the corner.

[ Thinking about it . . . that would tie in with the old mill stone we saw in the woods at the start of the walk.]

Time to be heading down to find somewhere for a late lunch.

We could go to the National Trust cafe at Longshore Lodge seen at the top of the field in the previous photo

. . . but Jenna had somewhere else in mind.

Back to the car first of all . . . we re-gain the Burbage Brook with two slightly muddy dogs.

Still brooks, becks, streams or rivers are all good for a quick wash of two muddy sets of four legs.

We leave as another low rainbow sets over Higger Tor at the head of the valley.

Our tracklog on the map at the head of the page includes the car drive around to The Grouse Inn.

The high ground to the left of the road is White Edge . . . a possible for today

but it would have been a wild, exposed place and a cold walk on a day like today.

The Grouse Inn . . . good pub grub and fine beers . . . and family run with it.

A half hour wait for a hot and welcome dish of food was understandable given that it was a busy Sunday lunchtime.

- - - o o o - - -

The timing was perfect for our final visit of the day . . .

A chance to look around the house that Jenna is hoping to buy in Sheffield.

We had chance to measure up for possible furniture and look around for jobs for "Dad to do"

once the solicitors have done their bit and everyone else in the housing chain starts to move.

I can see a few more weekends in Sheffield soon I think !

- - - o o o - - -

 

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Panasonic Lumix TZ60, or my Panasonic Lumix Gx8 Camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

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Previous walk - 18th March 2017 - Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood

A previous time up here - 2nd July 2014 - To Jen and Paula's

Next walk - 21st March 2017 - Mellbreak North End with Fred