Footprints Newsletter of the Dales Group of the Ramblers January 2020

Editor: Martin Phillips

Nick’s Natterings Nick Stephens (Chairman) Our recent AGM attracted the usual group of faithful followers (26 out of a total membership of 548 !). That meant that 522 members missed the brilliant talk by our Footpaths Secretary, Martin Bennett, about our unique & precious system of public rights of way. We should protect them and enjoy them! At the AGM, I, as Chairman, gave a year’s notice, as did the Minutes Secretary. There is an urgent need to fill the post of Secretary (currently unfilled) and the potential requirement for a Membership Secretary and a Programme Secretary. We do need volunteers in order to keep the DDR Group functioning. Sue Weatherley, who has put in more work for Ramblers than I have space to list here, is resigning her posts of Area Access Officer and from the Local Access Forum. She briefly described both jobs at the AGM. Thanks, Sue! (See page 10). It is sad to report the death of David Barker, (obituary on page 11). Thanks to John Searle for all his sterling work as a Tuesday walk collector. Welcome to Andy Jeffries who is taking over the role. Whilst we achieve an impressive walk programme, some walk collectors have been struggling to fill their walk programmes. So PLEASE volunteer to lead a walk - it’s not difficult. Recent First Aid Courses have been well received. The Chesterfield Walking Festival and the recent Area walk hosted by Amber Valley both got good reports. The recent bad weather and serious flooding has meant that several of our walks had to be cancelled since many paths (and roads) were under deep flood water. Due to too much DDR admin work (AGM, surveying footpaths, etc) I haven’t found the time to recce some of the walks I was due to lead, relying instead on Google Earth / Street View/OS Maps). This approach thwarted some of my attempts to complete sections of the Portway. Near Stanley, a half mile section of 12” deep quagmire beat Dave Williams’s record for mud! Another walk from Alport Heights, in pouring rain, with just 3 of us, was halted when the ford at Folley Well was 2 feet deep instead of its usual 2 inches. Diverting, only to be faced by rampaging bullocks, we decided to call it a day!

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Yorkshire Wolds Way 17-22 June 2019 Anne K Fletcher I joined a very small group of lovely ladies in June to walk the Yorkshire Wolds Way. The Way is 127 km (79 miles); however, our group walked an extra 5 miles with detours to accommodation, which varied from Inn, Farm, Glamping Pod, B&B to a Hotel in Filey. The walk started after a train ride to Hessle and a coffee stop in a pub beside the Humber Bridge. Initially, the walk began along the Humber Estuary as the tide was out, but it was not long before our boots were walking over the underlying chalk of the Wolds and finally finishing on black reef of gritstone at Filey Brigg. The route takes you through many interesting little villages. Market Weighton whose claim to fame is the Yorkshire Giant. We also had a wonderful stop for a peaceful lunch in one of the best preserved, deserted medieval settlements, Wharram Percy. We walked alongside fields of arable cereal crops: corn, wheat, barley, peas and rapeseed, all edged with wonderful wild flowers; we saw so many amazing red poppies. We also spotted hares and heard plenty of birdsong, especially skylarks singing up high. We encountered some intensive pig farms, sheep pastures and a few beef cattle, and we also passed a few unusual art installations in the landscape. Hence this special landscape much loved by artists and writers: David Hockney, Winifred Holtby and Philip Larkin to name but a few.

Footprints January 2020 Page 2 of 12 In fact every now and then we would pass a very long curvy, carved, wooden bench inscribed with a poem. An ideal resting spot to admire the view and have a coffee break. We did detach ourselves from the outside world, but from time to time we did try to discover what was happening to Frank Lampard, (we now know that he has moved from to Chelsea Football Club). We had a wonderful time and could thoroughly recommend this walk, well waymarked in most places, to members. Thanks go to Elaine for planning and guiding us on this wonderful walk.

Maps and Me Dave Williams Do you remember your first map? I ask because I recently came across the first map that I ever possessed. It came into my possession when I was about nine, bought for me by my mother when shopping in King’s Lynn, the nearest town to the village where we were evacuated. I seem to remember that it cost 2d, quite a low price for a linen based map at the time, which I put down to the fact that it had no cover. Maps were not readily available at the time due to the possibility of invasion, still thought possible in 1941. This was the stage of the war when signposts on roads had been removed and railway station names had been painted out. How a map became available on a market stall is still a mystery to me. The map was Geographia’s ‘No 1 Clear Road Map of South East ’ and covered the area from Poole to the French coast in the South and from Burnley to Hull in the North, at a scale of ten miles to the inch. There were only two colours, black for place names and red for roads. The size of print used for settlements and the thickness of roads indicated their importance. My main use of the map was to locate where relatives lived and to plan imaginary journeys between them. Also to locate the towns that we heard on the wireless had been bombed the previous night.

Footprints January 2020 Page 3 of 12 About a year later, we had returned to London where we found that my father was in the Home Guard (Dad’s Army) and attached to a mapping unit for which he held an Ordnance Survey map of the area. I was soon introduced to this OS map, which gave me a head start when three years later OS maps featured in Geography lessons at school. About the same time, my horizons were broadened by a Daily Telegraph War Map of Europe. On this I followed allied bombing raids on Europe and, perhaps more significantly, the advance of the Russian armies from Stalingrad to Berlin in the East, the invasion of Italy in the South and, closer to home, the invasion forces from Normandy to the Elbe. All this was useful information when post-war Geography lessons were concerned with France, the Rhine and the Danube, and history lessons with the unification of Italy. I still have this map too, although in urgent need of some sellotaping of its seams. A year or two later I had reached an age where I could go off hostelling on my bike and my mapping interests became centred on OS quarter mile to the inch maps, mainly of East Anglia, but other Southern areas ‘just in case’. A move in the 1960’s brought me to Derbyshire and my first ‘serious’ walking using the OS 1:25,000 maps. The move also necessitated my first car, a converted Commer Cob van, the equivalent of the Hillman Husky car. A glut of road maps from the AA and most of the petrol companies followed, although the OS inch to the mile maps (soon replaced by 1:50,000) remained the staple one. Tongue in cheek, I might say that those who use the current 1:25,000 Pathfinder maps ‘don’t know they are born’. The first series Provisional Edition maps were printed in three colours, black for place names, field boundaries and grid lines, blue for water, brown for contours. Needless to say, there was sometimes confusion between grid lines and field boundaries. Footpaths, county and parish boundaries, power and pipelines, were all black lines, dotted, dashed or a combination of the two, plus sometimes other symbols. No wonder that parish boundaries were sometimes unintentionally walked. The Pathfinder series I find excellent but rather regret the increasing use of acronyms (PW = place of worship), inevitable perhaps as more information is packed onto them, and usage, especially of old churches, frequently changed to warehouses and restaurants. Studies with the Open University in the 1980’s introduced me to another form of map reading, that of geological mapping. This, involving thinking in three dimensions as well as time (non-conformities), has proved one of the most intriguing and satisfying forms of working with maps that I have experienced. At this time I also got a ‘Peter’s Projection’ of the world, quite a revelation. It took this for me to realise how vast the continent of Africa is and to realise how great the distortion is in Mercator’s projections.

Footprints January 2020 Page 4 of 12 My experience with foreign maps has been limited. I have found none that compare with our OS ones. The French Institut Geographique National ones being the best of those I have used. As we have passed into the IT age so has my use of maps changed. I still use Landranger maps for planning some walks and car journeys but increasingly use the Derbyshire Mapping Portal site for planning walks in this area. For anyone who has not used the site I would recommend it, not only for the range of mapping scales available but also for the wealth of information it has, ranging for instance from RoW’s to National Nature Reserves, from cycle routes to scheduled monuments and from picnic sites to care homes. In my opinion well worth looking at, if you have not already done so. The DCC site ‘Do it Now’ for reporting RoW and other problems is based on this service. There are two other items related to mapping that I should mention, these are atlases and globes. The days of atlases are in my case numbered. I used to use them to find details of sunlight hours, rainfall and average temperature, at specific locations, also for ethnic percentages and languages spoken as well as other ‘hard facts’ but today I would probably seek these things on Google. Globes on the other hand I still find useful; using one it is possible to see that the most direct route from London to California is over the North Pole rather than by flying Southwest as Mercator’s Projection maps might have one believe. Well, that’s Maps and Me, did my memories bring any of your own experiences back to you? It might be interesting to hear from others.

Looking towards Bolelhill, Wingerworth: Nick’s Tuesday group are relieved to have their overnight bags transported by a local farmer

Footprints January 2020 Page 5 of 12 Footpaths Martin Bennett It is one year since I took over the role of footpath secretary for the Group. It has been a busy and rewarding time. The parish path wardens do an excellent job in walking and reporting the Rights of Way in the district parishes. There are currently 38 path wardens covering 65 of the 108 parishes. Without them, it would not be possible to cover the nearly 1,700 kilometres of RoWs across the district. They report either direct to PRoW or to me. Each path warden receives a map and an Excel sheet of the list of RoWs. The number of RoWs for each parish can vary from one to over 100 paths. Photographs are invaluable for both location and evidence of the issue. I am also the parish path warden for Wirksworth. As a consultee I receive Orders for diversions, creations and extinguishments. I am also consulted on applications and claims to amend the Definitive Map, for example to add a Restricted Byway or upgrade a footpath to a bridleway. There have been 44 orders and consultations. I made site visits to all except one, made responses to 37 with six current and made three objections, one since withdrawn. Planning applications where a RoW is affected are sent to me. 83 have been responded to date, with several objections made. Site visits are not generally made due to time constraints, though on occasion it is necessary to see both the RoW and plan on the ground. Reports of RoW issues and matters are sent to PRoW, usually by their online mapping portal. The PRoW email is used if the issue is more complex and/or has several photos. I have been involved with a path in the village of Wensley, South Darley FP 49. This path was blocked in 2010 and a claim made by two local residents to open it eventually went to a successful Public Inquiry. However, there have been some ongoing issues with access. DCC BVPI surveys take place twice a year. The data collected is used to get a snapshot of the path network. Random paths are chosen across the district, circa 70 to 100, with detailed criteria used for walking and monitoring each path. Approximately 20 path volunteer surveyors take part in this enjoyable exercise.

Overgrown ginnel FP in Encroaching beech hedge, Wicket gate has vegetation Over Haddon Eyam obstruction, Wirksworth

Footprints January 2020 Page 6 of 12 I have attended all the four Area footpath committee (RDRoWC) meetings this year. Opportunity is given for discussion, information and for advice. DCC Countryside has to make budget cuts of circa £1m which represents 20% of its budget over the next few years. This will affect PRoW’s ability to provide the same level of support for the RoW network. The 2026 Lost Ways project has been discussed and I attended training from DCC Countryside / BHS one Saturday morning. A positive meeting was had with the PRoW manager and the head of Countryside. Attendance at a review of the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (RoWIP) was very interesting for setting the priorities for the RoW network and countryside for Derbyshire. I have also attended the Chesterfield footpath committee, and the Peak District Green Lanes Alliance (PDGLA) AGM. Ramblers Central Office have given detailed and useful advice over a diversion for Thorpe FP 11. A query from a walker was received via RACO that they had had problems with a path in Gratton. This path was on a map for a Ramblers Routes, though not on the actual specified route. Pathwatch is not currently noted by PRoW. The RoW network for District is generally in fair to good condition, with the majority of paths open and walkable. It is the ten southern parishes where there are most issues of obstruction and path infrastructure. This is probably due to the circular circumstances of not enough people walk the paths, the paths fall into disuse and the issues are not reported. We live in an area of glorious countryside and can freely explore it with our wonderful path network. Tel: 01629 820142, Mob: 07875 311910, Email: [email protected]

Ploughed over bridleway at Harthill Overgrown FP and stile, Parwich

Group Representative for Area Committee Report I attended all three Area committee meetings this year plus the January AGM. The Area AGM covered, as well as the formal business and officer elections, the 2026 Lost Ways project. John Morrisey, footpath secretary for Amber Valley, emphasised the urgency of claiming routes through historical evidence before the deadline. The book Restoring the Record is very useful and interesting. Derby Mountain Rescue Team gave an inspiring presentation on their work.

Footprints January 2020 Page 7 of 12 From the three meetings the following points are noted: - There is a rotating chair as no permanent chair of the committee is yet to be found. - DD Group has the largest membership of 545 out of a total of 1,389 for the four Derbyshire areas. - The RDRoWC minutes are now sent to the committee. I have answered any queries. - General Council next year is in Bristol where I will be one of the two Area delegates. - An offer of £1,000 was made to PRoW for the replacement of stiles with disability friendly gates. PRoW suggested that it may be better for Area to contact landowners directly as it may be more cost effective. - Area keeps in contact with the Derwent Heritage Valley Trust (and Way) via David Selkirk. The recent Area Get Together from Belper was a success with three walks of varying length on offer. A mid-point cup of tea was held in a village hall. All three walks were well attended.

Parishes currently without wardens Abney & Abney Grange Aldwark Broken stone stile with slurry on the other side, Parwich Biggin Blackwell in the Peak Great Hucklow Matlock Town Boylestone Grindlow and Little Hucklow Middleton & Smerrill Bradbourne Harthill Norbury and Brushfield in the Peak Hartington Middle Quarter Offerton Calver Hartington Nether Quarter Osmaston Chelmorton Hartington Town Quarter Rodsley Cubley Hazlebadge Somersal Herbert Doveridge Highlow Sudbury Eaton and Alsop Hungry Bentley Taddington Edlaston & Wyaston Kniveton Thorpe Longford Yeaveley Flagg Marston Montgomery Yeldersley Gratton Matlock Bath Youlgreave

Footprints January 2020 Page 8 of 12 Floating on Clouds Martin Phillips

This was not taken from an aeroplane! Christmas 2006 was a cold damp miserable one in Britain. The whole country was under a heavy blanket of low cloud. Those going abroad experienced extensive disruption to flights. Except, that is, in the Lake District. We were staying at the Ramblers house at Hassness for a week. As we ascended the dramatic mountains around Buttermere, we climbed out of the clouds into sunshine. The higher we got, the warmer it became. Day after day of crystal blue skies and looking down onto a sea of clouds below. I saw for the first (and so far only) time a Brocken spectre from Red Pike. Christmas Day basking in the sun up on Glaramara. It proves that it’s not always rain in the Lakes!

Footprints January 2020 Page 9 of 12 New Members It is always a pleasure to welcome new members. In this issue we welcome the following to the Derbyshire Dales Group of Ramblers and hope they will enjoy the range of walks we have to offer. Ms S Allen Mr B Hadfield Mr Robert Pearson Miss Baker Mr & Mrs Howson Mr J Rimington Mr & Mrs Brooks Mrs H & Mr C Juden Mr J Shale Ms H Brown Mr G Leverton Mr T Smart Ms J Burt Mr Andrew Noone Mr & Mrs Stone Mr & Mrs Cook Mr Rick Osborn Mr John Wood Miss R Dart

Your Access Officer is Retiring Sue Weatherley OK, I suppose that is not a striking headline and lots of folks won’t even know we had an Access Officer but after 10 years I have decided to move on and do something else, or should that be walk on … What does the Access Officer do? Well you can really make of the job what you want. The main role is to be a local contact with Ramblers HQ about Access Land in our area. To be fair this does not happen all that often, but you would need to know about, or be prepared to find out about, the Access Land on our patch. I have also been representing the Ramblers on the Peak District Local Access Forum. It is not necessary to do both these things and the LAF post has to be applied for separately. LAF meets four times a year to discuss a range of matters which includes Access Land but also includes many other issues affecting the Peak District. Over the last few years we have looked at green lanes, access for folks with limited mobility, management of the Trails (Monsal, High Peak etc) and too many other issues to list here. What’s in it for you? Well over the years I have really got to know a lot about what is happening in the Peak District and I have got to meet, work with and learn from some very interesting people. Though I feel it is time to step down I have no regrets about stepping up in the first place and have found it a really worthwhile way of spending my time. If anyone is interested in getting involved in both or either of these roles the best way to find out about it would be to have a chat with me, I can be contacted by email at [email protected]. It is also possible to come and observe the next LAF meeting in December to get some idea of what happens.

Footprints January 2020 Page 10 of 12 David Tindall Barker Nick Stephens David was born in Matlock on 20 August 1939. He began his working life in banking, interrupted by his National Service which eventually took him to the Far East. On his return he resumed his banking career, working in the Nottingham and Derby areas, before retiring early at the age of 51. He had a wide range of local interests and was very much involved in numerous activities regarding the running of his home town of Matlock, both in an official capacity and in voluntary roles. He served as Mayor of Matlock on 3 occasions. He enjoyed foreign travel, gardening and photography, and also walking with Derbyshire Dales Ramblers. Latterly, as his health declined, he had had to give up walking with our Group, which he very much regretted. David died on 24th October at the age of 80 after a very full and interesting life.

Area AGM Our group will be hosting the 2020 Area AGM on Saturday 18th January. Meeting starts at 2.00 pm, at Darley Dale Methodist Church Hall, grid reference SK 273 630, just beyond the Whitworth Centre. There is a reasonable amount of free parking at the church hall. Extra parking is available at the Whitworth Centre, £1 for 4 hours, £2 all day. Our usual Saturday walk will start from the same location at Publish your photography 10.00 am, allowing those who Send to [email protected] wish to attend the AGM to leave the walk at an We would like to receive any pictures, of appropriate place so that they printable quality, taken on our walks or group can return to the church hall events or of the Peak District countryside, for between 12.00 and 12.30 and possible inclusion in future editions. Please eat their (own) packed include a brief description. lunches. Drinks will be

provided.

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Mitchell Field and Dale Bottom, near Hathersage Andy Jeffries

Next Edition Last date for copy for the next edition: 17 March 2020; please contact: Martin Phillips (Editor) Nick Stephens (Chairman) Tel: 01773 829180 / 07743 370968 Tel: 01629 650092 [email protected] [email protected] Walking and travel related articles are always welcome; anything from a few lines up to a page or two, A5 size. And preferably with photo’s if appropriate. It would be helpful, although not essential, if pictures are separate from a text file. In addition, you can just send any pictures of walks or our local countryside, with a brief caption of where it is.

You are receiving this communication because we believe that it would be of interest to you as a member. If you would rather not receive similar information in future, please let us know. You can email [email protected], change your preferences online at www.ramblers.org.uk or call 020 3961 3300. Note that requests must be made directly to Ramblers (Central Office), and not to Derbyshire Dales Group.

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