Along the Cromford Canal - Part 1

It was a cool, slightly damp morning as we set out along the Cromford Canal starting at Cromford Wharf.

It was quiet around the wharf and along the towpath, the car park was nearly empty.  We didn't see another soul for ages.

 

The Canada Geese decided they were going to make a fuss and palaver with much honking and low flying and skimming of the water until they had all settled their differences.

Calm returned for a short while

We spotted what we thought was a Whitethroat (John at By Stargoose and Hanglands has pointed out that it's actually a Stonechat) thank you John.  This isn't a good photo but I've used it to show the molehills behind.  Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be far more molehills around this year?  Everywhere we go when out walking we are seeing far more than normal.  Has the last year been good for moles?  The only time I've seen a live mole was, funnily enough, on Nefyn beach in Wales.  It was running along at the side of lumps of earth brought down by a landslide from the cliffs above. It disappeared very quickly.

We also spotted a couple of snoozing Dab Chicks or Little Grebes not far from where we first spotted Water Voles.  We didn't see any voles this time but we did see a few more Dab Chicks.  We could hear their distinctive whistle as they dived for food.

 

They were hunting and diving in pairs.  The male has a reddish throat.

 

We reached High Peak Junction where you can visit the oldest railway workshop and sit with a cup of coffee.  We decided to walk further along the canal and then come back for refreshments later.

 

The Leawood Pump House across the other side of the canal.

 

At the bridge we crossed the canal to look at the grade II listed 19th century Aqueduct Cottage.  There is a lot of repair and renovation work being done.  The old lock keeper's cottage fell into disrepair and developers wanted to purchase it but volunteers from the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust raised enough money to outbid them and for the last three years they have been working tirelessly to bring it back to it's former glory.

Work was going on as we paused to look at how the cottage had changed since we last saw it.  The cottage was built in 1802 by Peter Nightingale who was a great uncle of Florence Nightingale who grew up nearby.  He was the main financier for Richard Arkwright who built the mills at Cromford and later at Masson. 

 

The cottage as it looked when we photographed it back in September 2018.  It was described in 1884 by local author Alison Uttley.

 

'The cottage was the dividing place between work and play, between fairy tale and reality and we were bound for fairy tale'
 

Here is a - link - to much more about the cottage.  

 

We had crossed the canal and headed back towards High Peak junction for a warm drink where we were joined by a colourful little friend.

 

More in part two.