Castleton

23 March 2016.

Castleton, Knowlegates Farm, Odin Mine, Blue John Cavern, Hollin's Cross, Brocket Booth plantation, Losehill End, Townhead, Cheshire Cheese Inn, Hope, 

Distance: 9 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Overcast with little wind and haze in the distance

Walkers:  Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, John Jones, Jock Rooney with Tip and George Whaites

Apologies: Peter Beal (Algarve), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Alan Hart (Funeral), Laurie Fairman (letching on cruise ship)and Julian Ross (whimping about a sore ankle)

Leader: Davison. Diarist: Davison.

Starting point: Carpark opposite the Cheshire Cheese, Castleton and on the road outside The George Inn, Castleton.

Starting time: 10.00am. Finishing time: 2.20pm.

Photographs by Colin

Once again and in time honoured fashion a venue suggested by a Wanderer was eschewed by the same, this time in favour of a funeral. This in turn led to confusion over the meeting place. Luckily, all was sorted out telephonically before having to RTFM and our happy band sallied forth Westwards along the main road.

Taking the second footpath on our right opposite the car park for Peak Cavern, we passed between houses into fields. At each fork we followed the directions for Odin Mine. This partially comprises an area of spoil heaps immediately East of Knowlegates Farm.

Just before reaching the road that used wind up the side of Mam Tor until its final collapse in the seventies we reached an ore crushing circle.

Crossing the road, we passed through a gate and climbed the right hand side of the worked out vein of Odin’s Mine proper.

The path brought us to a fence which was easily climbed onto the drive up to Blue John Cavern. Here we turned right and then right again at the road. At the gate which prevents access to the collapsed part, we headed off to the left below the rough escarpment of Mam Tor. Following a winding path, we contoured up to Hollin’s Cross stopping for pie time en route at 11.00am.

From Hollin's Cross, we followed the bridleway Eastward towards Lose Hill but staying below the summits of that and Back Tor until we reached Losehill End. Here, keeping to the left hand paths,

we began our descent to Townhead.

At Edale Road we turned right towards Hope and reached The Cheshire Cheese Inn at 12.10pm. Farmer’s Blonde at £3.40 per pint was the order of the day but Tom preferred the bitter at the same price.

The S.O.B.’s joined us within minutes having taken a lower route from the same meeting point.

 our ramble we walked on into Hope via the field path running parallel to the road. We stopped to admire an old gatepost.

In Hope we crossed the Hathersage Road and followed the road to Pindale with its cement works passing an old animal pound.

A little further up the road we took the footpath on the right signposted to Castleton stopping for lunch and to allow John Jones to photograph an ‘interesting’ shed

We arrived at the Cheshire Cheese at 2.20pm followed by the S.O.B.’s a few minutes later

Next week’s walk will start from Langsett Barn Car Park, Post Code S364GY, Pub – Wagon and Horses. Meet at Car Park at 10:00am.

Happy wandering