Week 24 - 24 Mar to 30 Mar

Monday 24th March – day 149

Another day of strangely and rapidly changing weather patterns meant that we did not rush to leave our warm dry caravan this morning. Plus the fact that there is now a muddy pond outside our door, making getting to the car a truly unpleasant experience! We enjoyed a leisurely sort out of the admin pile, and a long investigation of the bird life in the field. After much binocular focusing and bird book page turning we had to come to the conclusion that amidst the starlings and rooks there were a flock of fieldfare – very satisfying. However by early afternoon, the reality that this was a bank holiday, and we should be out enjoying it – that and the sun was now beating down – we decided to drive over to Belton House (owned by the NT) just outside Grantham for a visit.
Apart from the fact that just as we switched off the ignition key the heavens bailed out another

bucket load of snow and hail, which we decided to sit out, we were so pleased that we had decided to come. The National Truss so know how to do it, everything is perfect - the setting, the lawns, the pathways, the house, the paintwork, the afternoon teas, the gift shop ……………………. it is all just so English and so delightful! We enjoyed our stroll round the informal gardens very much, the daffodils and aconites were in full show. Like small children we had a go in the hedge maze. (Fortunately the hedge only came up to the shoulder so I was able to keep an eye out for Chris in case he got lost.) Before heading for the house we also made a detour to the church which was more a mausoleum for the Brownlow and Cust families, with more ornate marble per inch than stone work. From the church we wandered through the formal gardens with a cornucopia of beautifully topiaried bushes and grand fountains to get to the house.
Unfortunately we had left it a little late to do justice to all that the house had to offer, and after two lengthy conversations with a pair of very friendly room stewards, we found ourselves galloping through the last few rooms with heads down trying not to make eye contact with the stewards in case they delayed us further and we missed our afternoon tea, and that would never do!
Feeling warm and satisfied in every way, it was time to go home, (everyone else had gone a while ago).
A final delight - as we made our way back to the car park we were delighted to be joined by a herd of fallow deer who had returned to the oval in front of the house for their supper now that the crowds had departed.

Tuesday 25th March – day 150

We are leaving Lincoln today for a two week stay in the Peak district, where we hope – if it ever stops raining - to give the car a rest and really get some walking miles done. I have to say that whilst I am excited about moving on, I am more relieved to be leaving soggy old Threekingham.
Poor old Lincolnshire may be filled with delightful little corners, but we have failed to find most of them, but what we have found is water- dykes and ditches everywhere, with the roads raised feet higher than the surrounding fields (which has made driving a careful business) There have of course been some lovely high spots, Stamford and Lincoln being right up there, but mostly I think we shall remember this part of the country for it’s flat wet and unchanging landscape, interrupted only by the local one or two carriage trains snaking through the flat lands carrying folk to and from Skegness! It must have been a very good service as, which ever town we were in, we found ourselves sitting at some level crossing or other!So 80 miles and 2½ hours later we arrive in Hope Valley. We are filled with anticipation of all that is ahead of us, until disaster – all so those long anticipated hills that surround us prove to be the most effective barriers to receiving any signals from the outside world…… loosely translated as …….. no TV and no radio….. DISASTER! Fortunately we can still get internet signal so can listen to the Archers at least – so not all is lost!

Wednesday 26th March – day 151

After much patient searching by the technical expert, we have discovered that we can get analogue reception, but not digital so we think the problem may be the TV, so we are taking it to a repairers in Buxton for a check up!
We drove through the Peaks to get there, and had to first glimpse of this walker’s paradise – wild and wonderful! We spent most of our time in Buxton searching for TV repairers, Both of which, would you believe it, were closed all day Wednesday, so we didn’t get to explore it properly, but a quick look assured us that it is worth returning to, particularly a Pandora’s box of a shop called Maggie May, which was selling the most fabulous old box, and a little Arts and Crafts chair… we may have to go back!

Thursday 27th March – day 152

The weather is more hopeful this morning so we give the old Land Rover a bit of a rest, and don the boots/kagools/waterproofs and gaiters to prepare for a days rustle up the fells.
For our first trip out we took a popular route that takes the walker, (after a rather steep first ascent to Lose hill) along a well prepared path (thanks to the National Truss) from Lose hill along the windy ridge to Mam Tor (Mother Hill - on which early settlers built a fort) via Hollins Cross. Then it is on down the other side to Edale, in time for a pint of the “Ramblers” guest ale “England’s Glory” before catching the local two carriager for the 6 minute journey back to Hope. Fabulous, is there a better way to spend a day!

Friday 28th March – day 153

Another downpour today and our porch is beginning to look like the same mud pond we left in Lincoln!! So a morning in doing, cleaning, repairing and waiting!! By 3pm we had given up hoping for improvement and set off for a look at historic Eyam, famous for putting itself into quarantine during the 1665-6 plague. It was well worth the visit and took our minds off the miserable weather for a while, as we contemplated the horrors some of the villagers went through as whole families were wiped out in weeks. The photo is of the graves of the Hancock family who farmed Riley Hill. The mother buried 8 members of her family within about 2 weeks, then fled to live with her remaining son in Sheffield, how tragic is that.
On a much brighter note, Eyam is in a very beautiful part of the Peak District and from our view point we could look across the valley to Froggatt, a lovely escarpment that is calling to be walked along – let’s just hope it stops raining long enough!

Saturday 29th March – day 154

Bright morning, but guess what……. Rain returns by noon, so no walking today again, but off to see Chesterfield’s crooked spire and Bess of Hardwick’s fabulous residence Hardwick Hall.
We stopped first at Chesterfield, and apart from the spire there was little else that took our interest. We did pop into the indoor and open markets but there was nothing to tempt (which is just as well as we have no money to spend!) So back to the car and on to Hardwick, we had not packed sarnies so decided to lunch in the refectory first. We were very relaxed over lunch knowing that we had plenty of time to stroll round the new Hall, so you can imagine our surprise when we rounded the corner and found the front door firmly locked – what were these part timers thinking about, was this the National Truss’s half day? No in fact it was now 4pm and we had been SO leisurely over lunch that we had missed the closing time – you wouldn’t believe that I know!
Fortunately for us the National Heritage team had more staying power, and was still open so we were able to enjoy an audio tour of the old Hall, but it was a bit more alfresco than frescos on the wall in this building! Well it looks like we will need a return journey here. Mind you if the weather doesn’t improve that will be the main stay of our visit to Derbyshire, what with Chatsworth, Bolsover, Haddon, Peveril and Kedleston to visit, not to mention the caverns. I think we should have booked to stay here longer!

Sunday 30th March – day 155

Well, despite another appalling weather forecast we woke to glorious sunshine, so not much discussion about what we will do today as Froggatt is calling! It is only a short drive across the Peaks from Hope so the ol’ car is having a holiday too!
We parked near the end of Froggatt Edge, and set out across a very popular, and well laid out pathway that runs along the edge of this two miles ridge, offering magnificent views down over the valley across to Eyam and Grindleford. The sun was warm on our faces, and at last we could begin to hope that spring was round the corner. We dropped back down on to the road at the end of the ridge, and made the return journey through the village of Froggatt, and through the woods for the final leg. Spring certainly had arrived in this sheltered village and this Heather bank glowed with colour.
We arrived back in the car with enough light (now that the clocks are in British summer Time) to take the circuitous route home, so that we could take a look at Monsal Head, which is rather like Symonds Yat. It too was lovely and offered the adventurer many paths, all ripe for wandering down, but not tonight I fear. Our last stop was Ashford in the Water, a very pretty little village filled with daffodils and evening sun, before we drove back through this delightful landscape of pale stone cottages and pocket handkerchief sized fields that patchwork the hillsides.