I love to go a wandering.......

Hello. The first sunny day we've had for a week or more, best get out there for a walk. I made a small pack up, only going to be out for about four hours, so just need something to keep me going. So, step out of my front door and go. I've posted this view before, the track goes along the bottom of a wood, with the river in the distance across the fields. 

Approaching the Industrial Estate I found a colourful plastic coated picture dumped in the hedgerow. Shame no one will see it there, let's put it on the fence. Very artistic I thought.

Oh dear, the car park of the vacant office block has been invaded by the travelling community. I thought they lived in caravans because they like travelling around. Making a mess as usual.

I followed the River Trent, there is a boat unloading at Flixborough wharf. Can't get close enough to read it's name, but if I go on the Marine Traffic web site it tells me that is is still moored now, it's name is Scanlark, it's flying the St Vincent Grenadines flag, and  it's gross tonnage is 1371. Have a look here for more details.

Further along the Trent I came across two more boats at Gunness Wharf.

H & S Fairness is a general cargo boat, flying the Netherlands flag. It was built in 2012, it's home port is Delfzijl, and it's overall length is 87.75 m. It arrived here at 32.35 last night.

Wilson Almeria is flying the Maltese flag, it's home port is Valletta. It was built in 2010. It arrived at 23.45 last night.

I bet you really wanted to know that information didn't you, ha ha. The Marine Traffic site is really interesting.

If you want to see where my yacht ILONA is, have a look here.  It is actually moored in London at the moment, at Marsh Wall, the Isle of Dogs. Perhaps I should go down there and see it again. I last saw it in 2012 when it was there for the Olympics.

Ooops, forgot, getting carried away, I'm supposed to be writing about my walk today. From Gunness, I took a track which is an old railway line, now for walking and cycling. It goes over the M181 close to the roundabout at the end of it. In the distance you can see the big Tesco store where I do my yellow sticker shopping.

Homeward bound now. I walked through the outskirts of Scunthorpe, taking the most direct route back. Leaving the houses behind I picked up a tarmac footpath, which led onto a rough track and through some fields. The sun is just disappearing over the horizon.

Coming into Flixborough village with three miles left to do, it was starting to get dark. As luck would have it, someone I know spotted me and stopped to ask if I want a lift. I gratefully said, yes please, he was going my way, so I hopped in. It was 5pm when I landed home. Checked the mileage on Bikehike, and it was 11 miles, so I'll add that to my total on the calendar, making it 62 up to date. Nice to get back into the swing of longer walks again. Must do more.

Pleased to report that Bugsy is doing well. The tablets he is on are making his poo really sloppy like oxtail soup. Other than that he is eating ok, and moaning when I haven't given him the right food. There was the option of taking him for another injection today, but I phoned the vet and said he is doing ok and doesn't need it.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon. Have a nice weekend.
Toodle pip

All ready, no stress.

Hello. Only a few hours to the big day, in 24 hours it will be almost over. I didn't dash round the shops at the last minute frantically pulling my hair out wondering if I had remembered to get everything. I didn't buy in any extra food and booze. I didn't stress about sending cards, only one was posted and half a dozen put through doors in the village, and they have been in the cupboard for years. I didn't wander aimlessly around the shops with a glazed look on my face, wondering what presents people might like. I bought one, it was something I spotted in an instant which was just right. 

Much easier for me to go to the bank for my Christmas shopping. Six envelopes for six kids. They can go and buy their own presents after Christmas when everything has been reduced. I hope their parents will help them to choose something, and also encourage them to save some of it. Five of them are quite young and will need some guidance. 

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas Day, whatever you are doing. Thank you to those who have sent cards, thank you to everyone who visits my blog. I have been invited out so I will make the effort and go. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Willersley Castle, a very nice hotel

Hello. And here we are at the last of five posts on my mini break in Derbyshire. As well as fabulous walking, I also stayed in a fabulous hotel. The special offer of £39 per person per night for B & B plus evening meal is still on, it finishes on the 21st of December, so still time to grab yourself a two night getaway deal. 

The Willersley Castle Hotel is one of five hotels under the Christian Guild umbrella. You can check them all out here. They all have the same promotion so if you are down in the South West you can still take advantage of the offer. I always book my accommodation on the phone. 

Here are a few pictures. The Christmas tree decorating the entrance lobby.  

Down the corridor. Lounge on the left, dining room further down, lift to the upper floors on the right.

Check in at Reception. The staff are friendly and helpful.

There are two staircases, one at each end of the building. First floor looking down into the lobby.

The domed roof is beautiful inside. 

The iron railings on the second floor.

Looking down from the first floor. Love the carpet. 

Looking straight across on the first floor. 

Looking down from the second floor. 

Lots of choice for breakfast. The hot food was in warming pans on the other table. 

Table set for the evening meal in the dining room.

Retire to the lounge when you have eaten.

My room was a single en suite shower, hand basin, and toilet, crisp white cotton bedding, big fluffy towels. It had a TV, and tea and coffee making facilities. The food was excellent, freshly cooked and plenty of it, with a vegetarian option. Willersley Castle is a great hotel.

This is not a sponsored post, as you know, I don't take freebies for money. I paid £78 for my two night stay. I wasn't asked to write this.

So, thank you for popping in. It's been a dull day today, I managed to get a load of washing done but it isn't all dry so it is draped around the house. The heating is on, and my oldie boy ginger Bugsy  has two hot water bottles in his bed. I'm not sure how much longer he has here, we've been to the vet twice, I now think nature will take it's course.

Catch up soon. Toodle pip

Cromford to Matlock and back

Hello and Good morning. I'm catching up slowly. These photo's are of the last days walk, on Thursday. It was drizzling as I looked out of the window at breakfast, but once I got underway it stopped. It turned into quite a nice day weatherwise. The front of the hotel looking splendid. There is a lodge with a swimming pool, and another building with extra rooms, up a path behind the main hotel. 

 This is the view of the hotel from the other side of the river. Shame the tree blocks a lot of it out

There is a path alongside the river which cuts the corner and bypasses Cromford Mills. It comes out on the A6 close to the village. Here is the Community Centre. The roads through Cromford are very busy with mainly tipper trucks which are making their way to and from the nearby quarries.

I walked up a narrow street next to the pond and found the footpath to take me high up towards Matlock Bath. The object being to gain height today and get some nice pics looking down. Quirky log seats next to the pond.

There are quite a lot of stiles to pass through. This one, like many others, is very narrow, and the gate can't be opened. I ended up climbing over it. I don't know how hefty blokes go on. 

Not so much mist today, so the view looking down on the town of Matlock Bath is quite good.

 The tarmac roads only allow for cars to pass through. I stopped to chat to a chappie in his garden, and a delivery driver walked up with his parcel, having abandoned his transit van further down.

The Heights of Abraham is not open today. Have a look at the web site, it looks quite exciting.

At this point the path goes up those wooden steps and across a bridge over a private road. 

Most of the walk is through the woods. Here we are passing underneath the cable car wires.

From a distance if you look up from the road below you can see a large white building. This is it.

You might recognize this view from the previous post. I joined up with the Limestone Way footpath to come into Matlock. Much better view today, the wind has blown away the mist.

No need to linger in Matlock, I'm at the halfway point and need to make my way back. From the Church I followed the signs to High Tor, it goes high up and gives wonderful views of the river and road below. 

It started to get windy, and drizzly, which masked some of the views across to the other side. Good views looking down if you don't mind heights. I tend to take a quick snap then back off.  There are several vantage points, with signs everywhere advising not to get too close to the edge. When I got up there I remembered I had walked this path before several years ago.

Across there among the trees is the white house where I was walking earlier.

The sun tried to shine through the mizzly rain and made the wet rocks underfoot glisten. I love this atmospheric picture.

A bit further along the A6 road goes into the distance, and the rain has stopped. 

The cable car station is under renovation, looks like they are extending it by adding a new section to the side.

Almost down now, that's the main street in Matlock Bath down there.

The Grand Pavilion. It's an Edwardian building, built in 1910, and is now run as a charity by the local community. More info here.

I decided to follow the road back to Cromford, as time was getting on and I didn't want to be late back. This is the weir near Massom Mills. I did go inside and have a look round the shopping complex, masquerading as a customer so I could use the lavvies. The prices were well above what I would pay. Lots of very expensive clothes, a bit like a posh department store.

I was back at the car, still parked in the hotel car park, by 4pm. Traffic through Clay Cross, and on the motorway, was a bit heavy on the way home. Pussies all fine and snuggled up in their beds.

That's the three days walking all written up. 7 miles done today, 24 in total. I have some pictures of the hotel which I will post tomorrow. Until then I'll say, have a nice weekend, and we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Middleton back to Cromford

Good morning, it's Friday morning and I'll post the second half of Wednesdays walk. The National Stone Centre is on the High Peak trail to Middleton Top, when it turns into The Pennine Bridleway. Here we have the restored Steam Engine House built in 1829, to haul wagons up the steep incline. It has a visitor Centre and cycle hire, which were closed, it is only open weekends throughout the winter. Check out the Derbyshire County Council web site for more info. 

I didn't go into Middleton village, this is the view as I left the Engine House. I skirted around the outside, following footpaths. The fog is lifting a bit.

Heading off along a track I walked through Slinter Wood. It was quite steep in places, careful not to slip off the edge.

I was a bit confused at one point as the track seemed to go off in a different direction from what was indicated on the map. It also gave the impression that it should have been a wide bridleway, when in fact it narrowed down to single lane and went through a couple of fields. I heaved a sigh of relief when I caught a glimpse of the pond at Via Gellia Mill. Yes, I was going in the right direction and here is the mill. 

Crossing over the main A5012 trunk road, I took the minor road to Bonsall Village. Boy was it steep. Luckily there was a bench half way up to sit for a few minutes and eat, and cool off a bit. By this time I was sweating buckets.

Lovely olde worlde stone buildings.

The Village Cross. There are more pictures of Bonsall here.

From Bonsall it was a long trek on the Limestone Way, passing Massom Lees Farm. Matlock looks a bit misty in the distance. 

Then as I descended towards the town it became clearer and more details came into view.

I had a little bimble around Matlock, I have been here many times, even bought a car once from the Ford dealer. The market was packing away, daylight was fading, and people were doing a last bit of shopping before they made their way home for the night. I decided that the safest way to get back to the hotel would be to walk along the main A6 trunk road, as it would be well lit and has a footpath alongside. There was an alternative route to follow the river, but a bit risky in the dark. I asked a local man and he confirmed my decision to keep safe, saying there could be an encounter with undesirables, (drug users) along the path. He said he had just finished work and was going to get the train back to Matlock Bath. As I was passing the railway station 20 minutes later, who should I see but the man I had spoken to.

Matlock Bath is famous for their annual illuminations, a bit like a mini Blackpool. The river runs alongside the main road and reflects the lights making the place sparkle. I was sort of hoping there would be some Christmas lights, but apart from the ones on the shop fronts, all I saw were these lights across a bridge. They changed colour every few seconds.

Still on the A6, Masson Mills is the last building on the left between the road and the river, before you get to Cromford. This is an old Richard Arkwright Mill, now home to a shopping complex. 

Five minutes and I was back at the hotel. A couple of night time shots. The Christmas tree decorations were a bit disappointing, nothing to rave about. In fact there was a much better tree at the back of the building which could be seen from the meeting room. 

Dinner was lovely, freshly cooked, plenty of it, served by friendly staff. Couldn't ask for more. I was half way through uploading the pictures when I decided to retire to my room.

Come back tomorrow for the third and last day of my mini break in Derbyshire. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.