Monday 20 October 2014

A Day in Derbyshire

Hello Lovelies,
The Friday before last mum and I grabbed the opportunity to have a mini adventure into Derbyshire....fancy seeing some piccys :0)

After an hour of driving I was so happy to turn off the busy roads and stop for a moment to gaze upon the gorgeous view..........


The sun was shining and locals were friendly.............


There were plenty of places to pull off the road and have a little wander.............



and admire the gorgeous scenery...........


while mum did a quick sketch or two..........



It's tricky taking photos into the light, but I loved how this one turned out...........


and I'm always intrigued as to  where tempting paths like this one lead...........


into a field of bales.......perfect.............


We could smell a coal fire close by on this sunny but cool morning.........smoke drifted up from this chimney in the valley.............


Driving higher now up to Crich, I stop again to try and capture the far reaching views.........


Then it's steeply downhill, past pretty stone houses and autumnal trees...........


In the valley bottom we follow the river Derwent to Cromford mill


Where they have a Knit and Natter on the second Wednesday of every month :0)...........


I loved all the water and the ripply reflections of these old stone buildings..............



The site is still being restored with the aid of grants and lottery funding, I'm sure it will be an amazing place when all the work is done.

There is already lots to see and little shops to visit.

Again I loved the history of the place and could almost hear my school history teacher's lesson about Richard Arkwright ringing in my ears as I wandered around............


I hope they will eventually replace the water wheel that powered these mills...........



This patchwork shop caught my eye..............


I resisted the fabric as I need to use up some of my stash really. But I did get a few buttons :0)

The plant sales looked tempting too......



Next we hopped back in the car and headed into Cromford village. I've never been here before but mum has and she wanted to show me this place...............


It looked quirky from the outside........you can buy these books for 50p even when the shop is closed....as the sign says.........."please put money through letter box"..........


Inside the place is crammed with books, both new and second-hand............


There are lovely hand painted signs for every section.............


This is the sun filled art and craft room.........isn't it wonderful..........



So quirky, original, and FULL of interesting books...............


with a great view over the window boxes to the mill pond and the hills beyond..........


and when you open the "secret" curved bookcase..........


You find a cosy cafe with it's own grapevine, growing in through the conservatory roof.............


There were delightful little oddities everywhere ..........


and delightful little books :0)


Mum and I ordered the Spicy lentil and tomato soup.............

it was another DeLiciOus  lunch.

On the shops web site there is a video where you can find out lots more about this amazing place. I really enjoyed it.
The owner says it's more like a library where you can browse and read.....and maybe buy a book if you want.

It was so relaxed and friendly, I can see why it's loved by so many visitors and locals.

After lunch I left Mum to browse the art section some more and headed off for a little walk.

Past a water wheel............


and around the other side of the mill pond.............


past blackened cottages..............


and back onto "Scarthin", the name of the narrow road, from which the bookshop gets its name..........


This sign outside the pub made me smile...........


Back inside the book shop I couldn't resist a peek inside the wonderful children's room...........


Once again everywhere was crammed with books and I loved the creative touches on the ceiling.........


Next we hopped back in the car and drove the short distance to pretty Bonsall


The sun had disappeared but this characterful village still looked pretty..............



Once again I went for a little wander on foot.......up the steep lanes............


and around hairpin bends..........


Climbing steadily upwards I was soon looking down over rooftops..........and spotting lovely views in the distance, to zoom in on..............




When I got to this point the sun came out and made the stone cottages look even nicer.........


I headed along a footpath, to a spot where you can sit and enjoy the view...........


And what a gorgeous view it is..............over more of the village and the church.........


or just to the right, you can see the countryside stretching for miles..............


I was so lucky to get this window of sunshine to enjoy......as soon the clouds rolled back in.........


I retuned along the mossy walled path...........


past the cute cottages............


down the hill............


and back to the car. It was time to head home. The rain began to pour down as we headed towards Matlock and the road south.......but the view was still worth photographing..........


We had a really lovely day in this picturesque part of the world. It's so nice to be able to make the most of the mild Autumn weather together, before the days get too short and cold.
And after years of being too tied with family commitments to indulge in such days, it's wonderful to enjoy them once again.
Jacquie x

p.s. THANK YOU so much for your kind comments about my mandala. I'll be back very soon with some more Autumn inspired creativity :0)

35 comments:

  1. I was with you all the way with your wondeful description,I could even smell the wood fire! Thank you for sharing and reminding me how wonderful England is,made me homesick!

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  2. WOW!!! Amazing little places!!! Love it!!! Beautiful!!! Wonderful pics!!! Loved it!!! Have a fab week!!!
    Love
    AMarie
    xxx

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  3. Lovely photos Jacquie. I've always had a soft spot for Derbyshire although I haven't been there for over 25 years.

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  4. nĆ”dhera, ĆŗžasnĆ©, pletenĆ­ pravidelně 2x v měsĆ­ci - bomba, nĆ”dhernĆ© barvy podzimu, domy, ploty, vÅ”echno
    in my english = wow ;)

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  5. It sounds like you had a wonderful day, thank you for sharing your experiences with us
    Jackie x

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  6. What a great day out. I'm sure your mum is glad to be able to get out with you more now. That book shop is amazing - you could spend a whole day in it.

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  7. Wow, it's beautiful! I love seeing another so unique part of the world.
    How lovely to be able to spend it with your mom.

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  8. A fantastic update . Emmerdale is my favorite series , and these look just the same.

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  9. Thank you so much for this delightful travelogue! ^^

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  10. You do live in a beautiful part of the world! Thanks for sharing.

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  11. What a wonderful outing, thanks for sharing. I LOVE that book store, I could spend all day there! A cute little owl on the pretty blue door. Speaking of your mandala, I was inspired to do one over the weekend, if the light is good I'll post it to Flickr today. Thanks for the inspiration! x

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  12. What dreamy locations! I love the "friendly locals" :o) and I could spend all day lost in the book shop. :)

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  13. That book shop is really something very special; what a wonderful trip. x

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  14. It feels like we are there with you and your mum, what a lovely day trip, I think book shops are great, you find so much in them, Thanks for sharing the great picturesx

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  15. I wished I could have tagged along with you. Thank you for the tour. :)

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  16. Thank you for taking us along on this wonderful outing! And I was truly amazed to see that thousand miles from my country, in a small English village, there is a bookshop from my dreams. I enjoy your blog very, very much. And reading posts like this, I feel like I almost was there; you are really an excellent travel guide.

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  17. What a wonderful outing!!! Your jaunts with your Mum remind me of me and my Mom. We do a lot together too, and enjoy taking off to parts unknown to see what we can find! Lovely scenery. And that book store....wow, I would have loved to browse in there all day! Such pretty places!!
    xo Kris

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  18. Jacquie! Thanks for another wonderful post!! So many sights amazed me [thanks to you good photography!]. The "ripple photo" is soooooo amazing! And the bookstore is beyond WOW! My husband and I had a tiny new/used bookstore in upstate NY for five years and I have fond memories of it, but would love to get lost in the store you showed us :-) xx

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  19. I really enjoyed your day out pictures. My favorite was the wiggly ripple one! Thanks for sharing xxx

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  20. Wow, that book shop is paradise. An art room, a conservatory, a grape vine, a vegetarian/vegan cafe, those views! I love, love, love it. I'd go on holiday to this beautiful part of the world in a heartbeat, it's stunning. The village is gorgeous, especially the view you zoomed in on and that pretty blue door. This is definitely a favourite post for me, wonderful, thank you for sharing. CJ xx

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  21. Oh. My. Goodness. What a treat your post was for me, and my husband, to read and enjoy! Every amazing photo was a visual treat! I dream of visiting there someday as I have English blood in me - but your gift of sharing your images makes me feel as if I was there, too. That book shop is quite simply AMAZING! I agree with Gracie, that reflection photo was magnificent! Bravo! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  22. I also shared this post with my husband. We had such a great time imagining ourselves riding along with you and exploring the fields and bookshop. I would love to take my wet dog and soggy bum into the pub for a warm drink. Thanks for taking us along with you.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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    Replies
    1. It is nice to know that I am not the only one who likes to imagine that they are right there in Jacqui's photo locations. Jacqui truly does a fantastic job of describing her walks and discoveries, doesn't she?

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  23. Love, love the book shop , would so like to visit and lose myself in there for the day, thanks for sharing such great pictures

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  24. I came for the crochet but i stayed for the stories and photos. :)

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  25. And this is why I read blogs - thank you for such a wonderful post (and blog), I really feel like I've had a wonderful day out in an English village even though I am on the other side of the world, love it! I knew I was in for good things when I saw the cows with sunshine bouncing off them :)

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  26. Nice pictures. I love your country.

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  27. What a truly beautiful day out with your mum. Every time I see your photos, I fall in love with your country just a little bit more. Such beauty everywhere in the countryside with gorgeous cottages and villages. The book store is amazing, I think I'd have to spend a day there, it's just my kind of place. Thanks for sharing.
    Anne xx

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  28. What an amazing adventure! Thank you for sharing it with us! PS. Loved your Autumnal mandala! xxx

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  29. Jacquie, this is an absolutely beautiful post! I actually had to pull out my ancient little paperback Hachette Guide to Great Britain to investigate more about this part of the country. I want to step right into that village and visit the bookshop. It seems incredible in this day and age that such a marvelous shop can stay in business...seven days a week! Wow!

    Lovely that you and your Mom are able to have these days out together, enjoying it all. Really splendid.

    Many thanks! xo

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  30. Your countryside is so green and the villages are so old and picturesque; but I couldn't help feeling glad that I live in a place with modern buildings. I couldn't help feeling disappointed that there is no way that my wheelchair could even get into, let alone get around inside that bookshop or over those stiles on your walks which is why I am so glad to read your blog and thankful that you are considerate enough to share your enjoyable outings for the rest of us! :-)

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  31. Oh what a lovely day out. I'm very fond of Scarthin books... I haven't been since about Feb/March I don't think... I'm not allowed really while I haven't got a proper job as I always find old local / nature books in there that I need to buy! I've never managed to sample the Scarthin cafe as it's always full when I'm there! If you are ever in Cromford again, the Boat is lovely and serves good, cheap food!

    I did the same walk that you did in Bonsall a few months ago when we popped over for the well dressings. Just in case you are interesting, find the well dressings in this post - http://roachling.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/bonsall-well-dressings-and-red-barrows.html - and a few pictures of the inside of the Boat Inn in this post http://roachling.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/longstone-and-stoney-middleton-well.html

    I'm sorry we haven't managed a walk too... I kept thinking about it, but for an unemployed person, I always seem to be so busy and now the supply work is picking up and time in even shorter supply. We'll just have to see how things go and perhaps one day we'll manage it!

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  32. Oh, this is one of my favorites among your blog photo walks. So much beauty. I love that opening photo as well as the two where you captured the far distance views, and the friendly local cows!. Thank you for taking time to share it all. Your photography is spectacular. Nice also seeing your mother's quick sketch. Blessings, Alexine

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  33. Thanks for sending me that link - I really enjoyed that trip down memory lane!

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