Circular Walk via Chrome Hill, Peak District

After several days with the temperature either below freezing or at the most just about at freezing we woke up to find that there had been freezing fog overnight which coated everything with small, white ice crystals so that it looked like it had snowed lightly overnight.
The two of us drove the short distance to just over the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border to the very small village of Hollinsclough, once famous for its silk weaving cottage industry. We parked at a small parking place by the village school and followed the road for a short distance until we popped through a gate onto a bridleway which dropped down to frozen field. The way continued via a small ford which was luckily shallow, leading Karen and I via a small wood. We followed down a slope to a boggy area, which was luckily mostly frozen, at the bottom of the nearby small valley and then up the grassy slope the other side to a stone barn which had been recently renovated.
We followed along the valley side gradually dropping down until we met a small stream with several paths converging and a lovely old packhorse bridge, Washgate Bridge. This was part of an old packhorse trail along which some two hundred years ago “jaggers” brought their pony teams laden with goods in the days before canals and the railway. Unfortunately there were tracks from trial bikes, which should not have used this route as it is wither footpath or bridleway and meant for those on foot, horse or bicycle. 

We crossed over Washgate Bridge following the track which appeared to have been cobbled at one time but now with the cobble stones scattered probably as a result of trial bikes causing damage. The old packhorse trail wound its way up with several bends up the side of the valley, with the mist clearing revealing lovely views across the valley, until it gradually dropped down next to Leycote Farm. We continued on the track to a second farm called Booth Farm and then to a junction with the metalled track continuing onwards with a junction to another bridleway with the sound of a trial bike's engine nearby.
We followed the track for a short distance to enter a field by a gate and back into the fog. Following signposts marking the public footpath we dropped down the steep, grassy slope with the
fin shaped Chrome Hill looking out of the mist. The path starts along the side of the ridge of Chrome Hill and then follows up a slope to the other side but at a higher level. Soon the path brings you onto the top of the ridge and follows easily along the top. There was a short steep section of exposed limestone covered with hoarfrost like everything else, which looked like it would be very slippery but was easily avoidable by a path to one side and soon we were back on top of the ridge again. All to soon the ridge finished at the highest point of Chrome Hill which left a steep grassy slope dropping down the other side to a tree with a stile next to it and a memorial plaque to Bill Etches of nearby Dowel Hall Farm. Another section of smaller ridge led us back to the road which drops down from Dowel Dale and we followed this for a short distance and then down a track leading to Stannery Farm until we were back on tarmaced road which brought us after a short distance back to the school in Hollinsclough.