Longshaw Estate

Longshaw Estate - 20th March 2013

We had planned a walk starting at Longshaw Estate, along Froggatt Edge and back via White Edge the weather was fine if a little breezy when we left home but the closer we got to Longshaw the colder and snowier it became, in fact as we pulled up in the car park I was tempted to drive straight back home. However Longshaw Estate had been on our list of National Trust Places to visit for the last eighteen months so we donned our boots, jackets, gloves and snoods and decided that a walk around the estate was probably a better prospect than the planned walk.

We were still trying to decide which of the numerous paths to explore first when a very friendly NT employee stopped to ask if we had visited before, when we replied no he suggested a short circular walk taking in some of the landmarks so off we went.

Still not sure what these are but there were plenty around.

We set off in the direction of the wooden pole (A stone at the base of this way marker is believed to mark the riding of Totley parish boundary in 1778. The original has been taken down and a replicate erected by the Longshaw wardens now sits there. Good view point over white edge moor), unfortunately the views were not great today.

From the wooden pole we headed to 'White Edge Lodge' this was originally a game keepers house but now  a self catering holiday cottage owned by the National Trust.

We headed next to Oaks Wood across a very marshy field luckily there were stone slabs laid across a good stretch so we only had to pick our way across a small section of marsh land.  As we approached the wood the path disappeared and we found ourselves gingerly descending down a stream bed, guess this must be the edge of Tumbling Hill!

We followed the path through Oaks Wood and continued on through Yarncliff Wood all the way to the disused Quarry.  Although we found the paths muddy and slippy in places the walk through the woods was a pleasant one with great views down to Grindleford. 

We crossed the B6251 and made a brief visit to Padley Gorge but unable to find a crossing point over the river we continued our trek along the road.

Since the weather was still very cold with a few snow flurries we made only a brief stop at Burbage Brook.

We called in at the Owler Barn and enjoyed reading about the pack horse trail before heading back to the car.

We walked 5.68 miles around the estate and whilst the conditions under foot were not always great we had enjoyed the walk and will make an effort to return in the future to do the walk we had originally planned for today and to explore the estate further.

Chee Dale

Chee Dale walk - 17th March 2013

Our first visit to Chee Dale although I had read a few reports on various walking web sites we were still surprised by Chee Dale.

We parked up at Miller's Dale Station on a dry and reasonably warm day, the route we had planned was programmed into the memory map GPS  and a backup print out was stuffed in my pocket.  We walked along the Monsal trail towards Wye Dale and  did a quick detour into the quarry behind the lime kilns.

Back on the trail we took the path down by the abseiling bridge and stopped to watch a few brave soles descend.

We carried on along the narrow path next to the River Wye and it wasn't long before we hit the mud!!  Boy how we hate the mud and there seems to be an endless supply of the stuff this year but we didn't let it get us down.

Maybe we should have taken more notice of the sign at the entrance to Chee Dale, luckily we had decided to do this walk during a relatively dry spell if you don't like mud then it's probably best to do this walk during a dry summer.

We found the Dale to be full of obstacles, mud, stream beds, planks and steep descents it all added to the fun.

The walk  was very slow going and was not going to beat any speed records but the Dale is very pretty and most of the time this made up for the difficult conditions.

               

Neither of us has a head for heights and some of the steep descents and narrow paths had us wondering if we would end up in the river.

 

Thankfully there was usually a well placed log or stepping stone to help the mud situation.

We didn't spot the over hanging tree as we walked under it but were stopped by a couple of other walkers who pointed it out. They also pointed out a dipper in the river one of many that we spotted along the way.

           

Finally we reached the stepping stones at Chee Tor and thankfully they were passable, the lack of people we had seen walking in the other direction to us did have us worried that the stepping stones may be submerged and we really didn't want to walk back the way we came.

The icy water that dripped down from the Tor was not pleasant.

Once past the stepping stones the path was a lot easier going and progress was slightly quicker.

More stepping stones!

It took a staggering two hours to reach the end of Chee Dale a
distance of only 2.57 miles but we will return in the future.

  

Back on the Monsal Trail we decided to head towards Wormhill along the Pennine Bridleway.

 

We took a moment in Wormhill to look at the James Brindley memorial.

  From Wormhill we continued along the Pennine Bridleway with the intention of walking back  to Millers Dale via Monks Dale, however we bumped into two walkers we had met in Chee Dale who advised the Limestone Way may be a better option since time was getting on.

An interesting fence and Millers Dale Church from the Limestone Way.

We took the path that goes behind the Church to make our way back to Millers Dale Station.

 

When we arrived back at the car we had walked 7.25 miles in just over 5 hours.