Celebrations in Derbyshire

We went to Hartington for our usual New Year visit a little later this year.  We timed our arrival to coincide with my borther's birthday and had booked to eat at the excellent Charles Cotton Hotel in the village.  One of the tings we like about our visit here is that the cars stay in the car park for the duration and our biggest decision is whether we do the walks clockwise or anti-clockwise.  Although it remained dry for most of the time the weather was generally overcast and gloomy apart from our final walk when we did see some sun.  Our peregrinations centred on the River Dove and the dry valleys on either side.  We noticed that the buds on the elders were swelling and would soon be breaking into leaf and hazel catkins were well out.  We saw buzzards and lapwings and dippers busy on the river along with several herons.  On our stretch of the river there seemed to be about 5 dipper territories and we found one singing its heart out with a beautiful, melodious thrush-like song..  Spring is on the way.

New Year, Hartington. Day 3

For our final day our Nephew and his wife along with their new daughter Sophie came to join us.  The ladies enjoyed a wander into the village shops and tea shop while the gentlemen indulged ouselves in our usual walk to Pilsbury Castle and back.  Out on the upper gritstone side of the valley and back high on the northern limestone with excellent views along the valley.  National Park rangers were repairing a gate and a raven cronked joyously overhead.  Ravens are one of nature's success stories; I remember a time when none were to be found in Derbyshire.  Although we thoroughly enjoyed the walk, the sky was so dull and grey the camera was not troubled at all.

An excellent three days.

New Year, Hartington Youth Hostel. Day 2

A frost greeted us this morning, the first we have seen in a while as the weather has recently been mild, grey and overcast.  Although cold, however, the promised sun did not appear and this and the following day were to be cold but still, grey and gloomy under the high pressure air.  The fields in Dovedale were frosted, though as we approached from the village.  Our walk today followed the river there and back (mostly) rather than the very steep variation up Gypsy Bank to Alstonfield and back down to the River and the awkward walking up Biggin Dale on the way back.  This is because I am under orders to take it easy as I am waiting for open heart surgery for an aortic valve replacement - joy!!
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Despite being circumspect, however, the walk was extremely rewarding on the wildlife front.  Herons were plentiful all along the river often paying us little heed.  Several dippers were showing well, all paired up and ready for the breeding season.

As we entered Wolfscote Dale we were surprised to see a crayfish by the side of the path aggressively waving its claws at us as we approached.  Judging by its size and bright red backs to its claws we identified it as an American interloper, the signal crayfish.  These are an invasive species and can destabilize riverbanks by their burrowing and carry crayfish plague.

Further along we came across a female goosander which we saw on a couple of occasions.  We were also delighted to have excellent views of a kingfisher as it patrolled its territory.  We particularly enjoyed watching it fishing and I ached for my 500mm lens.

As always the walk along the river continued to delight and I enjoyed photographing the waterfalls and dying vegetation.  The alder catkins were ripening and endowed the river bank with purple tinges.

Once back at the entrance to Wolfscote Dale we climbed up and then walked along beautiful green lanes lined with ancient stone walls back to the hostel, pausing to photograph an old and decaying railway carriage which at some time in the past has been pressed into use as a farm building.  I love photographing this type of subject which is very rewarding in close-up revealing beautiful textures, shapes and colours.  Although only 3 o'clock the lowering skies meant that the day was nearly over.

New Year at Hartington

As has now become traditional, once our children had returned to Ambleside and Seville following a wonderful Christmas together, Heather and I loaded the car and pointed it towards Derbyshire and Hartington Hall Youth Hostel.  Typical of the weather for this winter, it rained heavily all the way and so we opted not to do our usual walk, but unpack and get settled in first.  Feeling like a blow, though, we decided to head out for a short 2 mile walk in the rain and gathering dusk to work up an appetite for the evening meal.

 We were delighted the following morning to fine the skies clear and were away early for our regular New Year's Eve walk; this year anti-clockwise.  Although everywhere was wet, we expected worse and Derbyshire, like Lincolnshire, seems so far to have escaped the excesses of this year's wet winter. In fact the river Dove was little higher than normal.  Our walk took us from Hartington into Beresford Dale and then Wolfscote Dale before climbing the very steep Gypsy Bank and walking across the fields to Alstonfield.  From here it was back down to the river at Milldale and then returning via Wolfscote and Biggin Dales.  In Wolfscote Dale we were fascinated to watch a dipper hunting under the surface of the river seeking out its prey of grubs and popping up onto a rock to devour them.  As a means of camouflage dippers constantly bob up and down and, with their white chest and dark uppers, they can be very difficult to spot.  It was also hugely satisfying to get several excellent views of a kingfisher on the river.  With the weather being mild, we noticed several instances of plants in flower: gorse, snowdrops and, notably, primroses.

Surprisingly the next morning saw a frost, although the morning quickly clouded over and a thaw set in.  Our walk took us the opposite way up the river as far as Pilsbury Castle and back to Hartington.  Nuthatch, several members of the tit family and tree creepers were all spotted on our walk.

We have booked again for next year and I suppose before we blink it will be here.

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