Any great ideas about documenting our Easter weekend soon crumble into not-a-chance as we’re somehow too busy to get it together, but the walk on Sunday was so lovely a retrospective seems like a good idea.
During a lengthy chat on Saturday with dear friend Bill, he mentions a regular walk we’d not done for some time, thus formed our sketch for Sunday walking. I quickly make lunch, but we’re quite lazy over breakfast on the patio with the papers and the garden view, so we don’t set off until after 11:00, not that it matters.
The supposed 30 minute drive takes 50 because the route is closed by Police and the detour is extensive (an ambulance squeezes past us on the narrow lane soon after) and we finally park up at Damflask Reservoir to start our walk. There are a lot of parked cars, inevitable this weekend - despite still being in lockdown it’s OK to drive a modest distance to exercise.
Of course, one can start a necessarily circular walk at any point on the path, but I always aim to get the steepest sections in the first half of the day, a carrot if you like, dangling the rule of “no lunch before half-way” in front of us for the first few hours.
Hapilly the weather is gloriously dry, sunny and warm enough that we enjoy our treck along Damflask (too many people) and into Lower Bradfield (more people) and along the Agden Reservoir wall before heading uphill with a vengeance to Upper Bradfield where thankfully few follow. The church looks stunning on the hillside, we must revisit when it’s allowed but today we forge on higher and higher into the hills of the Peak District where we are alone, as it should be.
Before long we descend to cross the Agden dike, the river that fills Bradfield”s Agden Reservoir and back up the other side, the last of our “big climbs.” This road is so familiar to us because it’s the regular route between our home and Fischers in Baslow so we know it well, but walking up that hill is very different to driving! A serious renovation project always makes us smile!
Soon we’re on top of the world, looking down over the third reservoir, this one is Dale Dike Reservoir and along the route we pass a stunning mansion with views to kill for, and find a suitable wall on which to perch and serve lunch. Being Sunday it’s a Chardonnay moment too that we enjoy in the solitude with our killer view, splendid Cæsar salad and few sheep.
Moving on, we skirt the edge of Strines Reservoir before hanging a left to commence the water-side pathway along the length of Dale Dike and then follow the overflow back to Lower Bradfield to join the far side of Damflask.
We pass the old water filtration plant, which is now being turned into 21 dwellings. We walk around to cross the dam wall and return to the car having covered 3.5 reservoirs, in about 31000 steps and fourteen miles. Wonderful!
Dinner is roast beef and Yorkshire pud, not worthy of a final photo, but for completeness’ sake our weekend of food is: fish pie with rôstie topping; Shepard’s pie (pulled shoulder, Yotam Ottolenghi style) and finally home-made confit duck with sweet corn soufflé. Either side of Easter chicken Ballotine stuffed with chorizo & leek; and turbot in Parma Ham!
Comments
Post a Comment