Friday 11 March 2016

Reconnoitring A Walk

Hello Lovelies,
it's a funny word that, isn't it.....reconnoiter.  It's not one I can say I have ever used myself.
 When I joined my walking group they would talk of " doing a recce" and I didn't understand what they meant.
It turned out it was just going on a walk they were thinking of leading, to see if it was suitable and where it was best to park, what the hazards are etc.

The walking group I'm in is very organised. The members take turns in leading walks and they always do a recce. Often more than one. Myself and a friend are going to lead our first ever walk this autumn. It's nice to share the responsibility and to have someone to do a recce  with :0) 

Last summer we did a walk in this area , with the hope that it might be suitable for the group. It was delightful, but at 7.5 miles long, it was a little short. So last week we set off for Derbyshire and tried again.

 The first sight of drystone walls always makes me smile.......


Not to mention hills........

looking towards Thorpe cloud .




Here we were walking on part of  the long distance walking path  The Limestone way.........


Where occasionally cheery Daffodils added to the pretty scenes........


It's sort of "part hedgerow, part wall country" as you can see here..........


I loved the old stone barn we passed........


After a couple of miles we arrived in Tissington. It's an impossibly picturesque spot.....

Can you see all the old boots filled with succulents?

There are always white ducks on the village pond..........


And such atractive homes.......



After walking through Tissington we headed across country ........


Towards another pretty village Alsop en le Dale...........


As we climbed the hill out the other side of the village the clouds really began to gather.......

Looking back towards Alsop

But it wasn't actually raining and we were happy to see much clearer sign posts than had been here last June.........

Yay for yellow tops you can spot from a long way off.

In the distance we could see our next destination....


But there were a few more squeeze stiles to negotiate first.......

And they certainly are a squeeze.

Much easier was the new bridge across the ditch.........


In Parwich we were greeted by more gorgeous stone cottages.........






By this point we had walked about 5 miles and it was lunchtime. It was also raining so we sat in the bus shelter to eat our picnic :0).........


There was some sort of work going on by the pond here, but we didn't stop to find out what it was.....


Instead, after lunch,  we walked down a lane between cottages......


And through a field that contained a lively and rather naughty pony........


I think we will have to find a way to avoid him when we bring the group!


As we got to the next valley the sun briefly broke through........


I love the little brook here and the spindly tree by the bridge.........


The climb up the other side of the valley is steep. I think this photo gives an idea of what it's like.........


It's a good idea to take your time, to stop and look at the view.......



One and a half ( hilly) miles later we were back on level ground.......



Walking past mossy stone walls........


To rejoin the Tissington  trail..........


It was a relief to walk the last mile or so along this easy, flat  surface .........



One thing that had been missing from our day up to this point was much birdsong. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the rather exposed location....I'm not sure. But happily, just before we got back to the car I did manage to get a sight of a sweet robin........


Our walk was now 9.5 miles long. Hurray. Just the right length for the walking group.
It was a good recce and I think we are both feeling a bit braver about leading a walk in the summer. Derbyshire still looks lovely on a cloudy March day. I'm very much looking forward to returning.

Jacquie x

20 comments:

  1. It looks like you will be leading a delightful walk for your group in the summer.
    Jackie x

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  2. It does look absolutely gorgeous, and what pretty homes. The photo of the pony is lovely as well. It looks like a brilliant walk for your group, how exciting that you get to lead one. I hope you have a good weekend Jacquie. CJ xx

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  3. What a beautiful walk. The cottages are lovely and I enjoyed the animals as well. How I envy all of the walking paths you have in your area. We have lots of rural area but it's privately owned and not walkable. Thank you for sharing your recce. :-)
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  4. Jacquie, I am a fan of the word reconnoitre...and its little cousin recce, and thank you once again for showing me more extravagantly beautiful parts of your area.

    9.5 miles sounds like quite a long walk, but with all that you get to see along the way I can imagine that the measurement is more of the appreciation of the walk, not that mileage.

    Many thanks! xo

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  5. I enjoyed going along with you.. hope that naughty pony won't spoil the next walk. I am in awe of those amazing stone cottages.. what lucky people that live in them. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  6. That looks a decent hike. The photos certainly show it off - delightful. But I'm intrigued - what was the pony doing, exactly?

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  7. hello there! what a beautiful walk. longing for some time for a little trip to the hills... hope all well with you and thanks for your message a while ago. things ok, just frantic - have been rather absent from blogland for a while xx

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  8. Such beauty and to be able to walk and view it all with you is a delight, you certainly were an enthusiastic lead leading us all on such a stunning walk.

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  9. Невероятно потрясающая прогулка! Очень люблю ваши фотографии!!!!Спасибо за настроение!

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  10. I have been a recce guinea pig for a neighbour who organised a family fun walk with a treasure hunt. We had to check the clues and push a buggy round to check families could get around! It will be a great walk ans so good to take a turn. Jox

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  11. Thank you for reminding me of a lovely area - one we have frequently visited when staying at Belper in our caravan. There are three good trails fairly close to each other which are ideal for nervous road cyclists like myself as they are traffic-free. The Tissington trail is one and the other two are Monsal and Manifold trails. They are all old railway lines although, I believe, a track is to be reinstated on part of the Monsal trail, unfortunately for cyclists and walkers! Fantastic location for your walk. I did a recce for our U3A walking group on the North York Moors a couple of weeks ago - more wonderful scenery, we are so lucky! It is quite a responsibility preparing a walk for others and although we have done it lots of times now, you can never really relax, until it's all over!
    Vicki

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  12. Beautiful walk and lovely photos. I'd love to visit those pretty villages. x

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  13. I am amazed how nature looks beautiful. The stone buildings and the stone walls are wonderful to see in photos. I imagine it's beautiful in real life. Over 9 miles of walk is quite a long walk.

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  14. Fabulous recon mission! A walk I'd love to join! I'm sure everyone will love it. That double sunset would be amazing to see. We have a trail here in the states that continues through many states, from Maine to Georgia,3,500km long. The Appalachian Trail,people come the world over to walk the trail (parts). I've walked only a tiny portion of it and hope to add to the miles someday. Have a great weekend!

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  15. Such a beautiful walk.. Thank you!

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  16. Such a beautiful walk.. Thank you!

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  17. Lovely photos, Derbyshire is such a great place for walking. Thanks for sharing.

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  18. I did a recce to Florence before I took my family ;) I'm going on a recce to Venice soon, before I eventually take my hubbie. I wonder where else I can do a recce? (with my girlfriends of course). Thank you for taking me on the walk :) xxx

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  19. Oh Jacquie, what a lovely walk I've just enjoyed ... whilst sitting at my computer.
    Thank you.

    All the best Jan

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  20. Well your recce was certainly worth your while and I only wish I was close enough to come along in the Autumn to enjoy it in person. Beautiful houses and scenery, no matter what the weather x

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