397 Walks from Bakewell 2019

Our Second walks of the year will be from

Bakewell

in the Beautiful Derbyshire Dales 

on

Saturday 13th April 2019

0800hrs prompt from the short stay car park

BAKEWELL - 'ancient capital of the Peak...'
Set in an enviable location on the banks of the Wye, with the river meandering gently through the centre, this beautiful old market town is in the heart of the Peak District, surrounded by stunning countryside views. Famous for its Puddings, Annual events and for receiving royal charter as a market town in 1330, markets are still held every Monday in the town centre and there is a thriving livestock market. Bakewell grew up around a cluster of thermal springs and wells that attracted Iron Age settlers and, in Anglo-Saxon times, gave the place its name. The town has a long and fascinating history; mentioned in the Domes Day Book of 1085,`Badequella� meaning Bath-well.

Perhaps best known as walking country, the Peak District National Park offers a spectacular variety of scenery and routes to be explored – from steep sided limestone dales to the dramatic high moorlands. There is something for everyone – individuals, families and groups – whether you want a challenging hike or a short stroll.

 

There will be three walks as normal:

• A Walk led by Mark Stanford
• B Walk led by Peter Ackers
• C walk led by Gwyn Jones

Details will be added as they become available, but by 6th April

 

397 'A' Walk from Bakewell 2019

Walk Leader: Mark Stanford
Total Distance: 12 Miles
Total ascent/descent: 1800ft

BAKEWELL ‘THREE RIVERS’ A WALK

This will be a good stretch for the A party, 12 miles with 970 feet of ascent.

We leave Bakewell heading South to the West of the River Wye after crossing the Lock Bridge. Passing Haddon House we gain height crossing Haddon Fields as we head for Shinning Bank Quarry, with views of the impressive Haddon Hall across the river. The old quarry now provides refuge for the critically endangered White Clawed Crayfish as well as habitat for nesting birds on its cliffs.

Skirting the quarry we follow the path to Alport, where the Lathkill and Bradford rivers converge.

We follow the Bradford where we’ll stop for lunch at a spot of exceptional pastoral beauty.

Joining the Limestone Way we face a stiff climb on a zigzag path out of the valley, before heading across fields to Cales Dale. The well made stepped path descends quickly to the foot of the dale where we follow the track to the adjoining Lathkill Dale with its rugged limstone cliffs.

The Lathkill is our third river which we follow downstream, watching out for dippers as we go, until meeting the lane to the charming village of Over Haddon. The lane gives us our final steep climb, so a quick breather before following a mix lanes and footpaths across the fields to return to Bakewell for further refreshment.         

 

397 'B' Walk from Bakewell 2019

Walk Leader:  Peter Ackers
Total Distance: 9 Miles
Total Ascent/Descent:

Bakewell to Chatsworth

We leave the car park and head towards Carlton Pastures taking the steep path through the woods by the old station.

An easy walk along the open expanse of the pastures past the Iron Age fort and the Russian Cottage.

Passing through a walled lane we emerge on to Chatsworth Park to enjoy our first full view of the House.

We walk on to Edensor a lovely village where no two houses are the same, except in colour.

Leaving Edensor we make our way to Chatsworth and lunch by the river.

After lunch we follow the River Derwent and making our way to Carlton Lees.

The afternoon is uphill most of the way, past Carlton Houses and back to the pastures.

From here we head back via a steep decent through Manners Wood and back to the car park.

Edensor

 

397 'C' Walk from Bakewell 2019

Walk Leader: Gwyn Jones
Total Distance: 6.2 miles
Total ascent/descent:

C Route (anticlockwise)

This walk is a repeat of one we did a few years ago but this time we do it in reverse. We start with a short climb up to the Monsal Trail which we then follow on level ground for about 3 miles. We stop for our lunch at an old railway station and shortly afterwards leave the Monsal Trail and head through fields down and up to Ashford in the Water. Here there is an opportunity to have an ice-cream before we head alongside the river back to Bakewell.

Lunch spot at old station platform

Bridge at Ashford in the Water

Photographs from the Conwy walk

C Party Photograph

396 Walks from Conwy

Our first walks of the year will be from

Conwy in North Wales

'Simply Breathtaking...'

with the rising turrets of the mighty Conwy Castle, relaxing harbour 

and ever changing scene of the ebbing and flowing estuary waters. 

on

Saturday 9th March 2019

0800hrs prompt from the short stay car park

Conwy is a town rich in history, which much of it still preserved within the walls and traditional structures of its buildings. In the heart of it is the mighty 13th-century castle, whose walls encapsulate this remarkable medieval town.
Surrounded by lush Welsh countryside and watched over by the mighty mountains of Snowdonia, it’s a most beautiful place to visit. The Quay is host to a number of amenities and is a particularly stunning place to visit during the warm summer months.

There will be three walks as normal:

• A Walk led by Brian Thorne
• B Walk led by Jennifer Mathias
• C walk led by Gwyn Jones

Details will be added as they become available, but by 2nd March

 

396 'A' Walk from Conwy 2019

Walk Leader: Brian Thorne
Walk Distance: Approximately 11 miles
Total Ascent/Descent: with 1800 ft. of climbing

A fine circular route, beginning and ending under the awesome ramparts of Conwy Castle.

There’s nothing like an initial short, sharp shock to wake sleepy walkers up in the morning, and that’s what you can expect from this walk, as we leave the coach and begin our day with a climb up through the woods, south of Conwy.

Field paths and a little road walking lead us up to and around the Iolyn Park caravan site and on to the village of Henryd.

Climbing up through the woods of Parc Mawr on a steadily increasing gradient, we are rewarded with stunning views of the Conwy valley and surrounding mountains, before joining the Pilgrim’s Way and reaching our lunch stop at LLangelynnin Old Church.

A steady walk along high ground on the North Wales Path leads us to Sychnant Pass and the now almost obligatory, “Sting in the tail,”our final climb, up Conwy Mountain and down to well-earned refreshment!