7/04/2019.

Dove..Beresford and Wolfscote dales.

When we woke we had no plans, although we had decided on a Peak district walk...but where??… I let Karen pick the final destination as she is good at picking classics..She chose a walk from the Derbyshire village of Hartington, close to the Staffordshire border..Pulling into the village we realised that we had no change for the car park but we soon found a spot in the main street close to the village pond..A bit dull/misty today but im sure the sun will break out later...So do I wear wooly hat or sunhat..I plumped for sunhat..As we booted up a chap pulled up next to us..while he was lacing his boots up we exchanged pleasantries, as walkers always do...then we were off...Its a busy place even at this time on a sunday morning...Cyclists in lycra gulpng water..Walkers with all the Trendy gear..Big bearded Motorcycle guys sipping tea with their little pinkies up..Old boys walking back from the shop..ladened down with the sunday paper and all the supplements that go with it....Alfie had a crap that wouldn't have looked out of place in a Lion enclosure at the zoo..Thankfully close to a doggie bin...2 small boys ran up to us excitedly.."Dad Dad can we stroke him"...Of course you can I said..They stroked his head..Alfie looked up.."come on get on with it"...Dad Dad...he's not very soft..They were wrong...he is as soft as a brush.

Leaving the village..we set of across fields bound for Beresford dale, a small valley of indescribable beauty where the River Dove squeezes between high Limestone cliffs..Some great displays of Lesser Celadine along here which will soon be replaced by great swathes of wild garlic.

Reluctantly we leave the river after Beresford dale as we head off towards Narrowdale, where we came across the rundown ruins of Narrowdale farm..Shame to see these old buildings fall into wrack and ruin..Someone really should do the place up...and get rid of that old Landrover in the drive...it has been sitting there for years rusting away...whenever I pass through I always take a photograph of it...im guessing im not the only one.

Soon we passed several groups of Duke of Edinburgh walkers...poor sods...They always look so miserable..as we pass we always hear them moaning that they are lost and that they cant go much further..I feel like slapping them round the face..."snap out of it...This is the best time of you're lives"..I know they moan but they will remember and look back fondly on the experience for the rest of their lives..we strode on purposefully enjoying the high ground...Before long we were in Alstonefield..Time for a bite to eat and a coffee sitting on a bench on the village green...how very English.

As we sat, we watched as a crowd began to grow outside the pub..All in all about a dozen folk waiting for the pub to open..we pressed on..Bloody alkies get everywhere..Passing the church we followed the lane down to Milldale..several sports cars sped towards us..we jumped onto the verge to avoid getting mown down..Toffee nosed gits...one bloke with his top down..said sorry but there are several of us...we stood on that verge for several minutes while a convoy of posh prats passed....very few acknowledged us as they passed...I suppose they thought they were more important than us..Milldale was buzzing but we didn't hang about climbing the zig zag path uphill to follow the rim of the gorge up to Shining tor. [not the famous one in Cheshire].,,lovely views although we were still waiting for the sun to break out...I need the sun to break out so that I can get my legs weathered...I have been wearing shorts for 9 days on the trot now but they still resemble lily white pipe cleaners.

Down hill rather steeply at times we passed more D of E walkers..some of them looking close to death..A good section of valley walking now..alongside the Dove into Wolfscote dale..a few stops along here to empty the flask and to empty the boots [ those little stones play havoc with the feet]..I have always loved these Dales...lots of birdlife...Dippers dipping...Yellow wagtails Wagging...Kingfishers fishing and Peregrines..[No not grinning]..err killing Pigeons..Uphill again...I have really enjoyed the day.

Downhill to the village...still lots of people about..The chap that we spoke to as we left was back at his his car taking his boots off...Have you been here all day putting your boots on I said..we laughed...I do like laughing..sometimes I laugh so much that my legs turn to jelly and I think I may faint...Its been good hasn't it.