Friday May 16th

 Grindleford to Higger Tor

After a delayed start, courtesy of Royal Mail, we arrived at Grindleford Station cafe about 1pm. It seemed to be doing a roaring trade in large bacon butties. The first notable feature of the walk was Padley Chapel, the scene of Protestant skulduggery in the Reformation. The walk beyond the chapel goes into Bolehill Wood, at times a somewhat confusing place, but still dramatic in its own right. Evidence of quarrying in the past was much in evidence, largely to provide the stone for the construction of the dams in the Upper Derwent valley. We had lunch at the beautiful but imposing quarry of Lawrencefield, where Ben and David climbed many moons ago.



Hard Rock at Lawrencefield

All around are abandoned millstones- always a poignant sight.




Industrial waste- abandoned millstones

On to the Surprise View vantage point and the open moorland, which was welcome after the woods, passing the Mother Cap formation on Owler Tor.

Mother Cap on Owler Tor

We went up Higger Tor and then on to Carl Wark, enjoying both the scenic moorland and the sunshine.

Higger Tor

The end of the walk necessitates a return to the wood and, at times, the route down Padley Gorge seemed a little impenetrable. 

Descending Padley Gorge

A pleasant walk of 6.4 miles with 350m ascent in the sunshine and some welcome history thrown in as well.



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