18^th June 2023

 

Dear All,

We enjoyed a really good week in Derbyshire followed by an excellent day (for me) at Edgbaston on Friday.

As mentioned last week we started out after a Men’s Breakfast with farmer Richard Blackhurst giving a talk. On the way up we stopped at Duffield to call on Kate’s relatives Michael & Pauline Severn to discuss gaps in Kate’s knowledge of their family tree especially the Canadian branch, as some relatives became orphans and were despatched as Barnardo children to Canada. We came away with 4 albums of sepia photos which may or may not be useful! We arrived at the cabin in Darwin Forest, near Matlock about 5pm. It is a well-designed site with plenty of trees and rhododendrons to separate the cabins.

 

 

Hut No. 85

 

 

 

Local Flora

 

One of the major benefits of the site is an indoor heated swimming pool so we started each day with a swim to wash away the cobwebs – and it saves on washing!

On Sunday we travelled to Wirksworth to the church that we were married in, except that it has moved and amalgamated with another on a different site called “The Wellspring Church” and as they sold the other building the new one is very well appointed.

We met up with Kate’s brother and family at The New Bath Hotel in Matlock Bath for lunch. Phil & Mandy are not the most positive people you could meet but daughter Natasha seems to be doing well with her job and apparently enjoying a shipboard romance with a Philipino gentleman that she met on a cruise. In the afternoon we visited the village of Bonsall which had an Open Gardens Day.

 

 

Bonsall Cross

 

 

 

A Bonsall Garden – not much flat land!

 

 

On Monday it is traditional to have coffee in the Chatsworth Farm Shop then attend Bakewell Market. This year we were able to access the Cattle Market which previously had been restricted for Covid. It was interesting to study the local characters as well as the animals and try and keep up with who is bidding for what.

 

 

Bakewell Cattle Market

 

In the evening Kate, Sue and I explored the Lumsdale Valley in Matlock. It was an important industrial site for water powered industries for more than 300 years but now only ruins remain. There are three ponds connected by a stream with a decent waterfall at the end.

 

 

Kate & Sue at the Middle Pond

 

 

 

Lumsdale Waterfall

 

 

Industrial ruins

 

On Tuesday we travelled to Tissington, a very pretty village famous for Well Dressings. We did a circuit of the village and had an excellent tour of the house.

 

 

Tissington Hall

 

After we walked round Elton, a small village that none of the Derbyshire locals had visited before but which has now issued a village circuit brochure. Unforgivably, I forgot to take my camera this day so the above photo is from John’s phone and I have none of Elton!

 

We did our own thing on Wednesday and visited Haddon Hall which had not been open in recent years. It is the home of the Dukes of Rutland and dates back to the 11^th century. There is some very old furniture and a Long Gallery 110 ft long.

 

 

Haddon Hall

 

 

Kitchen

 

 

Chapel

 

 

The Long Gallery

 

We followed this with a visit to Wirksworth Stone Museum and a sentimental climb on Black Rocks.

 

 

Black Rocks

 

 

 

On Thursday John dropped Kate, Sue and myself at Hopton near Carsington Reservoir to walk to Wirksworth. Needless to say, the route was not flat but interesting including evidence of several lead mines and we came across a group sheep shearing. In Wirksworth we visited the Heritage Museum and called in to Ash Farm for a drink and chat. We visited Lea rhododendron gardens on the way back to Derwent Forest and ended the week with a meal in the site restaurant.

 

 

Climb from Hopton

 

 

Old Lead Mines

 

 

Sheep Shearing

 

 

Ash Farm

 

Ben had given me a ticket for the first day of the Ashes Test at Edgbaston for Christmas so I drove there on Friday while John & Sue dropped Kate off at home en route to Framlingham where their granddaughter was to be confirmed. Sat Nav took me through the centre of Birmingham which was a challenge, but it was a thrilling days cricket in baking sunshine. I met Ben outside as he had the tickets and we joined four of his mates in the ground.

 

 

Edgbaston

 

 

Pete, Ben & Mike

 

 

 

love

 

Mike & Kate