White Edge

The Sunday before last, I had a very pleasant walk over White Edge,  roughly following a route from one of my books, but altered slightly to put Curbar Gap in the middle of the route rather than at either end of the walk.

From the car park, I set off across White Edge Moor.

Enjoying the autumn colours

The last time I walked here, I saw a baby adder but I wasn't so lucky today.

This is the view towards Castleton and Edale...

A seven legged, four spotted orb weaver was crossing the path ahead.

At White Edge Lodge (the building you can just see in the photo above) I turned to the right to take the path along White Edge.

This is one of Derbyshire's Companion Stones which you can read about here  - http://www.companionstones.org.uk/home/about1.htm

Looking out across Big Moor from the trig point.

You can usually see the red deer on Big Moor.  Plenty of them today, lots of bellowing stags.

Here's the reason I'd wanted to have Curbar Gap in the middle of the walk...

My favourite hot chocolate, a delicious praline hot chocolate from Jolly's!

There was shortbread too, which I ate on a favourite bench with a view,

before continuing the walk, heading down the road a little before taking the path below Curbar Edge and later Froggatt Edge.

There were lots of different types of fungi along the path here in the birch woods.

Soon, the path ascends between the rocks up to the top of Frogatt Edge. I haven't walked along here for a good few years!

Stoke Flat Stone Circle

From here it was a short walk back to the car.

A lovely route, seven miles in total.

Chee Dale

I've just had a plan-free weekend... the first weekend since July (shockingly) that I didn't have work, other events planned or family visits which was amazing (and is my preferred state of weekend affairs!)

I wanted to walk. It was pretty wet on Saturday but I don't mind a bit of rain; I was going out for a walk, regardless of the weather. I had a few things to do in the morning and then I had to decide where to walk (there's just too much choice!) so by the time I arrived in Millers Dale, mid afternoon, the rain had drifted south and the weather turned out rather pleasant.

I'd decided to walk to Chee Dale, from the old station in Millers Dale, because I love Chee Dale and hadn't walked there for a long time.

As I've driven around over the last few days, I've really noticed how amazing the early autumn colours are around here right now.

The Peak District is looking stunning. Most of the sights that caught my eye were alongside roads where it wasn't easy to stop to take a photo, and then on the walk, I couldn't capture the stunning colours I'd seen on my travels, but the photos in this post certainly give an idea. It's definitely worth getting out in the Peak District (if you can) to enjoy the season :)

Heading down towards the Monsal Trail and then below that to Chee Dale

It really is a lovely riverside path.

The stepping stones...

looking back

I've never walked along Chee Dale and not seen a dipper. There's always several of them. Today I saw 6.

If I'm lucky, I also see a kingfisher here and if I'm really lucky, a water vole.  This time is was just the usual suspects - dippers, grey wagtails, kestrels and a raven.

I turned around here to look back at the light reaching into the dale...

I love the sound of the river...

I didn't take many photos after this as my main camera battery died, but I snapped a few on my phone.

These are the other stepping stones...

Looking back...

One last view looking back as I neared the end of the walk.

Seven miles in total, not too bad for a quick afternoon walk.



My last visit to Chee Dale, October 2016 (I can't believe it's been 2 years since I last walked here) :
https://louises30dayswild.blogspot.com/2016/10/wild-october-day-29.html

Monks Dale into Chee Dale, March 2016 :
https://louises30dayswild.blogspot.com/2016/01/day-244.html