On Sunday 6th February, as we drove to the start of our walk in Baslow, we wondered if we were idiots, as the wind and rain battered the car windscreens and at one stage there was a rush of snowflakes, but by the time we had eaten our sandwiches the weather had calmed, and we set off.
The first thing we saw was a man walking down his front path with a drake and his lady duck following him to the gate where the man placed food for them, and we watched the drake take the food from his benefactor’s hand. We were told this had been a regular occurrence for a couple of years.
With light rain falling, we walked past a row of stone cottages, many having a show of snowdrops in their gardens. Bob pointed out the state of the Emperor Fountain which because of the strength of the wind, was bent over at an acute angle like a broken walking stick.
We negotiated the Cannon Kissing Gate and walked along the well-defined path, past the White Lodge and across the parkland partly submerged under water, towards Chatsworth House. On passing the courtyard we heard music from that direction but couldn’t see what was happening and a search on the website hasn’t thrown anything up. We struggled up the hill and up numerous steps to the top. The water that runs from the various outcrops to the cascade below was whipped away in all directions by the wind. Thankfully we reached a long, level track where we skirted large, brown puddles and tried to avoid the muddy areas. There had been a session of tree thinning up there and stacks of tree logs were seen as we
walked along. As we journeyed downhill there was no sight of people, deer or bird life, only a big puddle in front of the stile we needed to climb! Although, looking in the other direction Julie managed to capture these photos of the deer.
This wasn’t a walk we particularly enjoyed, as we had to struggle through the weather, but once we were back at the cars the sense of elation was high and remarkably, our boots were clean as the water-logged grassland had cleared the mud from them.
Our next walk will be on Sunday 6th March, 4-5 miles, 12 noon outside the church gate. Anyone wishing to join us, if I haven’t put you off with this report, will be made very welcome.
Evelyn Lowe