• Bolsover Castle

    17 Ogos, England ☁️ 17 °C

    We visit Bolsover Castle on our journey back from Wirksworth to home.  Bolsover Castle and Hardwick Hall (see earlier post) are closely linked through the powerful Cavendish family; the two are only about 4.5 miles apart. Whereas Hardwick Hall was built by the formidable Bess of Hardwick (Countess of Shrewsbury) in the 1590s, the land at Bolsover was bought by Bess's son, Sir Charles Cavendish, in 1608 and he began transforming the medieval castle ruins into a modern retreat.

    Bolsover Castle is now under the care of English Heritage and famous for being a 17th-century "party palace" built for show rather than defence; it features the following:
    1) the Little Castle - this was built on 12th century medieval ruins and mimics a fortress with towers, but with large windows and luxurious rooms for entertainment,
    2) the Terrace Range - the vast and stately Terrace Range overlooking the Vale of Scarsdale is now a dramatic roofless shell.
    3) the Riding School - this is the oldest surviving complete riding house in England and commissioned by William Cavendish (riding master to King Charles II),

    We start by visiting the Little Castle via the Fountain Garden and walking around the various rooms on several levels; after that we explore the Terrace Range before looking at the Riding School; see captions of photos for details.

    It has been an interesting visit.
    Baca lagi

  • Wirksworth

    16 Ogos, England ☁️ 21 °C

    Wirksworth is a historic market town located on the southern edge of the Peak District National Park; the area has been mined since Roman times and developed as a centre for lead mining and stone quarrying.

    After the Wirksworth Circular Walk, we rest for a while before going to the Hope and Anchor for an early Sunday evening meal. After this (still before 6 pm), we have a walk around the town using an architectural trail map from the accommodation; see captions on photos for details of this attractive town.
    Baca lagi

  • Wirksworth Circular via part of High Peak Trail

    16 Ogos, England ☁️ 20 °C

    We leave the accommodation and walk up past the cemetery and then up to Bolehill; from here, it is a climb up to the woods on Cromford Moor and across to Black Rock.

    We then join the High Peak Trail; this is a 17.5-mile trail that runs from Dowlow near Buxton to High Peak Junction near Cromford, following the historic route of the 1831 Cromford and High Peak Railway. We see the station at Steeple Grange and carry on up the Middleton Incline to Middleton Top; fortunately for us, the restored Engine House is open on Sundays.

    Soon after this, we turn off and walk down towards Wirksworth, passing more disused quarries, eventually reaching the StarDisc Stone Circle on the edge of Stoney Wood; it is an interesting 21st century illuminated stone circle and celestial amphitheatre that spans 12m and is carved into black granite. We walk along the edge of Stoney Wood and join the road down into Wirksworth.

    It has been a really interesting and varied 5.4-mile walk. We walk back for a shower before heading out to Wirksworth for dinner and a look around.
    Baca lagi

  • Cromford

    15 Ogos, England ☁️ 22 °C

    We leave our cottage in Eyam and head off for 2 nights in Wirksworth via Cromford, where we stop off.

    Cromford is a picturesque, historic village, and part of the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site Derwent Valley Mills; the village is famous as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, and features one of Sir Richard Arkwright’s pioneering water-powered cotton mills, We have a walk around the village before visiting Cromford Mill (1771), followed by Masson Mill (1783), also an Arkwright Mill, on the northern fringe of the village. Whereas Cromford Mill was powered by water from the Bonsall Brook and the Cromford Sough, Masson Mill was powered from the River Derwent and therefore had more power. Masson Mill and its Textile Museum were unfortunately closed due to staff illness. See captions on photos for details.

    From here, we drive on to Wirksworth.
    Baca lagi

  • Eyam Circular via Stoke Ford, Bretton, Foolow

    14 Ogos, England ☁️ 26 °C

    Our last walk in the Eyam area on this trip is a circular walk, based on one we have in our book. We leave Eyam and walk up Eyam Edge to cross Eyam Moor to Stoke Ford (via a different path to last time).

    From Stoke Ford, we walk along Bretton Clough to Bretton; despite being a tiny hamlet, Bretton has a well-known and popular pub, The Barrel Inn, and a youth hostel because of its location on a ridge with a panoramic view. It is also the border between the so-called White Peak District area (limestone) and the Dark Peak District area (gritstone). Then we walk down to the picturesque village of Foolow; from here, we take the footpath directly across to Eyam. There have been good views during the walk; see captions on photos for details.

    It has been a lovely walk of approx. 8.5 miles in good weather, a bit cooler than yesterday. Later on, it's back to The Miner's Arms for beer and food; the end of our week based in Eyam.
    Baca lagi

  • Derwent Valley Heritage Way; Baslow to Rowsley

    13 Ogos, England ☀️ 30 °C

    Today, we walk section 3 of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way from Baslow to Rowsley. We take the bus to Baslow Church and follow the route up and down to Nether End before joining the path through the Chatsworth Park Estate and passing by Chatsworth House. We walk on to Calton Lees, where Chatsworth Garden Centre is situated. From here, we walk on towards Rowsley; this village is located at the point where the River Wye flows into the River Derwent and prospered from mills on both rivers. It has been a lovely 5.5-mile walk that was very hot towards the end (hence an early start); see captions on photos for details.

    We take the bus back to Bakewell and change there for Eyam to get back to the cottage.
    Baca lagi

  • Eyam to Bakewell Walk

    12 Ogos, England ☁️ 17 °C

    We leave our accommodation early for our walk to Bakewell to avoid the forecasted afternoon heat. We set off before 8:30 am. towards Stoney Middleton (using a different path to last time) and from there walk up and south towards Coombs Dale, a steep-sided, dry limestone valley; we see some of the old mines and quarries that were used in the past. From Bleaklow, we walk to and through Rowland, a small hamlet close to Great Longstone.

    We walk outside Long Rake Plantation before crossing the Monsal Trail on our way to Bakewell (see Monsal Trail separate trip in FP). After a quick look around Bakewell (see Bakewell post earlier in this trip in FP), we take the bus back to Eyam. See captions on photos for more details of the walk and the screen capture of the route; it has been a lovely walk of about 7 miles.

    Later on, we watched the partial eclipse of the sun using a colander and a piece of paper.
    Baca lagi

  • Derwent Valley Heritage Way; Hathersage - Baslow

    11 Ogos, England ☁️ 19 °C

    Today, we walk section 2 of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way from Hathersage to Baslow; the 55-mile long-distance footpath follows the River Derwent from Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District National Park down to Derwent Mouth, where it joins the River Trent near Shardlow.

    We start from Leadmill Bridge near Hathersage and follow the path along the path via Grindleford, Froggatt, and Calver to Baslow; see captions on photos for details of the walk and the final photo for the route. It was a lovely walk of 6.8 miles (my OS app says 7.3 miles, but it is usually 10% high....)

    Later on, we enjoyed a meal and good ale at The Miner's Arms in Eyam.
    Baca lagi

  • We take the 9:20 bus to Hathersage and from there walk down to Leadmill Bridge and cross the River Derwent. We walk via Mount Pleasant Farm and Callow Wood to Highlow Hall, a grade II listed historic Elizabethan manor house dating back to the 16th century. We walk down to Highlow Wood and then turn west towards Stoke Ford.

    From here, we walk along Abney Clough, a secluded wooden valley towards the tiny gritstone village of Abney. We then walk south towards Bretton, crossing Bretton Brook after walking through a heavy fern growth on the way down. Despite being a tiny hamlet, Bretton has a well-known and popular pub, The Barrel Inn, and a youth hostel because of its location on a ridge with a panoramic view.

    We then walk down Eyam Edge, a high gritstone and shale ridge with a lot of gorse, to join a small road back to Eyam. It's been an almost 9-mile walk with a lot of different scenery.
    Baca lagi

  • Eyam Historic Places Walk and Eyam Moor

    9 Ogos, England ☀️ 19 °C

    We are back in Derbyshire and drive to Eyam; our cottage is nice and well situated in the historic village of Eyam. Eyam is famous for the bravery of the villagers when the plague devastated the village in 1665-1666; they isolated themselves and prevented the plague from spreading to nearby villages and towns. We use a pamphlet detailing the many places of interest concerning the plague and see some of the other interesting things here.

    The plague started here in 1665 when George Viccars, a journeyman tailor, was lodging in one of the cottages and received a box of damp cloth from London, where the plague was raging; he hung it to dry in the cottage and died shortly after; there were fleas on the cloth and these passed on the plague. A new young Rector, the Rev. William Mompesson, asked the villagers to shut themselves off to avoid contaminating the whole area. The captions on the photos describe a bit more detail about the plague then.

    It was a very good and interesting day, with 8.8 miles walking.
    Baca lagi

  • Future Cambridge; Eddington and West Cambridge

    27 Julai, England ☁️ 25 °C

    This is Walk 11 from the Cambridge Hidden Walks book and is called Future Cambridge; Eddington and West Cambridge.  These are both modern University developments 2 miles north-west of the city centre, and border countryside that provides community amenity; whereas Eddington is a residential area, West Cambridge Campus is a development of university buildings, mainly for science-related faculties.

    From Madingley Road park and ride, I cross Madingley Road and walk south via West Cambridge Campus passing the tent-like Schlumberger Building first before walking along a footpath before doubling towards the Dept of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and then walking around West Cambridge Lake.  I then walk down Charles Babbage Road for a short while to reach the Cavendish Laboratories site.  Then it's up past the Dept of Computer Science and Technology and the Whittle Laboratory; next, it's back across Madingley Road to walk up past the Univeristy Obervatory Buildings and the walk across towards Eddington.

    Eddington is centred around Market Square and designed with a high level of sustainibility; an energy centre provides a district heating system, while a sustainable urban drainage system channels rainwater via bioswales to the artificial Brook Leys Lake between the site and the M11 motorway - the water is pumped back into homes for washing through a non-potable network.

    I walk through the development and then down to walk around Brook Leys Lake to see the Fata Morgana Teahouse installation, designed by the German artists Wolfgang Winter and Berthold Hörbelt; except for the roof, almost the entire two-storey pavilion - including built-in benches - was made from undulating stainless steel welded grating, and depending on light conditions, its polished surfaces can appear shiny or see-through.  There are good views of Eddington from here.

    Then it is a short walk back to the park and ride; it has been a very interesting 5.5-mile walk through "Future Cambridge."
    Baca lagi

  • Reykjavik 3; City Centre

    14 Jun, Iceland ☀️ 12 °C

    We are flying back to the UK late this afternoon and have time to see some of the views and sights in Reykjavik that we missed at the start of the trip.

    We walk towards the Harpa Concert Hall via the Saebraut seaside walk and back to the hotel via a walk around Tjornin (The Pond), and then along Laugarvigur (see captions on photos for details).

    We have had a great trip to Iceland!
    Baca lagi

  • Godafoss, Akureyri, and Grabrok Crater

    13 Jun, Iceland ⛅ 11 °C

    We are heading back to Reykjavik for our final evening today; our first stop en route is Godafoss, a 30m wide by 12m drop waterfall - if Dettifoss is the Beast, this is the Beauty.

    The next stop is Akureyri; it is the capital of North Iceland and is located at the southern end of Eyjafjordur, the largest fjord in Iceland. We stop here for a walk around the attractive town and to visit the Botanical Gardens.

    We then drive south towards Grabrok Crater; this was formed from a volcanic fissure eruption over 3,000 years ago and is the largest of three craters along a 600m fissure. We walk up the wooden staircase and enjoy the sweeping views ofmosscovered kava fields.

    Then it's back to Reykjavik; it's not a big farewell dinner tonight as it's fairly late, so we go to Borg 29 food hall for a pizza.
    Baca lagi

  • Asbyrgi Canyon and Lake Myvatn

    12 Jun, Iceland ☁️ 6 °C

    After a brief stop at a viewpoint over Shaky Bay, we proceed to Asbyrgi Canyon, a crescent-shaped glacial gorge formed from an old dried out river bed when the Glacier changed course; or, it could be formed from the hoof print of Sleipnir, the eight legged horse of the God Odin.... We enjoy a short walk at the end by towering vertical cliffs and the water.

    Next, we drive to the Lake Myvayn area; our first visit is to the fumaroles and mud pots of Hverir at the foot of Mount Namafjall, the Sulphur mountain; Lake Myvatn is on the other side of the mountain, and is the fourth largest lake in Iceland, 275m above sea level, and formed 3,800 years ago. It is a short drive to Dimmuborgir, where we have lunch and then walk around the lava park here, seeing the interesting shapes of various volcanic caves and rock formations, reminiscent of an ancient collapsed citadel. We then follow the so-called Silica Road for a while to get back to Husavik.

    Then, it's off to GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths close to Husavik; there are several oudoor pools of naturally heated seawater at different temperatures, a steam room, and a bar - perfect. It was a wonderful experience.

    We finish the day with an excellent meal at the Salka restaurant in Husavik, a short walk from the hotel.
    Baca lagi

  • Fjalladyrd, Dettifoss Waterfall, Husavik

    11 Jun, Iceland ☁️ 8 °C

    We leave the Eastern Fjords region and cross up to the north of Iceland. There are great views en route, and we stop for coffee at Fjalladyrd; this is the highest inhabited farm in Iceland and now offers a range of facilities.

    We drive on through Northern Iceland towards Dettifoss and Selfoss Waterfalls; whereas Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe (44,000 litres of water pre second!), Selfoss is more humble and beautifully shaped.

    We then drive on to Husavik; this is Iceland's oldest settlement and very picturesque. It is the whale watching centre of Iceland, but we decline the optional whale watching tour, having been on several already. We enjoy a walk around the town, seeing the main sights (see captions on photos for details). A particular highlight was the Husavik Ol microbrewery, where the beer was only 1000 Krona during World Cup games! It was an excellent evening...
    Baca lagi

  • Eastern Fjords Region

    10–11 Jun, Iceland 🌧 8 °C

    Our first stop in the Eastern Fjords region is Djupivogur, a historic trading village dating back to 1589.

    We then travel to Faskrudsfjordur, another old trading port; this was home to a hospital founded to serve French fishermen working here until 1935 (the former hospital building dating from 1903 has now been restored as a hotel - the one we are staying in). Later, we enjoy an amazing meal at Cafe Sumarlina.

    Next morning, we set off through the Eastern Fjords and on to Husavik in the north of Iceland.
    Baca lagi

  • After breakfast, we drive to the start point for the "Puffin Tour" in the Ingolfshofoi Nature Reserve; this is run by a small family business that offers authentic tours on the family's farm Hofsnes. We take a tractor pulled hay cart to cross over to the Ingolfshofoi Nature Reserve on a remote headland on the black sand coast of southeast Iceland. The whole experience was truly amazing and is described on the photo captions.

    We then drive towards the Eastern Fjords region of Iceland.
    Baca lagi

  • We visit Skaftafell Nature Reserve, an area of wilderness inside the larger Vatnajokull National Park, and go on the walk towards Sel, an old, original farm in the area, and then on to Svartifoss Waterfall before returning to the visitor centre

    After lunch, we drive to Jokulsarlon, a glacial lagoon, with waters dotted with icebergs from the surrounding Breioamerkurjokull Glacier, part of the larger Vatnajokull Glacier; we go a amphibious vehicle boat ride to see more. The lagoon flows through a short waterway into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving chunks of ice on a black sand beach.

    Then it's back to Skaftafell Nature Reserve for a walk along the geology trail to Skaftafell Glacier.

    A full day.
    Baca lagi

  • We leave Gullfoss Waterfall and drive to Skaftafell, stopping at various sites wn route.

    First, we visit Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, which is noted for its height and the possibility to walk behind the curtain of water from one side to the other. We do this and get a little wet due to the wind blowing as we emerge!

    Our next stop is Skogafoss Waterfall, one of Iceland's tallest waterfalls, standing at 62 m / 203 ft.

    We also stop at Vik I Myrdal, a black sanded and rocky beach with basalt cliffs and their columns. We then stop off at the village of Vik to see the beach there.

    As we drive on to Skaftafell, we stop off and have a short walk on a large lava field and see the moss growths on the boulders.

    It's been a long day, by the time we arrive at Hotel Skaftafell!
    Baca lagi

  • The Golden Circle highlights

    7–8 Jun, Iceland ☁️ 10 °C

    The Golden Circle of Iceland is a famous 190-mile looped tourist route from Reykjavik that is often done as a day trip. There are three primary must-see stops, and we visit two this afternoon and one tomorrow morning on our route to Skaftafell.

    The first is Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as it was the birthplace of the Icelandic Parliament in 930 AD, when 30 clan leaders came together to create a unified nation after years of fighting. It is also of geological interest because the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet here, with a portion of Iceland on each, meaning that you can cross between two continents here. We have a lovely walk between our pick-up points via the Oxarafoss Waterfall.

    We stop off at the Solheimer Eco-village for coffee en route to the Geysir Geothermal Area, the second must-see stop. Located in the Haikadalud Valley, this area features bubbling mud pools and the Strokkur Geyser (known as "the butter churn"), which erupts every 5-10 minutes throwing boiling water up to 130 ft in the air.

    We then drive to the Gullfoss Hotel ready for the third must-see stop of the Golden Circle; the Gullfoss Falls. This is fed by the Havita glacial river and is a spectacular two-tiered waterfall that drops 32 m (105 ft) into a rugged canyon. The name translates to "Golden Falls," giving the Golden Circle its name. We see the sculpture of "Sigridur of Brattholt," a farmer's daughter whose activism helped preserve the Gullfoss Falls, preventing them from being industrialised.

    We set off for Skaftafell via Highway 1, the ring road around Iceland.
    Baca lagi

  • After breakfast, we drive to Grotta, a natural site and nature reserve on the western side of the Greater Reykjavik area. We see the Grotta lighthouse (built in 1877 and reconstructed in 1947) and the nature reserve.

    We drive back to the city centre and the Harpa Concert Hall and harbour area. We walk to the Parliament Square and then up to Tjornin, a small lake in the centre of Reykjavik. Later, we drive a short distance up to Hallgrimshirkje (Church of Hallgrinur), a protestant Lutheran Church; it is the tallest church in Iceland and the second most tall building in the country. It was completed in 1986 and built to resemble the columnar basalt rock formations that are found in Iceland (eg, at Vika beach, which we will visit later in the trip); it is minimalist inside.

    We drive to the southern part of the Greater Reykjavik area to Perlan, a popular and immersive museum; we do not visit it, but have a short walk and enjoy views from the top of Osjkuhlid Hill, on which it stands - the main building is based around four heating tanks. We then visit the Nautholsvuk Geothermal Beach, near the domestic airport, which is noted for its golden sand, geothermal heated swim lagoon, and hot tubs.

    Then it's off to see some of the Golden Circle highlights....
    Baca lagi

  • Reykjavik 1; City Centre

    6 Jun, Iceland ⛅ 10 °C

    We fly from London to Reykjavik with Icelandic Air to start our "Land of the Midnight Sun" trip with Explore Travel. We have time to have a meal at a local food court close to the hotel and to have a walk around some of the city centre before a guided tour tomorrow.

    We walk along Laugarvigur, the mile-long central and commercial artery of Reykjavik, seeing old-style buildings and impressive street art before turning off after Rainbow Street towards the harbour and the promenade (Saebraut seaside walk), offering impressive sights, including the Harpa Concert Hall and the Sun Voyager, before walking up to the hotel. Sunset isn't until 11:45pm this evening!

    A good start to the trip.
    Baca lagi

  • Wrest Park 2; the Gardens and Woodland

    22 Mei, England ☁️ 24 °C

    Wrest Park Gardens are formal gardens surrounding the mansion and include a number of other buildings, monuments, and statues; the park also has woodland on either side. The Gardens are divided by a wide gravel central walk, continued as a long canal that leads to a Baroque pavilion banqueting house designed by Thomas Archer and completed in 1711. 

    We have a very enjoyable and interesting walk around the gardens; see captions on photos for details - they are presented in an ant-clockwise direction from and back to the house.
    Baca lagi

  • Wrest Park 1; the Mansion House

    22 Mei, England ⛅ 22 °C

    Wrest Park is a country estate located in Silsoe, Bedfordshire. It comprises Wrest Park Mansion, a grade I listed country house, and Wrest Park Gardens and Woodland (also grade I listed).

    Between the 13th and 20th centuries it was occupied by the de Grey family; the original house was demolished in the 1830's, and the current mansion was built by Thomas de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey, also in the 1830's, in a Louis XV style that is unique in England. Wrest Park was used as a military hospital during WW I; it was eventually purchased by Sun Insurance (who moved from offices in London to Wrest Park during WW II, building 12 huts and converting stables to house 300 employees. After the war, it became a centre for modern agricultural engineering research. English Heritage took over the house and gardens in 2006 and began a 20-year restoration project.

    We visit the house, seeing what we are able to (see captions on photos for details).
    Baca lagi

  • St Paul's Walden Bury

    15 Mei, England ☁️ 10 °C

    St Paul's Walden Bury is a Grade I listed 18th-century garden and mansion, which was the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (the Bowes-Lyon family, her ancestors, has long-standing connections to the area and still live in the stately home).  It is located in St Paul's Walden, a rural village in North Hertfordshire, located between Hitchin and Stevenage in the Chilterns, and has a 50-acre formal woodland garden famed for its notable collection of classical statues and temples, lakes and ponds.

    It is not possible for us to visit the house, although it is used as a wedding venue, but the gardens have been recommended to us and we set off for a visit to walk round them to explore.  The formal woodland garden, covering about 60 acres, was much influenced by French tastes, and is one of the few surviving examples of gardens of this genre, based on a patte d’oie (goose foot) design. Long rides lined with clipped beech hedges lead to temples, statues, lakes, and ponds, and to a terraced outdoor theatre.  It is an excellent place to visit - see captions on photos - and there is an online map of the garden to refer to en route.

    We also visit the restored 18th century barn in the grounds of the house, where the WEFT contemporary art exhibition is on for a week; the exhibition features an installation by a local artist and explores themes of disability, sensory experience, and the built environment; it is "quirky", but interesting.

    A good day out.
    Baca lagi

  • Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods)

    3 April, Itali ☁️ 11 °C

    The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) is a scenic 8-10 km coastal hike linking Bomerano (Agerola Commune) and Nocelle (the upper part of the Positano Commune); name “Path of the Gods” comes from an ancient legend: the Greek deities once walked this trail to rescue Ulysses from the sirens of the Li Galli islets.

    We drive to Bomerano and start the walk; there are breathtaking views all the way (see photos!) as we walk the Path of the Gods to Nocelle, a tranquil, ancient hamlet perched 450 metres above Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast; there is a steep 1,700 stepped pathway which goes down to the town of Positano itself, but we take the longer route via Montepertuso and the northern part of Positano.  Positano is a stunning, vertical town on Italy's Amalfi Coast, known for its pastel-colored houses stacked on steep cliffs, vibrant fashion boutiques, and pebbled beaches.

    After some spare time in Positano, we drive back to San Lazzaro.  We are held up in Bomerano by the Good Friday Procession, a reenactment of the Passion of Christ, but we get back to the Agriturismo for our farewell evening meal of the trip and get out just in time to see the final, nighttime scene featuring the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves (Gestas and Dismas) at the Colonia Montana.  What a day!

    It has been a fantastic trip to the Amalfi Coast for both of us.
    Baca lagi

Dapatkan profil pengembaraan anda yang tersendiri

Percuma

QR code

FindPenguins untuk iOSFindPenguins untuk Android