Members present: Laura Collier, Graham Harkness, Sue Harkness, Bob Kelly, Ding Koi, Iain McCallum, Lorna Marsland, Carolyn Mills, Brian Taylor, James Williams, Dave Wylie, (Ken Beetham at Hartington).

Guests: Nicoletta Bobola, Hillary Eason, Kate Harvey, Claudia Paraschivescu, Anna Poulton, Sandra Rice, Wayne Rice, Dave Windlehurst.

Sunday morning in Longnor was wet and overcast. Laura’s party was late so James very kindly offered to wait for them while the rest of us set off through the village and down into Dovedale. The going was very wet underfoot but we made good progress down the dale and through the hamlet of Crowdicote reaching Pilsbury Castles Hills at about 11am. At the edge of the old Norman Motte and Baileys we stopped for our elevenses and to view the remains of this ancient site. Laura’s group guided by James joined us at this point. From the Motte we struck up hill and then headed south traversing the hillside passing old mine shafts and their spoil dumps along the way.

By this time the rain had eased off and the cloud had lifted. After crossing Madge Dale we joined the road leading down into Hartington. A short cut down a little lane brought us into the village. Here we stopped for lunch for half an hour or so. Some chose to visit one of the pubs for a pint others lunched at the café in the square. Ken joined us for a chat. He very kindly offered to give anyone who felt they had had enough a lift back to Longnor. There were no takers!

The Old Cheese Shop near the village pond seemed to doing good business. Now run by two local families. It used to be the outlet shop for the village cheese factory but the firm was bought out by a rival firm based in Leicester who then closed the factory throwing many local people out of work. It seems it is now destined to be pulled down and replaced with housing.

From the village we crossed the valley over the river Dove into Staffordshire then up the hillside to the ridge above. The route was extremely wet and muddy. Even the hillside was sodden. The pile of dung close to the path up the hill out of the dale did not help matters. Ding said “Iain this is a very smelly walk”. Still the weather continued to improve and the sun started to break through the clouds. After reaching the ridge at Sheen we crossed the fields and made for Brund passing the Bronze Age Tumulus mound marked by a solitary tree on our way. The going underfoot did not improve as the Manifold valley turned out to be even wetter and muddier than Dovedale. However, we continued to make good progress. In a lane near Ridge End Farm we stopped for tea and a roll call. It was now warm and sunny and we made short work of the last section of our walk along the river bank to Longnor. Once back at the cars many of us indulged ourselves with tea and cakes in the local café before heading home.

Given the muddy conditions “The Hippopotamus Song by Flanders and Swann, Mud. Mud, Glorious Mud…” would have been most apt.

Many thanks for your support. Special thanks to Graham and Sue Harkness who had travelled down all the way from Durham for this meet.

Route: Longnor – Green Lane – Crowdicote - Pilsbury Castle – Pilsbury – Hartington – Sheen - Brund – Ridge End Farm – Lower Boothlow – Longnor.

Meet: Longnor Market Square Car Park at 9.45am for a 10am start. Grid Ref. 088649.

A fine walk on the borders of Derbyshire and Staffordshire in the White Peak. Distance about 11/12 miles. The walk can be modified to suit the conditions.

There are good service facilities in Longnor and Hartington.

Map: OS Explorer OL24 – The Peak District – White Peak area.