A Day in the Peaks

King Rat

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Today was the first time I got Anna to go out of the house since March 12th.... I fired up the R80GS and we set off to explore some of the hidden back roads not too far from home. The road from Uttoxeter to Ashbourne goes past the HQ of JCB at Rocester, after which the road is less well cared for and the surface is breaking up in quite a few places. Ashbourne is looking pretty at the moment with red, white and blue bunting strung across the main streets, but we weren't stopping today, we took the road towards Carsington and Wirksworth. As you reach the highest section of this road there is a turning to the left marked with a brown sign inscribed with the legend: Middleton Top This is where the winding engine for the railway was situated, a static engine hauled the wagons up the steep incline, the best part of 1000ft. There is a visitor area with a small cafe where we stopped for a coffee and looked at the information boards because the engine room is closed at the moment. When things get back to more normal hopefully they will reopen it, the beam engine has been restored by enthusiasts.


Leaving the High peak Trail behind we headed across the hills towards Loncliffe via Brassington. Then we headed into new territory, although Anna's family farm in the area, we took lanes we had never been down before, through the village of Elton, winding down the hill and then at Dale View we took the track that leads up the steep bank and winds via some tight, steep hairpins without the benefit of tarmac on all the road. The views across the hills towards Buxton and the drystone walls of Chelmorton in the distance are amazing on a good day like today.

We dropped down into Youlgrave and I rode the bike onto the tiny, ancient clapper bridge for a photo. Just because.

From Youlgreave we went via Alport to Bakewell for lunch and were lucky to get a tabe straight away, because the great unwashed were all queuing for fish and chips. We had roast pork and a beer....then an ice cream for pudding! No visit to Bakewell is complete without hanging over the bridge admiring the fabulous wild rainbow trout that breed in the River Wye, one of only two rivers in this country where they do. The size of them has to be seen to believed, but then they freeload off sandwiches from the hordes of emmetts. Several are in double figures and fin perfect. I parked the bike for another bridge picture with the lovers locks.
 

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Nice one Simon .... is that it?

C'mon .... more please ;)

:beerjug:
 
The picture positioning hasn't gone according to plan! Oh well, onward:

We left the madding crowd in Bakewell and tootled up to Ashford for another bridge visit, I like bridges, there are plenty of interesting ones around and it gives a focal point. This is beside the ancient sheepwash, which didn't go ahead this year, normally in May, certain world affairs got in the way this spring.

From there we meandered up over the hill past Magpie Mine and into Monyash before dropping in on Anna's sister at Tissington for a cuppa and piece of home made cake - you can't beat farmhouse cake! Anna had had enough by now so we just went home using the back way through Okeover Park. For her first time out she did quite well and we clocked up just over 120 miles tootling about seeing lanes we didn't even know existed!

I dropped the old girl off and had a cup of coffee before swapping bikes and heading back out to ride some trails. The old insurance write off that everyone was warned not to buy is proving to be a great bike. A friend wanted to give his re-engined CCM 450 Adventure a spin out (this is his 3rd engine on warranty!), he has a special oil filter housing that gives extra oil capacity on this one, fingers crossed for him. We dashed up to Darley Dale and climbed the rocky track up the hill to the moor. The went across Flash Lane and onto another rocky lane down a fairly steep hill that comes out at the bridge over the Wye at Chatsworth. This was only my second ever time out off tarmac and I have road tyres on! I didn't fall off and I only dabbed once, on the uphill section.

Rod then took me to Ednesor and another uphill rocky lane that comes out onto tarmac just before the descent into Bakewell, again. Then we had a glorious swoopy ride back to Ashbourne past Winster and over the top past The Miners, which is open again but we didn't stop for a pint, ores the pity. Altogether it has been a great day of bimbling about on a bike. :thumby:
 

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I think I need tuition in how to make the pictures arrive in order and in the correct gaps in the text!
 
Nice report there!! we were in the Miners the other week beer was on form & the locals real friendly.
 


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