24th August – Longnor
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Panorama Looking Over the Valley |
This was our anniversary walk. The main aim was to have a
meal out. Joni was on holiday and accompanied us on the walk. Getting to
Longnor and the start of the walk proved a little irksome. Firstly, the SATNav
refused to cooperate for some time. I did not do too badly navigating from
memory. (We are gradually putting together the various part of Derbyshire on
our mental map.) Secondly, we arrived within just about a mile of our
destination when right in front of us was a detour sign at a cross roads. There
was no instruction about whether to go right or left. After some thought and
two different pieces of advice; one from Joni’s mobile to go in one direction
and the other from Irene’s paper technology to go the other. I elected to go
left. Now, instinct cut in. I correctly anticipated coming upon a further cross
roads, and just as correctly anticipate that the SATNav would direct a left
turn back to the road that we came in on. I turned right. Instantly the
instrument added 25 minutes to our eta. Were we really on a road? Or where we
on a very rough switch back going one way?
At last we reach Longnor. I am told that the route taken was
through spectacular scenery. I have to say that gritting teeth and focusing all
attention on staying on the road before had the effect of blinkering me from
such picturesque countryside. Road side parking was free and near an
interesting cafe and near to ‘The Old Cheshire Cheese’, which was to the place
for our midday meal. After the usual the challenge was to find the start of the
walk. This was to be the worst ‘walk-start’ location that we have had. The
start was the Market Square, were we where. The direction was to go towards
Crowdicote, which we did. We were to go left down Doveridge; which we could not
find as the only road going left had a totally different name. So, back we went
and found a different part of Doveridge. Long story, but an olde villager put
us on something like the correct route. Across the valley, following our directions we did go.
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Distinctive Hill Shapes |
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Exciting Clouds |
Then came the farm on our left (no right). Not that it mattered in that
there was no way to pass the guard dogs in the farmyard. (Can you blame the
walk author for this difficulty?) So, half an hour was added. By the time we
reached Crowdicote we had had enough walking and decided that the short cut
back to Longnor and the pub was the best option.
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Crowdicote Showing Evidence of Road Closure |
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Joni Photographing Cows |
We had an excellent meal in
great surroundings. (Sounds like an advert.) A feature of the pub was that
small historical bits were displayed in a table cabinet beneath the glass table
top. There were items such as a receipt for a “Milbro” Waterless Cooker from M.
Rossetti, London S.W.5; described on the document as a Gass stove, costing
£5.19.6 and delivered free of charge, C.O.D.
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Table Display |
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The Receipt |
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My Steak |
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Irene's Lasagne |
The main feature of this walk was that we were near the
sources of the River Dove and the River Manifold, which run parallel at this
part of the world.
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