Category: Website News
Peak District Photos Added
22nd June 2006 Recently, I have added a few photos to my online photo gallery from a number of rambles in the Peak District. The first of these was last September when I walked from Edale to Glossop, over Kinder Scout on the Pennine Way before following the Doctor's Gate path to my final destination. This is countryside that I have walked before, though not maybe using this route. The day was glorious, even if the sky was more milky than I would have liked.
The other occasion featured is from March of this year, when the idea of a trip to the Derbyshire Dales was rejected when I saw the snow on the hills between Macclesfield and Buxton. Then, I got off the bus at the Cat and Fiddle Inn and headed around Shining Tor into the Goyt Valley and on to Buxton on the Midshires Way. Last winter, my boots saw more snow than usual and the powder dry snow underfoot on that day was a joy to walk on, even if I had misgivings about leaving footprints on a pristine white coating.
The Peak District is on my doorstep and I get to experience it when the distractions of more distant destinations are not so strong. It also makes for an easier getaway when energy levels are not what they should be, too. The hills between Macclesfield and Buxton are a local treasure that are less well regarded than they ought to be.
Britain's first national park was established here to manage the development of the area so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. The quality of the countryside and its industrial past mean that this is a very important need. The park covers parts of Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire, and it should come as no surprise that the area is well frequented thanks to its being surrounded by the populous cities of Manchester, Sheffield, Derby and Stoke-on-Trent.
Though many do come by car, the good public transport links are more than needed too. To save having the roads thronged by motor traffic at busy times like bank holidays, it would be better is more used bus and train connections than they do.
New Lake District Photos Added
18th May 2006 May hasn't been such a friendly month so far this year and my thoughts have got to adding photos to my website. More on that later. The sun is shining outside as I write this, but the next nasty shower may be on its way for all that I know. Yesterday was grey and damp while Tuesday evening presented us with a very heavy thundery shower, with thunder and lightning added for effect. So, there you have it, a very mixed bag if ever there was one.
And now to the new photos: I paid the Lake District a visit in August of last year and a selection of the photos that I took that day have only just made it online. My walk took me from Grasmere up over Fairfield and on to Patterdale. I managed to get to the start of my walk early enough to enjoy the glorious landscape around Dunmail Raise in the early morning sun. My journey took me up by Great Tongue to Grisedale, resplendent in the late Summer/early Autumn sunshine. In primary school, I was taught that autumn began on 1st August: strange I know, but all the seasons were said to be three months long and start at the beginning of a month as well. From Grisedale, I took what appeared to be a pleasant path to Fairfield: it didn't take long to deteriorate due to erosion and I was soon convinced that I wouldn't be using it again. From Fairfield, I continued to Hart Crag before descending to Patterdale via Hartsop above How.
I did have an idea to go on to St. Sunday Crag from Fairfield that day but my "adventure" with the eroded path mentioned earlier and the idea of tumbling down the cliff-like north face of Fairfield soon put paid to my ambition. I still possess a plan to walk from Patterdale up St. Sunday Crag and onward to Fairfield and Grasmere. The alternate direction should allow me to have a better idea of where I am going. Speaking of which, Fairfield isn't the sort of place for fooling when the clag has descended. Other times in this area, I have been in the vicinity in less than clement weather, some of it unforeseen, and stayed down low.
Looking at the photos while adding them gave me ideas for other future visits. The Langdale Pikes, Helvellyn, High Street and so much more all beckon. The burgeoning question is: What it always is: will any of this happen?
