Day three (Finally) of our holiday in the Peaks.

So today to Bakewell.  One of my all time favourites is Bakewell Tart, so I was excited.

Another tourist route to get there, David directed me and I drove via The Cathedral of the Peaks, Tideswell village.  Now I really liked this little town, or maybe its a large village, it felt like real people lived here, not holiday homes or really posh houses.  But with shops that folk want to buy from, not just postcards or tearooms.

We drove out the other side, now just incase you have forgotten what they look like here are some beautiful walls in a glorious pattern, many of which are in a good state of repair.  On some farms they have but collapsed.

 Then onto Monsal Head.  We kinda came upon here by a sort of accident.  The road had really really narrowed, a bit like in darkest Devon when you can put your hands outside both the front windows touching hedges and there is grass growing up the centre too.  I rather thought we had strayed onto a farming track, I am familiar with those and they often end in impassable mud.  But David was urging to the country so we kept going.  Oh Reader, what joy, what beauty.  Monsal Head is a very deep valley, wooded in parts with footpaths all over the place.  

We parked and I stuck my nose through an open gate, to find what transpired to be a disused mill pond and a fabulous Kingfisher flew along and away.  This boded well.  

Lets go snoop David!

Disused mill pond, über clear water and Kingfishers too.

Other walkers appeared and we followed them, around the back of a large building with EXPENSIVE cars parked in the grounds.  The footpath carried on behind and beyond to another mill pond.....

We kept going and passing lots of walkers coming the other way.  Wonderful views down this valley.  A couple came past and we got chatting.  They were here for the day from Manchester, only 25 mins drive away, actually from Hyde in Manchester. 

"Oh notorious Hyde" says I somewhat in jest....  But it 

turned out that many years ago, Dr H Shipman had attended the gentlemen's great aunt and she had died.  Somewhat taken aback I was, but the couple said that it had happened many years previously and was in the past.  But they had come to realise that she had been murdered.    HERE.  

Pretty flowers all along this path.

Look carefully and see a whole bank of pretty pretty wild flowers, hard to capture.

Now this was a pretty amazing site.  A zonking great mill now converted now into posh apartments that we think is called Litton Mill, but its so long ago now we were there due to non existent wifi and David is not here to check so bare with me.  But what we did learn was that orphans were sent to work in the mill, get a smattering of education and were fed.  Seems harsh I know but life was cheap then.

Litton Mill, (I think.)

We retraced our steps and drove up to the head of the valley.

There at fab tearooms this was the view of the entire valley.

This is Hobbs tearooms.  We had pea and mint homemade soup followed by beef sandwiches.  The cakes looked amazing but even I had no room for them.  Snack lunch become dinner.

Hobbs, Go visit.

We trundled off to Bakewell.  It was rammed full of visitors.

It was very warm and the forecast for tomorrow was WET.

All the world and his mother were out today.

We quickly found the Original Bakewell Pudding Shop.  I went in and was slightly horrified at the sight of the "Original Bakewell Pudding"  something which I have made many times at home and is a family favourite.  I couldn't bring myself to buy it, it looked ghastly.  However I have since been informed that they look like this and taste delicious, so don't let me put you off and next time I will definitely get one.

We drove home via Eyam.  This is a village that has a history of mining.  I was pretty hot and thirsty now.  Tea in a tea room and oh yes nearly forgot, scones with jam and cream.  They were a good ok, microwaved warmed so had gone soft, but nothing of the standard of the ones at Castleton at the Three Roofs Cafe.

Home to WaL at Bugsworth, the Fire Brigade turned up to lay on the entertainment for tonight.....

 I thought they all should be made to walk the plank, or ladder, but no only one....