The Longest Day

Hello Lovelies, 

I'm sorry I haven't been around here much. I've been struggling to find time to blog lately. Life is good but busy.

There are so many photos on my camera and I could write several posts if there were more hours in the day.

Here I'm sharing a family walk we did on Fathers day , last Sunday, which also happened to be the longest day this year.

It being fathers day Mr BM got to choose what we should do and where. Happily he's always keen to go for a walk somewhere new, and he loves flat canal side walking (where as I really love hills ) . We headed to the Grantham Canal at Woolsthorpe as it's a part of this canal that we haven't explored before. 

I loved the bridge and the lock side cottage we passed when we arrived........

 

Unlike parts of this canal, this bit has been restored and is navigable.........

As we wandered along I noticed the sturdy hog weed has replaced the delicate cow parsley now...........

And the tow path looked so pretty in the warm sunshine........

Splashes of Purple amongst the green caught my eye.........

The Vetch is such a delicate flower up close........

We strolled along enjoying the beautiful morning and I got a bit left behind as usual....too many photo opportunities :0).......

How I loved this wooden bridge we came across.......

we all stood on it to look back along the canal.........

And I couldn't resist getting the family to do a group shadow wave.......

Hello :0)

The grasses are so high now and here they waved in the breeze delicately.......

It was a beautiful stretch of canal and I loved spotting this little family of Swans..........

The cygnet was so sweet, especially when it flapped it's wings and had a stretch........

Soon it was time to turn around and head back to the car. My boys chatted as they walked.......

And we even did a bit of skipping.....

It's quiet exhilarating skipping I find...if rather tiring!

I really enjoyed this flat walk in the end. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours together on the longest day.

Jacquie x

This Weeks Walk :: Green Dales

Hello lovelies,

on Thursday morning I watched the weather forecast with glee. The weather lady squinted into the early morning sun , dressed up in her finest for Ladies day at Ascot  

I waved the boys off to school and delighted in the warm sunshine and the lovely light...........

I felt so lucky to get good weather for another walk which I was especially  looking forward to. This was trip into the Peak District National Park 
But it was not with my usual Thursday walking group.
Rather oddly the group had only planned a local walk this week. Don't get me wrong, I love the footpaths around home....but I've walked them a lot ....and it's such a lovely time of year to get out and explore somewhere new.

So myself and my good friend from the group decided to go off on own little adventure this week.
We did a bit of on-line research and found a walk that looked promising. THIS one.

When we arrived it was quite cloudy and windy. I suddenly remembered how windy it had been on THIS family bike ride we started here last year.

But how pretty the trail looked in June..........

The verges were full of delicate flowers looking so frothy and perfect........

And the views were so lush and green despite the chilly wind and grey sky...........

The farmer was out with his sheepdog.........

Who soon bounded over to say hello....a very quick hello and he was gone........

After a while the sun finally began to break through. We were passed by a few cyclists but it was noticeably quieter than our weekend visit last year..........

All the wild flowers were looking stunning.....how I loved this bank of ox-eye Daisies.........

And Red Campion..........

I don't recall noticing this bench on our last visit......It had a rather sweet verse carved into it......

The stone walls are cotton thread

joining things together.

Stitches in a patchwork quilt

dividing fields forever.

After about 2 miles easy walking along the trail we spotted the signpost for the footpath we needed to follow..........

And soon we were heading steeply downhill, gazing at the distant views along the valley.........

Here we went through a little gate into the sheep field, where the lambs were looking big but their mums still had their winter coats...........

How I loved this pretty summer scene........

In the bottom of the valley we walked along a quiet road for a while............

and soon arrived at the small village of Alsop en le Dale. The graveyard was looking very neat and pretty, with it's border of Daisies....and, rather touchingly, Sweet Williams on many of the graves.........

We stopped to look at the church yard, both because it's always interesting, but also because we are hoping to lead a walk here for the whole walking group to enjoy.......

Benches and shelter for morning coffee....tick :0)

It was such a picturesque little spot, with stone houses and working farms...........

This amusing use of a garden rake as a washing line prop made me smile..........

The sun came out again and we passed the red post van as it made it's deliveries....you might just be able to see it's roof in this view looking back up the road......

It really did look like Postman Pat's home ....Greendale...and  we both started singing the theme song...a tune most British parents would know I think.

And stopping to take photos of the pretty cows.........

Soon we realised we had missed our footpath and had to stop singing and start searching...ooops.

Here it is....a rather tricky "climb the wall and then climb over the stile" combo........

Hope the walking group won't hate us for this.

You get a lovely view from the top of the stile........

A little further along this wall climbing also looked tricky too....but it was surprisingly easy in the end....

How I love all the dry stone walls made of pretty grey limestone. This was the view backwards as we left Alsop.........

And this was in the other direction........It was all so perfect.....I LOVE hills.....have I ever mentioned that before :0)

The local cows were mostly having a rest here, but one came up to say hello.........

Soon we had crossed the top of the hill and were walking down into to next valley......

Which looked beautiful in the bright sunshine..........

Thankfully most of the stiles we encountered were these squeeze stiles....very easy to negotiate.....

after a few more miles we joined the road and passed this pretty cottage........

which was on the outskirts of Parwich.

 Oooooh look. I knew I was going to love this place from just a glimpse of the higgeldy piggeldy old stone cottages .............

Our route said stay on the main road....but noooo, I just had to explore up this hill a way......

The cottages were delightful but I was even more entranced by the flowers, which were spilling out of the gardens........

And growing out of the walls..........

So colourful and simple and perfect in my eyes.........

The whole village....and it's quiet a big village....was looking lovely, decked up in bunting for it's open gardens this weekend..........

Once again we had a look in the churchyard ( as a possible lunch spot for the walking group to stop ) 

I adored this cute cottage ..........

And the sight of a wonderful mass of Honeysuckle attracted me away from the path......

Oh, it smelt so beautiful. I wish you lovelies could smell it too....a perfect scent of summer.

And just look at the view you could glimpse over it........

Sigh

To top off it's appeal Parwich even has a small village pond on the green .........

And finally the sun reappeared, to make this pretty spot look it's best...........

After wandering around a little we found the correct footpath out of the village........

Bye bye pretty Parwich.....we will be back :0)

The path led beside the stream that supplied the pond........

And behind some houses we found the signpost for the path back to Tissington..........

It climbed steeply up out of the village, which was soon well below us, nestled beneath another Limestone outcrop..........

As we climbed higher it was lovely to stop a moment to  rest  enjoy the view......

And near here we found the perfect sheltered  picnic spot...........

It was ideal walking weather really. Mild and mostly sunny, but with a cooling breeze.

After a relaxing lunch break we set off again, crossing the top of the hill and approaching another pretty view, just visible through the trees...........

Oh....sigh. All that green, and  hills and open space....It is my idea of heaven...........

Soon we were down in the bottom of the valley, smiling at this squeeze stile with an added door......

Then we began the steady climb up the other side of the valley.....

Distracting ourselves from the effort by photographing the pretty views everywhere........

Then we were back on the trail once more, and glad of the easy going......

Not to mention the continued beauty that surrounded us.......

The Tissington Trail used to be a railway line....wouldn't this have been a special vista to enjoy  from your seat.....

But on a warm June day it was even better to enjoy it on foot.

Almost too soon we were back in the village of Tissington it's self. It's a timeless spot ....how I LOVED these cute stone outbuildings......

And imagine living here...........

The duck pond here is large.......

and it has pretty white ducks..........

There was just time to have a quick look around the church yard .......

and notice the squat Norman church........

and delight in another timeless corner.......

Before it was time to head back to the car. A group of Artists were sat painting this lovely scene and I could see why..........

The white flowers....which I call "Snow in Summer" were so pretty. The Poppies glowed in the  afternoon sunshine.....and there was a cute chap standing on the wall.........

I grew up surrounded by Guinea fowl and always thought they were pretty ugly....but just look at this sweet chap......so delightful with all his spots and his white breast.......

I think I'm going soft in my old age.

It was an amazing day from start to finish. Walking in such a pretty part of the world at such a perfect time of year.

In the end the walk was about seven and a half miles...a bit short for the walking group....but I'm sure we can add a couple of miles somehow to make it the ideal length.
How could they not enjoy?
Jacquie x