Our Level Sunday Walk along the Monsal Trail!

Today was an educational stroll into our industrial heritage. We walked along the Monsal trail - part of the trackbed of the former main line from St Pancras to Manchester. The advantages of closing this part of the line in 1968 were: (1) it was heavily used for London expresses, (2) it was a constructional investment with tremendous tourist potential, (3) it helped to reduce road congestion and (4) it helped to reduce Britain's reliance on imported fossil fuels. Err, doh! Did I say "advantage"?

The line served Chatsworth House whose incumbents used Rowsley and Hassop Stations. I'm sure you noticed the size and appearance of the huge tea room at Hassop station. The platform at Longstone Station even had direct access to Thornbridge Hall. Local landowners made their own ready access to the railway a condition of the railway being built across their land.

The line, of course, also benefitted the local limestone and cotton spinning industries, of which we saw clear evidence in the shape of Cresswell and Litton mills and the limestone kiln just beyond Miller's Dale station.

We successfully managed to dodge day trippers, dog walkers and of course cyclists to complete what mathematicians might be led to describe as the limiting case of a circular walk.

Early Morning in Edale

I couldn't resist taking some more early morning piccies of our base before the rigours of breakfast and of the preparations for the day set in.

Our residence is still in the shade. Afterall, its erstwhile builders and occupants (from "around the last half of the 1600s") had intended that the building should nestle a tad in the ground so as to have shelter from prevailing winds and weather.




Here's the view to the North ...




... and here to the South.




In these southern views, it is interesting to see the terraces, possibly the successive (over thousands of years) shores of some primaeval lake.

On the way to the Monsal Trail

On the way by car to Hassop Station, we pass Hope Church. The Peak District abounds with such churches, which are, of course - in addition to their religious functions - fantastic repositories of local history and art.

Hassop & Vintage Cars

One of the glories of MG ... when MG was still British.




A post-war Bentley which could have been used for mobility by the local nobility.




Come on you car enthusiasts! What's this one?

A blast of the whistle and we are off!

We find out about some facets of the Victorian Age. After some undulating countryside we reach the famous Monsal Viaduct. Then it's Arkwright's Mill at Cresswell. After that we see the entrance to Longstone Hall - Victorian nobility was keen to have access to that new invention, the railway!

We get straight into nice country as we head north west.




Many footpaths try and entice you off the main track.




And here is Monsal Viaduct which features so dramatically on the famous LMS poster.




Cresswell mill was built in 1779 by the well known Sir Arkwright, and rebuilt by his son in 1787 after a fire. Behind you can see the cottages to house the orphan children brought in from the cities to work in the mills. H & S weren't around at the time. Georgian accretions around 1815 - when Napoleon had a great time on the continent. Nice flats now. I wonder how much they cost.




Countless Irish navies probably sweated and toiled to put this line on the sides of, ...




... and through, the hills. What they didn't know was that they were gouging through the landscape a nice wide path for dog walkers, day trippers and cyclists.




"And he marched them to the end of the path, and he marched them back again". Well at least we got a little way north of Miller's Dale, where it was then, "Companeeee! About Turn!".




Here is Monsal viaduct again.




And here is the entrance for the nobility from Longstone Station. Looks nice.

Evening: And so Back to Base

Rush Hour in Edale. On the way back to base and more delights of home cooking, we were only slightly delayed by the shepherdess busily shepherding her flock into a field full of nice juicy grass. It looks as if lamb might be a major feature on local menus.