Our Walk

Today's walk - our first walk this Easter - took in some of the verdant river valleys that form Dovedale. We also traversed some open country, often called the Derbyshire moors. The trees and vegetation were in their Spring garb and told us that Summer was in the offing. First, we aimed for Beresford Dale. Then it was undulating open country before we reached Alstonefield. Here we stopped off at the "George" and visited the old church. A steep descent into Milldale then awaited us. After this we explored the main part of Dovedale. We returned to Hartington through Biggin Dale. After this most of us enjoyed the evening fare at the Hall.

It's time for a "piccy" in Dovedale.

Our Morning

As the sun was rising, I wondered if there were any memorable sunrises hereabouts. So, with the Hall tinged with the morning glow, and the sundial reminding me - as if in encouragement - that time flies, I went in search of a good sunrise. I was not disappointed!

Hartington Hall looked reddish in the morning glow.




The sundial reminded me that time flies.
So, I had to be reasonably quick if I was to capture any sunrises around!




The path leading due south from the Hall had a slight rise - for the sunrise?




Indeed, the "slight rise" was sufficient for me to get these two shots.
Red sky in the morning?
Well, looking back, we had good weather today, whatever the shepherds might say.

Beresford Dale & Narrow Dale

From Hartington Hall we took the footpath almost immediately opposite and were out in the open, yet undulating, Derbyshire landscape. Then it was the natural "cosiness" of Beresford Dale. Once out in the open again, we reached Narrowdale, and then the northern reaches of Alstonefield.

Near Hartington, we descend into the wide-open valley near Crossland Sides.




Here are more of us!




We strike out towards the south, into the open spaces of Derbyshire.




Here are more of us.




In Beresford Dale the trees have closed in on us.




We are protected a bit from the sun.




Beresford Dale




Beresford Dale




We then find the path between Narrowdale Hill and How Narrowdale.




We stop at the foot of Narrowdale Hill for a swig of water.




After we have scaled the heights towards Alstonefield,
we look back down the way we have come.
The stone walls may have stood for centuries. The stones are held together without any cement but have, perhaps, slowly gathered moss which does the work of the absent cement.

Alstonefield

Alstonefield is already in Staffordshire. It was the birthplace of Charles Cotton (1630-1687) whom we "met" on our arrival in Hartington. We stopped off at Alstonefield's seemingly popular watering hole, "The George". Which one (I, II, III or IV) no one seemed to know, but we liked the beverages offered by the said establishment! We then looked at a rambling, but well-kept stone house (perhaps 18th century). We never found out its purpose, but the gardens were well kept, judging by its "manicured" lawns.

We have reached a kind of plateau.




There are a few more stone walls and stiles before reach Alstonefield.




We stopped off at Alstonefield's seemingly popular watering hole, "The George". Which one (I, II, III or IV) no one seemed to know, but we liked the beverages offered by the said establishment!




Here's another view of "The George".




We then looked at a rambling, but well-kept, stone house (perhaps 18th century).




We never found out its purpose in life,
but the gardens were also well kept, judging by the carefully tended lawns and shrubs.

Alstonefield Church

Alstonefield's church is dedicated to Saint Peter and was for us an interesting dip into history, as many country churches are. Country churches usually grew little by little over the centuries and Saint Peter's fitted into this pattern. The church is believed to have Saxon origins, while many parts date back to the 12th, 16th, 17th and 19th centuries.

The clock on the crenellated church tower tells us when we arrived.
Crenellations were used to shoot arrows from the tower at any rural marauders,
which were a phenomenon of mediaeval rural existence.




Anyway, it's springtime and the daffodils are waiting to greet us.




At first glance the nave appears to have fallen prey to the Victorian restoration zeal.
But wait. There some aspects of interest.




I can't make out this royal coat of arms. It looks new-age and plastic, but has the English and Scottish emblems together in the top left-hand quarter, and the Welsh Harp in lower left-hand quarter. Answers on a post card please!




This looks like an old coffin carrier.




This is a nicely carved and well-kept pulpit.




Is it still used by a local squire and his family?




This is probably his coat of arms.




Here's a nicely carved pulpit, possibly for the delivery of nicely crafted sermons!




Carefully written "posters" of Benefactors to the Poor appear in many churches.




These "posters" make interesting reading and tell us what was of local importance in days of old when transport was only for the rich.




A face stares down from on high. It probably has looked down on many congregations over the centuries. The position of the hands on the sides of the mouth suggest that it may have originally been intended as an external gargoyle.




As we advance on Milldale, we have this last view of the church and its churchyard.
A locally important person is probably commemorated
by the "four-pillared" monument to the left of the church.

Milldale

We reached Milldale by a steep grass slope. Once in Milldale, we found it was full of day-trippers, who had parked a small way uphill, and walked the short distance down to the small but busy ice-cream kiosk near the banks of the River Dove itself. Walkers? Most of the visitors relied on their cars to drive as close to Milldale as they could. However, an old hump-backed stone bridge gave Milldale a nice "ye olde" village atmosphere. There are pictures of downtown Milldale in the description of Monday's walk (April 22).

On leaving Alstonefield we get our first glimpse of Dovedale.
The small village of Milldale is somewhere down there.




It's a steep grass slope.




The steepness is not always apparent in pictures.
However, you can see that we are descending with "due care and attention"!
(The pole just happens to be there, but is in no way an aid to getting down the slope!)

Dovedale

Once in Dovedale we headed a short way south, not quite as far as the Dove Holes, which I would see on Monday's walk (April 22). Returning to Milldale, some decided it was time for an ice-cream stop. Suitably refreshed, we headed north to Biggin Dale, which was stony and river-less, but reasonably wooded. At the circular pond (sheep dip?) we turned left and headed to Reynards Lane, and so back to Hartington Hall.

The hills are closing in on both sides of Dovedale.




The River Dove sparkles in the sun.




Sometimes, the valley gets quite narrow.




We go a little way south of Milldale, almost as far as the Dove Holes.
However, we then reverse our tracks, and will be stopping in Milldale for some ice cream.
It's what you do in sunny weather like this.




North of Milldale we stop at a footbridge, apparently leading to some "private fishing". The fishing and its privacy are not our interest. A group "piccy" is. So, here we are, enjoying Dovedale!




Sometimes the dale widens out, ...




... sometimes it closes in, ...




... but the River Dove still keeps us company.




The rockface ahead signals our turn off into ultra-stony Biggin Dale.




We have successfully mastered Biggin Dale and its stony path.
At this neatly constructed pond we turn to our left and climb out of the dale.
Eventually we reach open country, Reynards Lane and Hartington Hall.

Our Evening

We dined again at Hartington Hall, where the fare was good and reasonably well priced. Now, we could also appreciate more the history exuded by Hartington Hall. Eating in also saved time. However, there were other gastronomical plans for the next two evenings.

Our dining environment included
this view of the gardens through the venerable mullioned windows.