Walking around Hathersage, Derbyshire. DAY THREE
Report by urban75 editor, November 2006
SUNDAY: AN AMBLE AROUND HATHERSAGE
With a train to catch at 5 o'clock, sore heads from the night before and a depleted set of walkers, a more leisurely hike was planned for the day, but things didn't go quite to plan...
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-48.jpg) Leaving the farm. Our part of the bunkhouse was on the ground floor (sleeping underneath what sounded like a herd of amphetamine-fuelled elephants.)
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-49.jpg) Looking across the valley.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-50.jpg) Walking across open countryside in glorious late autumn weather.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-51.jpg) Looking back at the farm.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-52.jpg) I grew to quite like this building, despite its supreme ugliness!
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-53.jpg) Crossing the line to Hathersage.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-54.jpg) The plan was to ford the River Derwent and walk towards Offerton Moor.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-55.jpg) Oops! Eek! Somewhere under this raging torrent of water are the stepping stones we were supposed to be walking over!
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-56.jpg) A change of plan was needed, so we elected to head east, back towards Hathersage.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-57.jpg) I've no idea why we thought this would make a good pose. And it was my idea too.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-58.jpg) Looking at Stanage Edge in the distance, towering over Hathersage.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-59.jpg)
Built on an old gasworks, the David Mellor Cutlery round factory building was designed by Sir Michael Hopkins and has won numerous architectural awards.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-60.jpg) The Sheffield-born David Mellor also designed traffic lights, road signage and lighting systems.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-61.jpg) Cool tractor outside the factory. It's for children to play on.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-62.jpg) There's a nice cafe inside the factory.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-63.jpg) We took lunch by the banks of the River Derwent. Here a passing dog tries to get a sniff of the sandwich action.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-64.jpg) Fortified by Bee's fine cakes, the team get ready for the off.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-65.jpg) River Derwent in full flow.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-66.jpg) The extremely tight gates along the route ensured that only slim people could get through!
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-67.jpg) Attractive scene by Goose Nest Wood.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-68.jpg) As the sun went down, the temperature started to plummet.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-69.jpg) The welcoming lights of The Plough sent spirits soaring, but sadly we discovered it's more of a restaurant for car drivers than a local pub.
With no seating allowed for anyone daring to just want to drink (in a pub! what a crazy idea!), we slunk off.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-70.jpg) Walking back into Hathersage.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-71.jpg) Rather unexpectedly, Hathersage sports a massive great outdoor swimming pool, open to the public during the summer months.
Happily, its cafe stays open all the year around, so we grabbed a warming coffee before heading off to the station.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-72.jpg) Hathersage station is served by one train every two hours to Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly and there was quite a crowd waiting on the Sheffield platform.
![Hathersage walking holiday, Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, England](images/hathersage-73.jpg) Ready to head home after a fabulous break. Thanks to Toni and Eme for the planning and organising!
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