A Very Hot Shivering Mountain
Generally, the BLUE tour from Chatsworth ...
... seemed more popular (picture below) than the RED Bakewell "circular" ... 
... which was the fbb's first trip having arrived by open topper from Woodseats in Sheffield.
The second BLUE tour trip struck out north from Chatsworth ...
... where fbb (not having perused the route map on the Stagecoach leaflet), was expecting to turn left for Hathersage.
But no ...
... we are going uphill again via Grindleford station which is at Nether Padley. The station is in a valley well below the road and will feature in a later blog; but here are the signs.
Our bus climbs through pleasant woodland (nice and cool in Wednesday's hot weather) with National Trust's Longshaw Estate appearing on our right.
At the top we are oh so close to the boundary of the City Of Sheffield at Fox House with a sign that used to say "City Centre" with nothing but moorland all around!
We are in rugged open moorland for a few miles ...
... to pass Toad's Mouth rock ...
... which looks more like a Pike to fbb! The Surprise view along the Hope Valley is far more spectacular than can be conveyed by a small picture ...
... but the descent into Hathersage is simply joyous!
The open topper visits the Bamford Bus "turnaround" where interchange is easily maintained with Hope Valley stopping trains.
The Highlight of the valley itself is the Cement Works ...
... despised by some but which somehow seems small and insignificant against God's grandeur. But we hurry along the valley to Castleton where the little bus station is busy!
... and a gaggle of coaches struggles past.
But Castleton gridlock is pending. The route is via How Lane, Back Street and Cross Street ...
... all of which are very thin!
OK, it doesn't look thin, but it IS very thin if, just round that corner, you have two parked delivery vans and traffic lights for road works! Add to that a large open topped bus and everything ground to an impossible halt.
tBut fbb's travelling companion, an HGV driver, sprang into action with Alacrity (sensibly, he had a bottle of Alacrity in his snack bag!), took charge and sorted the mess out. Ten minute delay!
tBut all was well schedule-wise; and by far the best bit of the route was the last.
Winnats Pass is worth the price of the day ticket alone.
The above is an on-line distance shot, but fbb grabbed a few snaps closer at hand.
Somewhere up there were some skydivers!
Here is a view back along the valley from the top ...
... and a good chunk of craginess seen on the way back down.
And we mustn't forget our bus in its wonderful Peak Sightseer livery.
fbb is very glad he wasn't on the previous tour as it got no further than Longshaw National Trust and was still there when fbb's bus passed.
Whoops!
A least one old bloke had a great time!
Next Sheffield Miscellany blog : Tues 2nd July
Still snowy above the cement works, I see. Still, it's only June yet.
ReplyDeleteThis year, anything's possible!
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