Walk Diary Wednesday 18th March 2020 Weather overcast
Beeley crossroads Leader; Philip R.
No. on walk 11

The last ‘Ramblers’ walk for an indeterminate time.
Despite the gloomy news and the even more gloomy weather, we set off from the junction of Beeley Lane and Flash Lane along the road to Hell Bank Plantation. Pleased to complete the walk along the road, we went along the track and path up to Hob Hurst’s House. After a brief stop, for early coffee, we walked across East Moor. The first part of the track had recently been used by a large tractor which had churned up the track making it difficult to avoid the mud, however we soon came to the point where it had turned off and we strode on through the clinging heather. By this time most of us were putting up the hoods of our coats as the drizzle turned to rain. We passed above Umberley Sick. There are a number of “sicks” around this moor (Harland, Hipper, Millstone) These are all water features and I assume it means spring or stream.
At the start of the bridleway over Longside Moor there is a Millennium boundary stone, erected for commemoration purposes rather than as a boundary marker. A stop, for early lunch, was made overlooking Harewood Moor and the valley below, fortunately the rain had eased at this point. Afterwards, we dropped into the valley and walked a short distance to the bridleway at Harewood Grange Farm and headed towards Walton Lees Farm, turning off on the edge of the open access land, going up to the disused quarry and almost reversing our course to traverse Harewood Moor towards our starting point. On the moor we passed 5 pairs of square walled enclosures, the purpose of these structures has always been a mystery to me, the best explanation yet was put to me on this walk, the suggestion was that they were meant to be decorative features along the drive down to a large house. We reached the cars just before 2pm, wondering how long it would be, before the Amber Valley Ramblers were out again. Philip. R.

Pictures by Frankie L.