Lathkill Dale

Karen and I had a walk along Lathkill Dale. Starting at the Monyash end, after a few hundred metres, we followed a path rising diagonally which brought us to the area by Ricklow Quarry.

From there we followed a route along the top of the dale before dropping down a side valley above Cales Dale.

After walking along the bottom of the dale next to the river, we crossed the footbridge into Cales Dale than made our way back to Monyash via One Ash Grange Farm and the route of the Limestone Way.

Kinder Scout

Karen was up at 05:00 as she was joining some old workmates on a “bird race” where the objective is to see how many birds they can see or hear in an area in a period of time.

So as the forecast was for warm and sunny weather, (for a change!), I decided on a walk on Kinder Scout.

I arrived at the layby at Barber Booth at 09:25 and already all the spaces in the layby itself were taken. I was able to park at the roadside opposite.

I changed into my walking boots and set of along the road which eventually leads to Jacobs Ladder as far as the farm at Upper Booth where I went through the gate to join the footpath leading along the River Noe to join the Crowden Brook valley.

I followed alongside the river and at the head of the valley I scrambled up the short gritstone crag then followed the path along the plateau edge as far as Ringing Roger.

After following the rock crest of Ringing Roger, I followed the path to the village of Grindsbrook Booth (which is known to many as the village of Edale).

From here I followed the start of the Pennine Way as far as the farm at Barber Booth, passing a copse of trees with a cuckoo making its distinctive call.

Soon I was back at the car after an excellent, if very warm, walk.

Lathkill Head Top Entrance

Tony Seddon and his travelling caving gear shop, “Starless River”, had arranged with Keith and myself to meet up at the Orpheus cottage around 10: 30 for Keith to buy two tackle bags for the Club and for me to buy some screwgate karabiners.

So the three of us had breakfast in Monyash at the café as usual then drove to the Orpheus cottage. We chatted to various members while we waited for Tony to arrive. A girl turned up who had arranged to meet Tony as well to buy some gear and we soon had parted with our cash in return for some shiny new kit.

As well as the screwgate karabiners, I bought Karen an new Petzl Fractio harness as her current one was a bit short in the leg loops.

Afterwards we returned to Monyash and parked in the layby at the head of Lathkill Dale and got changed into caving gear. Luckily it was a bit warmer than yesterday's unseasonable temperatures.

We then walked to the Lathkill Head Cave Top entrance and after unscrewing the nut on the lid and filling in the logbook, again Keith was doing the rigging and he started down the very short entrance shaft and onwards down to the Waiting Room, the large chamber below.

I followed Keith down and paused as I dropped down the hole in the ceiling of the Waiting Room so that I could have a look at the decorations of white stalactites hanging from the ceiling then joined Keith at the bottom.

We waited for Karen to start down to join us then I walked down the sloping floor of the Waiting Room to clamber between the gaps in the boulders where the climb down into Lathkiller Hall begins.

Keith also arrived while I was having a look around among the boulders and he soon clambered down the climb which always looks very tricky from the top but is much simpler once you are on it as you can see the footholds on one wall.

Karen also arrived and Keith was saying below there might be an alternative route down but while Karen also clambered down to join Keith, I had a look around and could see Keith's light through small gaps in boulders but there was no easier alternatives in the end.

I moved a couple of small loose boulders which were near the top of the climb down and by then the other two had started back up to join me.

So we headed back to the surface and I had the usual awkward problem getting back through the small hole to the foot of the small entrance shaft. I can easily get my outstretched arms and upper body through but then cannot pull myself through any further, nor can I get anything to push with either foot. So as usual I just waited for Keith to arrive and provide a step to stand on using his knee to get started the a shove on my foot to complete the awkward manoeuvre.

We walked back to the layby and after getting changed said “good bye” to Keith who was heading home while Karen and I returned to the café for a much-deserved snack.

Oxlow Cavern

Keith was up for the weekend to do some caving before the forthcoming trip to Fermanagh. We met at the Old Smithy Cafe in Monyash for breakfast and then drove to the Orpheus CC cottage to pick up the ropes for a trip to Oxlow Cavern.

After parking at Oxlow Farm we were surprised to see that the corrugated iron and timber roof of the barn was missing. The farmer was there to collect our good will and parking fees and he confirmed that it had been blown off by the wind recently!

There was another car of cavers at the farm also paying their fees to the farmer but luckily they were planning on a trip into Nettle Pot so we would have Oxlow to ourselves.

We started down the cave just before Noon and Keith rigged the pitches and we followed him as far a the West Antechamber. Here, we arranged the “pull-down” rope to gain entrance to the crawls of the New Oxlow Series via Pilgrims Way.

We were soon all up the pitch and the crawling began.

By the time we had crawled several hundred metres, my knees were getting sore (I really must get some decent knee pads!) and by the time we reached Mecca Aven I decide to turn back as I could then crawl slowly and make it less painful on my knees.

So I headed slowly back towards the pitch from West Antechamber while Karen and Keith continued onwards. They said a very short distance past Mecca Aven was walking passage. Rats.

Anyway, as I neared the top of the pitch I could hear voices and met a caver who had just got off the top of the pitch as I arrived.

We chatted as I got out of the way to let him past and he waited for the remaining two cavers he was with.

I was surprised when the third caver arrived at the top of the pitch: it was a girl, nut she was a dwarf! So she would have no trouble with the crawls!

Anyway, once the other cavers had passed, I abseiled down and had my Mars Bar and waited for Karen and Keith's return which took only just over half an hour.

We then forgo a visit to the West Chamber and started our journey to the surface.

This went without incident and we were all back on the surface at about 16:20.

We walked back to Oxlow Farm and changed then returned to the Orpheus CC cottage to wash the ropes and have some tea.

Walk from Exford

It was the nicest day of our visit with no rain or drizzle and a bit warmer as we parked in the village of Exford by the village green and then followed the road out of the village passing the Youth Hostel.

This brought us to Court Farm, beyond which a track signposted for Road Hill continued through pastureland until we met a bridleway crossing the track near Room Hill.

We followed the bridleway across heathland looking across the valley of the River Exe and could see a herd of Red Deer on the opposite side in the distance. Our route brought us to another junction of bridleways and we chose the one following along the River Exe leading past Luncombe to arrive at a minor road after walking up a steep concrete surfaced vehicle track.

The minor road led northwards to a junction at Rocks Bungalow, with another road and this in turn led to the B3224 road back to Exford village.

My feet were feeling a bit sore, especially after the concrete track and minor roads, so I decided to walk back to Exford the direct way by following the B3224 for a kilometre or so while Karen continued on across the road to follow a track called Stone Lane for a kilometre and a half northwards to a junction with another bridleway leading back again to Exford.

I sat on a bench by the side of the village green in the sun and ate my lunch until Karen arrived not long afterwards.

After the last walk of our trip to Exmoor, we headed back to Derbyshire.

Walk From Lynmouth

This morning we left the car at the hotel and after picking up drinks and sandwiches in the supermarket nearby, we set off to walk along the road towards Barbrook as far as Lyn Bridge, where we crossed to the opposite side of the West Lyn River to reach a footpath.

The footpath was a bit muddy and gradually rose along one side of the Glen Lyn Gorge with views across and down into Lynton and Lynmouth.

The path continued along the top of the lovely wooded valley with the East Lyn River running at the bottom. The path followed around to the South and dropped down to Hillsford Bridge where we crossed the road and then followed the path heading North to Watersmeet, where we had a break for drinks and cake.

Afterwards, we continued along the East Lyn River as far as Rockford and then followed a rising sunken track past Wisham and paused to view some Red Deer in a field in the distance,

This led us across heathland to eventually arrive at the A39 road where we crossed to the other side and followed a vehicle track for a short distance passing a couple of cars parked up with the occupants sitting and enjoying the views across the open expanses of this part of Exmoor.

Next we followed a path through gorse bushes along a drystone wall overlooking Countisbury and passing below the top of Butter Hill where the map only showed a Trig. Point but omitted the largish communications tower and building.

The path joined the South-West Coast Path which followed along the side of Countisbury hill far above the sea. Th path wasn't on the side of a cliff or anything but was on the top of very steep grassy slopes leading to cliff-tops far below and the stony beach below these.

Soon the path dropped down to bring us to the sea-front at Lynton.

We took a short ride on the Cliff Railway and took advantage of a private path leading to the nearby North Cliff Hotel.

Walk From Hunters Lodge

After parking in the National Trust Car Park, we walked towards the Hunters Lodge, which is a lovely old inn. Karen spotted a small rabbit munching on some grass nearby and after taking a few photos of the rabbit, we continued on past the pub and followed a path through woods and then along the River Heddon for a short way until we arrived where the river flowed to join the sea at Heedon's Mouth Beach.

There was an old lime kiln there, in fact a small group of lime kilns joined together. These would have bee used to burn limestone using coal, both brought across the Severn estuary from South Wales, to form Quick Lime which would be then used to fertilise farmland.

We retraced our route, but this time on the other side of the river, and then along a path which joined the Tarka Trail long distance path which rose along the valley side and then along a lovely path following high above the sea as it followed the coastline.

It was a blustery day with short and light rain showers and we paused in a sheltered spot as a rainy squall blew past.

We continued along the coast path as far as the small hill of Trentishoe Down where our route followed a path across heathland to reach a path called Ladies Mile which wended through woods to bring us back to our starting point at Hunter Lodge.

Afterwards we had a meal in the Rising Sun pub by the harbour in Lynmouth as it was Karen's birthday today.