So what's that down there then?

The day dawned sunny bright and clear.  Too nice for boating...  David had already been out car moving and reported back that he had found a great view point not far.  So in bright sunshine off we walked.  It was to the top of a ridge between us here, well south of Marple and the Goyt valley again.  So the ridge we went up was between Marple and Disley.

It was sunny as I said so I simply worn my slip on pretty red trainers.  Rookie error.  Soon I was picking through bogs and a muddy spring.

WaL form the footpath, Goyt Mill behind in the distance.

Surprising friend of this calf.

Cheshire Plain

WaL on my most extreme zoom

Stockport

Manchester

Disley.... We think.

The Peak District in the distance.

Foreground is Marple

So as we stood on the viewpoint, a cyclist came along and stopped.  He was middle-aged, very very friendly and clad in very very tight lycra.  As he got of the bike and chatted I didn't know where to look!  Then it got worse as he performed his "Stretches" Oh my golly Moses.  

However, he pointed out to us all the towns surrounding and offered to answer any questions we may have, (I kept my binoculars up to my eyes).  At length he cycled away, and I made a note to self NEVER to allow husband to wear lycra, not even for a joke.

Back to the boat and we went on down to Poynton first to water up, then for me to scrub my red trainers clean and get rid of smelly rubbish.  Then onto Gurnett Aqueduct to moor for the night.
A lovely day and the sun continued to shine all day

Pretties on the way back to the boat, I wonder what this is?

Time to go.....

So then we are approaching the end of our time in Bugsworth.  I expect you are wondering how we have managed to stay this long.....?  Well the strictly 48 hrs rule is now extendable, this is by making a donation to the Basin's  Heritage fund.  It is an extension by agreement with the lady in residence there, its not a right. 

Written permission to stay.

We walked today, we were going to cycle but in the end we walked, and I was quite glad as the path we followed was a quagmire in places.  We followed the old basin tramline from the basin for several miles 

I wasn't expecting to see this black swan along the way either

Then made it into a circular walk coming back through Chapel Milton, Chinley and then Bugsworth village.  Actually today it's called Buxworth.  This is because in the 1920's, the vicar and the schoolmaster got together and started a campaign to have the name changed from BUGS which they felt had somewhat undesirable connotations.  What they didn't realise at that time was that the name came from Norman times   HERE  and is/was one of the very few places in the country that was named after a person, the vast majority of people are named after the places they came from, (Read that twice to get my drift).  Anyway, the Basin itself retained its name although not the ancient spelling.
In the pub are these of photos.  Forgive the poor quality of photos of photos. 

Pub, The Navigation.Clearly in view are other buildings of the village, today all hidden by trees.

Again the pub and view beyond of the tramline.

Pub and tram wagons outside.

Pub from the other side with view towards Eccles Pike.

Pub today. Surrounded by trees.

All the above was told to us in the pub, The Navigation, after we had returned form our walk, by a little old man, dressed in walking attire and boots, oh Reader, little old men in pubs are also filled with vital information I must say.  He told us too that one of the best view points was yes, just over our shoulder up there!!  He was not wrong either.  We had a wonderful supper in Whaley Bridge at Zayka  HERE thank you again for all your brilliant recommendations Steve and Denise from NB Riverside Escapes, we have really enjoyed each one.

We were leaving the next morning, but it poured so we didn't.  Instead leaving the departure till 3pm.  But first we went to Eccles Pike, the view the little old man had told us about.

View SE

View N Buxsworth and Chinley.

View almost to Whaley Bridge

Protctive clothing against fierce sun.

Back to the boat and off we went.  The rain had stopped and it was almost sunny.  Well almost.

The run was straight forward and without incident.  We had spotted a fab mooring about half way to Marple.  It was almost on a lock landing but it wasn't.  We pulled back and put the nose just onto the armco and the backside staked leaving room for about three medium boats on the landing.  
This is the view.

Worth the fiddle to moor up here.

Tonneau cover on and as regular as clockwork, more rain. We had a quiet night in, although David jumped up and out to clean the cratch cover from bottle green to black again.  He does this in very heavy rain.

Blurred due to monsoon.

Next morning rain was due at 11am, the BBC promised at 11am so David suggested that we cycle to Marple and have a look at the locks before it started.  This is our second trip to The Peak Forest Canal but we have not turned the other direction at the junction and gone towards Manchester.

A pretty ride, with breathtaking views all along.  I hope the locals appreciate the immense beauty here....

Restored buildings

Horse tunnel past a lock

Wee walk-way-bridge

Leafy attractive pounds all along.

Yep, I like this one alright.

Marple aqueduct from the easterly end with the River Goyt down below.

and from the westerly end

The aqueduct here is quite spectacular.  We pushed the bikes along and on the other side yep, ages early, it rained, now not just southern softie rain that I am used to but real hard nut  northern rain that wets you thoroughly.

I asked a lady with one of those Oh! so fashionable dogs, a Cocker-poo where the nearest Costa was, she knew of course and directed us but said that there is an independent cafe too.  I didn't need telling twice and we went without hesitation to HERE  "All Things Nice" and what a grand shelter from the rain it was.  We joined all the other customers dripping on the mat to get a table.  So they sell great drinks, cakes, bread and cheeses along with masses of other things at their deli counter.
I had this and then shared it as it was so big.

I felt much better after Eggs Benedict.

We cycled back to the boat, still raining and had hot showers on arrival and much later we departed and cruised to the junction, turned onto the Macclesfield canal then on down to High Lane.  Bish bash bosh onto a nice bit of armco and
snuggled down.

Supper was some of the cheeses we brought from Marple.  Ever tried Peakland Blue?   HERE  divine.

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....