Walk this way..........

This morning we drove out to Hartington and up to the car park at the old station which is on the Tissington Trail. The only part of the trail we hadn't walked was the 5 mile stretch between Hartington and Alsop. We didn't know how far we would get along the trail but set ourselves a time scale of an hour and a half towards Alsop knowing we would have to walk for the same amount of time on the way back. We had to be careful not to overstay our welcome on the car park.

As we set out it was cloudy and grey with just the hint of a breeze and as some parts of the walk along this trail, which follows the line of the old railway, are protected from the weather by the steep banks of the railway cuttings we were able to enjoy the peace and hear the birds twittering in the trees and bushes on either embankment. At one point the pathway was littered with striped snails and it was hard to avoid treading on them. Some had already been squished by passing walkers and cyclists; the thrushes would be well fed. Little wrens skited about in the bushes, skylarks flittered over the fields and robins and blackbirds were singing their uplifting, melodious songs.

We walked past the village of Biggin whose church we could see in the distance. I did take a photo of the church but it wasn't a good one as parts of the tower were shrouded in mist. After another twenty minutes or so we turned to set off back towards Hartington. The weather had become cooler and the breeze was now quite strong with a little drizzle in the air.

Back to the car for refreshment - coffee and home-made date and walnut cake - and we were off again around the Nature Reserve. As we crossed the fields at the top of the old quarry all that was heard was a scurrying rabbit and the tap tap of a farmer mending his fence. As we reached the highest point we heard getting closer the plaintive and distinctive cry of a curlew, it passed overhead and flew away from us, it's cry getting fainter as it disappeared into the cloud.

The walk led us back onto the last part of the Tissington Trail by now busy with cyclists and other walkers. It was way after 1p.m. and lunch time for many, the picnic tables near the car park were full of people enjoying their packed lunches before heading off along the rest of the trail. With great satisfaction we pulled off our heavy boots, clambered into the car and set off towards home.