Yup – yet another hf holiday!
I took the train to Derby – but it was about 50 mins late arriving as we had to wait at Bristol for a driver who was apparently on another late arriving train! I then had to wait about another 20 to 30 mins for the taxi driver who had been picking up someone else. I didn’t arrive until about 5.45 so missed the cream tea (sad!) and the introductory walk (not so sad).
I half unpacked and got to the briefing about the walks and to dinner. Afterwards there were a couple of fun, non-serious quizzes, which I joined in before going to my room and unpacking and going to bed.
Next morning we got the minibus after breakfast at about 9.30. The walk started by rising gently through woodland.
We then got up to ‘the Edges’ – a gritstone escarpment – and walked along there. It was quite hot and quite exposed. We went passed a stone circle – well, you could just about see it was a circle but many of the stones were very small!
We had some good views over the countryside and passed some interesting rock formations.
We found some shade to sit in for lunch.
Eventually we started to descend and went through a village and into Chatsworth Park – through an unusual gate where we stand still and rotate the gate round us rather than us having to move round with the gate.
The park is quite obviously Capability Brown layout!
We eventually approached the house.
There wasn’t time to go into the house but some people did pay to visit the gardens. I needed a cup of tea, so went up to the stable block where there was a café and shop.
I was really glad to have a long sit down in the shade and have a drink before a look at the shop (hunting postcards!) and going down to meet the others to get the minibus – having a peak through the elaborate gates at the house.
We got the minibus back and after a shower and short rest it was time for the next briefing and dinner.
As I hadn’t slept that well the previous night I went back to my room – after going to the bottom of the carpark to send texts – the only place there was reception! It felt like a long, hot day.
To be continued…..