The Roaches from Gradbach

The weather has definitely made up its mind that it is now Autumn so it was a cool day, a bit windy with some light rain later on.

We parked in the small car park near Gradbach Mill which is an imposing Youth Hostel the walked through a deciduous wood with the sound of a squawking pheasant which was chasing another nearby. After following a marked route we ended up on a narrow footpath which ended up at a dead-end in a corner of two walls. After carefully climbing under a strand of barbed wire and then stepping over another at a gap in the drystone wall, we managed to get back on track at a small gate leading onto a lane. Here we heard and then saw a raven flying past and also a buzzard being mobbed by crows, so the birds were having a busy morning.

After leaving the lane near a bend we crossed a few fields then realised we had taken a wrong turning somewhere as we ended up carefully climbing over a metal gate onto a farm track leading to a minor road. This led towards the large gritstone crags of Hen Cloud and the Roaches.

There was a track leading in a loop past Hen Cloud to a large house called Roaches Hall and from the house a signed footpath led through more woods and by a small abandoned quarry we made use of the shelter from the cold wind to eat our lunch.

After this we followed a path which rose next to the remnants of a drystone wall to the top of Hen Cloud from where there views to the far distance and across Tittesworth Reservoir. From here we followed a broad path heading in the directions of the Roaches.

We followed a path leading towards the upper tier of the Roaches reaching the stone steps which bring you up to the upper tier from the stone cottage of Rock Hall and then walked along the foot of the crag and as we did so, I spotted several rock climbs I had done years ago.

There was slanting path leading to a path which follows the top of the Roaches and we followed this and then the path along the top. There was a very cold wind blowing here and we reached a path junction with signposts and we followed the one signposted to Gradbach.

The path led through woods again, contouring along the side of the valley to begin with then dropped down towards the steam running along the valley bottom where there was a footbridge crossing the stream.

Soon we were following the muddy footpath we had been on earlier from Gradbach Mill which brought us back to the car park again.

Afterwards we stopped off at Monyash Cafe for some food then went home.

Gradbach Youth Hostel

Gradbach Youth Hostel

The Roaches

The Roaches

Windgather Rocks

We parked at the car park next to Erwood Reservoir in the Goyt Valley not far from Buxton, then followed a path along the side of the road heading West to the viewpoint at Oldgate Nick.

There was a gate leading onto a path crossing a section of moor, and we followed this for a short way to then follow the minor road to Windgather Rocks.

It was about cool and dry but windy, so Karen and I walked along the bottom of the rocks passing quite a lot of rock climbers then sat in the shelter of a large gritstone block to eat our lunch.

We then continued onwards across fields the turned right following a path rising next to woods until we reached the side of Fernilee Reservoir and followed a path through woods along the side of the reservoir until we arrived back where we started at the adjacent Erwood Reservoir.

Looking back from Oldgate Nick

Crossing the Moor

Windgather Rocks

DCRO Practice, Knotlow

Karen and I attended a DCRO practice session at Knotlow Triangle. To begin with we set up the Multipod with two legs by the entrance to Hillocks Mine as if the entrance ravine was a feature like Eldon Hole.

We tried setting up the Slix 100 stretcher so that it could be hauled horizontally or vertically depending on which of the two haul ropes were taken in. We put some tackle bags of gear in the stretcher instead of a volunteer.

Afterwards we moved to the Whalf pipe Engine Shaft and with Jock in the stretcher, we lowered it down about 20 metres then hauled it up using both a horizontal mode and then vertical at the top. A newcomer called Edwin acted as “Barrow Boy”.

Dovedale from Milldale

We parked in the car park in the small hamlet of Milldale just cross the border in Staffordshire and then walked down the dale road to the kiosk at Dolly's Cottage where we ordered a couple of hot drinks and sausage rolls. We ate these by the River Dove where the remains of an old sheep wash can be found.

Form here we walked back up the dale on the road then passed through a small gate to follow a narrow footpath with signs marking it as part of the Sabrina Way which brought us to Alstonefield a short distance away passing the village church and The George pub.

We turned left just past the pub then followed footpaths crossing several fields towards Narrowdale with the obvious feature of Narrowdale Hill.

The path from Narrowdale joined the River Dove as it flows through Wolfescote Dale and after crossing a footbridge we followed the brad easy path on the Derbyshire side (the River Dove being the county boundary between Derbyshire and the neighbouring county of Staffordshire) passing the junction with Biggin Dale until we arrived at the minor road into Milldale at a small bridge which crossed the river.

We then walked the last kilometre or so back into Milldale by walking on the pavement next to the road.

Abney Moor from Bradwell

After stopping off at the Outside café at Calver Crossroads to find there was no room for us to have breakfast as it was already full and still people queuing at the counter, we tried their other shop at Hathersage which was more successful.

Afterwards we drove to the village of Bradwell and parked near the bottom of Bradwell Dale then walked to a footpath which left the road near the village church and headed north-east across fields towards the village of Brough.

We crossed an old defensive ditch system called Grey Ditch. On top of the mound running parallel with the ditch, I could see a shiny surface with various colours as the sunlight glancing off was refracted. It looked like frozen condensation but it was nowhere near freezing. What could it be?

On closer inspection, we found it was a large patch of spider web with droplets of condensation which was giving rise to the light display.

Shortly afterwards, we also discovered a curious feature on the field boundary which was the remains of two parallel tunnels around a metre and a bit high made of stone which appeared to by like dry stone walling. One of the tunnels was still intact for a few tens of metres while the other had lost its roof for most of its length. I have no idea what the original purpose was of this curious man-made feature. Possibly the remnants of the by-gone lead mining industry?

The path led to a minor road at Brough where we turned right and then right again a short distance away to follow a tarmaced lane rising uphill. This then became a rough vehicle track after a gate and we continued along the rough track with excellent views across the Hope Valley opening out. It had been quite cool earlier on but now, especially with the sun, it was quite warm and we were able to walk comfortably in just shirts.

We paused at a a pair of stiles with two paths leading off in different directions for a hot drink. One was signposted “Bradwell” but the other only had a Public Footpath sign and didn't seem to be on the map.

Afterwards, we continued on the rough track for a while which ran along the side of a deep valley, we left the track at another footpath to cross Abney Moor. We could see gliders taking off and flying from the nearby Hucklow Edge and stopped for a few minutes watching then being launched into the air by being pulled by a long steel cable which was then released while the end of the cable fell to the ground with a small red parachute slowing it down a bit.

After passing the farmhouse at Abney Grange, we dropped down the quite steep side of Abney Brook, then climbed the opposite just as steep side after crossing a wooden footbridge and soon we walked down a minor road leading into Foolow.

There is a roadside well where we stopped before on a different walk and we stopped again here for another hot drink perching on a couple of large stone slabs which were part of the wall which surrounded the well. There was a small squeeze stile from the road through which a few stone steps dropped down to the large pool of water in the well. Since the rest of the well was surrounded by walling, this well was obviously not meant for livestock. We were watched by a small group of cattle in the field on the opposite side of the road.

We could see quite a few cars parked on the edge above by The Barrel pub at Bretton – obviously a good spot for views.

Continuing along the road into the village of Foolow, we walked past he village duck pond which had a small group of white Aylesbury ducks and also another smaller well similar to the roadside one we had passed earlier.

Passing the pond, we immediately turned right down a narrow walled path with stone chippings on the ground leading between houses which brought us to Silly Dale. To begin with, we walked along the floor of this small dale with the strange name and as we did so, I spotted a bird which had landed in a nearby small tree. At first I thought it might be a Thrush but as it took off again, Karen pointed out that it was too big to be a Thrush but might have been a Mistle Thrush which is a bit larger. Then as the bird flew across to the opposite side of the dale, we could see quite clearly that it had a very short tail which is when Karen realised it was actually a Little Owl.

We reached a dead end at a drystone wall running across the dale and realised we should have crossed to the other side and continued past the dale instead of walking along it. It was only a couple of hundred metres so we hadn't gone too far out of our way.

We retraced our route back to where we had entered the top of the dale, and this time followed the finger post pointing the way which was along the side of the dale on the other side.

We soon reached a lane leading to Grindlow (Silly Dale is only a few hundred metres long) and then down a minor road into Great Hucklow.

Following down the main road in the village until just past the pub, we turned right and then straight onwards down a narrow track and soon afterwards, onto a public right of way through some fields.

We passed Nether Water and Quarter Farms, at one point passing a herd of cattle with a bull. The bull was making loud grunting noises but wasn't the slightest bit interested in us, just one of the cows. From yet another field, we passed through a stile onto a road back in the village of Bradwell very close to where we had started.

We could hear water flowing very nearby and after leaning over a wall we could see the water emerging from some sort of conduit into a stream flowing away from us. This must be the resurgence from Bagshawe Cavern which is located further uphill in Bradwell.

Dew-covered spider webs with a rainbow of colours

"Grey Ditch" ancient defensive feature near Bradwell

A pair of small tunnel features on a field boundary

Mam Tor and the Hope Valley

Abney Brook valley

Roadside Well near Foolow

Footpath sign on footpath to Silly Dale

Oxlow Cavern

Keith and Karen had planned on a trip to Oxlow Cavern while she was in Rugby during the week visiting friends so we met Keith in the morning at the Old Smithy Cafe in Monyash just after it opened at 09:00.

After breakfast, we drove to the Orpheus CC Cottage to collect some ropes and tackle bags for the trip. While we were doing this, Chris Jackson arrived and asked if he could come with us.

We drove to Oxlow Farm and parked there leaving the £2 trespass fee for each of us plus £1 for each car parked at the farm and after changing into caving gear, walked back down the road then across the stile into the field and then to the cave entrance.

Keith opted to do the rigging and we followed with myself second followed by Chris and Karen taking up the rear.

We soon reached the large West Chamber and Karen opted to start heading out while we looked at the last pitch which drops down to the sump between Oxlow Cavern and nearby Maskhill Cavern.

Keith dropped down the pitch followed by Chris. I traversed to the top of the rope and after looking down at the two below decided that since we would only drop down and then immediately have to come back up, I took the lazy option and waited for them to come back up!

We started the return journey to the surface where we found Karen sitting in the very unseasonal warmth waiting for our return.