Weekend in the Peak District

Just back from a long weekend in the Peak District visiting family. The weather was a little cold but clear and dry for walking so my legs got fully stretched during the three-day stay.



Linacre Reservoirs are a fabulous and dramatic oasis of calm very close to Chesterfield, and at this time of year the beech leaves are a stunning green and the woodland floor is awash with bluebells and wild garlic. The first reservoir was built in 1854 and the third in 1911 and they were used for drinking water extraction until 1995 - now they are reserved for leisure activities.


Bracken 'fiddleheads' just emerging.

We also took a short but steep stroll around the small village of Ashover, up to the Fabric viewpoint which has spectacular views as far as the power stations on the River Trent valley, and finishing off with a drink at the Old Poet's Corner. If you can face the dreadfully overdesigned flyers and posters that adorn the tables and walls of the pub, it actually serves very good beers and reasonable food. Take a look at the website for an example of the kind of graphic design that makes your eyes bleed.



Monday we had a longer walk from Stoney Middleton to Eyam and back, up some rather steep tracks and paths, and spent a bit of time mooching round the village accompanied by hordes of school kids. Glad to see that the story of the Black Death is still on the curriculum - a salutary tale that includes gruesome suffering, self-sacrifice and a lesson on how every cloud has a silver lining. There is no question that Eyam survives as a healthy village today because of the trauma it suffered in the 1600s.

Train travel and evenings at home also contributed to me finally finishing the Pomatomus socks by Cookie A after a long hiatus. I enjoyed knitting the leg but got frustrated and bored on the foot as I didn't really know why I needed a different chart and just ended up bodging it. Love the finished item, but didn't enjoy getting there!