Whatstandwell Station

Wednesday 7 July 2021

8 miles Leader David d.

Weather good. No. on walk 18

A good day out and a pleasure to lead a great group of interesting people, who didn’t complain too much as I led them on a quite challenging, but hopefully, interesting walk with wonderful views over our beautiful countryside. We were afforded views of lots of natural history and many points of local heritage history. There were several steepish climbs, which everyone, taking their time, seemed to cope well with. We encountered two or three small rain showers, not really worthy of the name and really no need to cover up.

We stopped for our first break under the branches of a large Beech Tree, the one which was referred to in one of Allison Uttley’s children’s books, she used to walk this path on her way to school.  Later we paused to see a Blue Plaque, erected on a wall near to her former home. We also passed by Lea Hurst, a former childhood home of Florence Nightingale, although trees in full leaf prevented us from seeing much of it.

Lunch was taken in the church yard of St. John the Baptist Church, Dethick, a couple of benches and good well-cut grass made for plenty of adequate seating, enjoyed in full sunshine. Some stepping stones across Lea Brook, made some hearts pound, but all managed it safely with a little bit of assistance. A good day, returning to the station by two twenty-five. I recorded eight miles, but on the pre-walk only seven point eight as advertised, don’t know where the extra came from, I must have wandered off when no one was looking!

The route was a published walk, one of a set of twenty-two of Amber Valley Routeways, only we walked it in reverse to that which is published. To view the route, look on this website ‘local walks’ then Amber Valley Routeways 22.

   Pictures by James W.

Last four pictures by John HT