Footprints Newsletter of the Derbyshire Dales Group of the Ramblers January 2017
Nick’s Natterings Nick Stephens (Chairman) I’d like to welcome and thank our new Footprints editor, Martin, for his enthusiasm in putting together this, his first, edition of Footprints. Luckily, members have responded to my request for articles to be sent in; please continue to do so. Whilst not guaranteed to make the next edition, they will eventually be published in a future edition. Having thanked some retiring walk collectors in my last Natterings, I would also like to thank Joan Dalton (Sunday walks), along with Isabella Stone whose Wednesday walks will now be collected by Bob and Hilary Crouch. All walks are at last being entered onto the Ramblers’ HO Walks system, either by the walk collectors themselves or by their ‘buddies’. Our AGM took place on the 18 th November, with 31 members attending (out of a total membership of 560). Afterwards, Geof Cole gave a very interesting, illustrated talk entitled ‘Ashbourne Virtual Heritage Tour’. Our Group will be responsible for the 2017 Area walk to be held on Sunday 15 th October. Plans are already in progress and will be issued in the next Footprints. It was pleasing to read in The Times that “The Peak District had the best maintained paths, with only 3% in poor condition”, as sourced by the Ramblers’ Big Pathwatch survey of footpaths in England and Wales. This time I’m finishing with a ‘no joke’. Recently, whilst out surveying a Parwich footpath, in rain and thick mist, I was accosted by 50+ aggressive cows. I did manage to keep them at bay with my brolly as I checked there and back along the footpath, but I do sympathise with walkers who would have felt intimidated.
Footprints January 2017 1 The Ecclesbourne Way Martin Phillips
Hilltop The Ecclesbourne Way is a new walking route, following the course of the River Ecclesbourne, whose source is near Wirksworth and which then flows into the Derwent at Duffield. The idea evolved a few years ago as a natural progression of an environmental project developed by Environment Agency (EA) and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT) to improve the water environment of the Ecclesbourne Valley and raise awareness of the river and its wildlife.
View from Hilltop In July 2013 Friends of the Ecclesbourne Way was formed to establish the walk in collaboration with Amber Valley (AVR) and Derbyshire Dales groups of the Ramblers, Derbyshire County Council (DCC), EA, DWT and the National Trust. After many days of surveys, and more days on a computer, and much help from DCC, AVR produced a comprehensive leaflet at the end of 2015, which is now available from several libraries and tourist locations in the area. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (EVR) have made generous donations, used to set up a website, and with further use planned for waymarking.
Footprints January 2017 2 Starting in Duffield, the 11 mile walk follows the full length of the Ecclesbourne upstream, Northwest, to Wirksworth. It was originally planned to take in Alport Height, but, due to practical difficulties with paths, was rerouted over Hilltop, at 650 feet, which The Ecclesbourne North of gives panoramic views. Cowers Lane The highest point is 768 feet. On reaching Wirksworth, there are hourly buses back to Duffield. But you can also use the EVR, and it is hoped that for many this heritage railway will become a feature of the outing. The walk can easily be done in one day, or can be divided into sections. Cowers Lane (Shottle) and Idridgehay, the latter just over halfway, both have access to buses and EVR trains, so are convenient start/finish points. The route is not yet waymarked, but plans are in hand. Earlier this year DWT obtained substantial funding from SITA Trust and other sources for a major year long project to design and erect interpretation boards along the route, and make physical improvements to the walk (stiles, gates, etc). There are likely to be interpretation boards at each of the four EVR stations, and one near Turnditch. It is hoped that part of the funding can be used for the necessary improvements to paths at Alport, which can then be reinstated into the route as an optional extension. The website gives the background to the project, practical information on how to go about the walk, and a detailed description of the route with maps suitable for downloading. www.ecclesbourneway.org.uk Footprints January 2017 3 Caption Competition
Send your suggestions in for the next issue. No prizes - just the prestigious status.
Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside Tony and Janet Hall This year’s Wednesday Walkers’ autumn break was based at Scarborough, staying for 5 nights at the Victoria Seaview Hotel, North Bay. The food was excellent and we were well looked after. The walking commenced on the Sunday afternoon of arrival with a 5-6 mile route in the nearby Raincliffe Woods. The following 4 days of walks included 3 exhilarating Cleveland Way coastal sections and 2 more inland walks – the spectacular Hole of Horcum and ‘find Fat Betty’ (a pre-Norman waymarker). We had some remarkable lunch
Footprints January 2017 4 stops; watching and listening to seals on the walk to Filey; Hayburn Wyke on the Robin Hood’s Bay section; and at Whitby Abbey next to the extraordinary St. Mary’s Church. The Levisham Station lunch stop on the Hole of Horcum walk was notable for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam trains and the vintage toilets. We had a passing steam train at elevenses too; betwixt, an adder crossing our path. The bus service was useful for the coastal walks. Meanwhile other activities included travelling on the N.Y.M.R. from Pickering to Whitby, cycling in Dalby Forest, and visiting the local resorts. Restorative drinks at the pub round the corner from the Hotel were available, with an amazing range of craft beers at a keen price. Many thanks are given: especially to Pam for much of the recruitment and administration; to David for sorting and leading the inland walks; to Andrew, our group walks collector, for publicity; to Paul for the final night’s quiz; and to all for the very good company.
The Kursed Kilometre Gerald Oscroft When walk distances were given in kilometres as well as miles in the programme, I was puzzled. What is it about miles that we do not understand? Do we use them? Do we think in kilometres? Have we some European members who might be offended by miles? Why do we need an alternative to miles which is based on a Napoleonic unit derived from some proportion of the earth's circumference? If miles were good enough for King Alfred the Great, surely they are good enough for the Derbyshire Dales Ramblers. Last June the country voted Brexit. A new dawn has broken! And Brexit means Brexit. Is it not time to remove the confusion in the programme? Raise your sticks, Yeomen (and Yeowomen) of Derbyshire. Stand by your heritage, and send kilometres to the dustbin of history! Let us set an example to the country and show the unfortunates across the Channel that common sense has broken out. We love their cheese - we adore their wine - and if pushed we might even sample sauerkraut - in small doses, of course. But we do not want their kilometres!
Footprints January 2017 5 A Welcome to Lumsdale Christine and Alan Piper Many members will have enjoyed a visit to Lumsdale, the beautiful and historic valley near Matlock. As Ramblers and members of the Lumsdale Project committee, we are always pleased to see groups of walkers passing our home in Upper Lumsdale. Hundreds of other visitors come to see the waterfall but perhaps do not fully appreciate the importance of the ruined mills and the ponds that held their water supply. We now have interpretation boards to tell the story and a management plan for the conservation of the ruins and natural habitats. The Arkwright Society runs guided tours on the last Sunday afternoon of each month throughout the summer and they will start again on 26 th March. We are happy to take parties around the valley on other occasions. If your walking group would like a tour or a guide to join your party as you walk through the valley, please contact us by phone or email. The valley, bequeathed to the Arkwright Society at Cromford Mills in 1996, is looked after mainly by volunteers and the maintenance of the valley depends on donations from visitors. If you have enjoyed a visit and would like to make a contribution of £3 you can now do so by texting “LUMS45 £3” to 70070. If all our visitors did so, it would make an enormous difference. Thank you. Christine and Alan Piper 01629 584429 or [email protected] . For more information about Lumsdale and the Sunday tours please visit www.cromfordmills.org.uk/lumsdale . The Arkwright Society is a registered charity, no. 515526.
Next Edition Last date for copy for the next edition: 6 March 2017 Please contact: Martin Phillips Tel: 01773 829180 Email: [email protected] Nick Stephens Tel: 01629 650092 Email: [email protected]
Footprints January 2017 6 Footpath Wardens – An Update Oct 2016 Dave Pearson (Footpaths Secretary) We now have 31 path wardens covering 70 parishes and they are all walking the ROW in the parishes once a year reporting on any faults that they find. There are 2,023 paths in the 70 parishes and 1,041 have been walked. Of the paths walked 873 passed and 168 failed. 270 problems have been reported and 100 have been dealt with. 68 of the remainder are sign posts. Some of the problems are dealt with by the “footpath fixers” who are a group of our volunteers that carry out work under the guidance of DCC, and organised by Brian Hebron. They have carried out work monthly and parishes covered are Beeley, Rowsley, Tideswell, Osmaston and Shirley. More of this will be needed as the budget shortfall in DCC has meant that both the ROW dept and the countryside dept who we work with on problems are facing cuts. We have the following 33 parishes without wardens and so more volunteers are needed to walk our paths : Alkmonton Great Hucklow Newton Grange Atlow Grindon Norbury and Roston Boylestone Hathersage Outseats Bradbourne Hazlebadge Pilsley Brassington Hollington Rodsley Bradley Hungry Bentley Snelston Cubley Kniveton Somersal Herbert Doveridge Longford Stoney Middleton Eaton Alsop Marston Montgomery Sudbury Eyam Mercaston Yeaveley Fenny Bentley Monyash Yeldersley We also require members to help in footpath maintenance. If interested in becoming a footpath warden contact: Dave Pearson on 01629 734576, [email protected] . If interested in footpath maintenance contact: Brian Hebron on 01629 258914, [email protected] .
Footprints January 2017 7 Social Events Calendar All talks are at Dale Road Methodist Church Hall, Darley Dale Starting at 2.00 pm Admission £3 Friday 17 February 2017 Stephen Bailey: The Derbyshire Portway An ancient route which takes the walker past churches, hermitages, an Abbey, Bronze Age enclosures, a stone circle and several standing stones. Stephen’s talk will present the historical evidence for the route and illustrate some of its key features. Friday 17 March 2017 Peter Green: Walking the Camino de Santiago Peter is a Wednesday/Sunday walker who achieved this spectacular feat in 2016. He is happy to share his experience of this adventure in the form of a slide show presentation which is well worth seeing. Further information from Pat Stephens, tel 01629 650092
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. Mr & Mrs I Cowin Ms R Knowles Dr T A A Reilly Ms J Firminger Mrs L MacArthur Mr B Revill Mrs B E Freeman Ms S Newton Ms Jane Roche Mrs C Henwood Mrs V Palmer Mr P Smith Mrs H Hughes Mr J & Mrs V Parker Mrs P Taylor Mr J Jepson Mrs D Payne
Remember that Ramblers members may receive a discount on purchases at Mountain Warehouse , Rohan and Cotswold Outdoor , and maybe at other suppliers.
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