other thoughts

It's a pretty walk especially on a sunny Spring day (on a hot Summer afternoon there can be pesky flies) with geese and ducks bobbing on the water, celandines coming into flower beside the towpath, and blue sky above.

The first half to High Peak Junction proved quite easy but unfortunately the snack kiosk wasn't open so I had to survive without refreshment. 
Returning was slower and involved more sitting down but it was a nice day so there wasn't any hurry.


I was starting to get hungry by now so very relieved to find that the cafe at the Wharf was still open and serving 'lunch' despite it being after 3 o'clock.

Re-fuelled, I felt I had the energy for a little more meandering so headed across the road to Arkwright's Mills - mainly for the purpose of seeing the newly refurbished water wheel that will provide hydro-electricity for the shops and visitor centre

 

From the car park on Lea Road there's a nice circular walk to High Peak Workshops, along the canal to Aqueduct Cottage, up the spur which once led to the Nightingale works, and back a short distance along Lea Road. It's possibly only a mile or so in length, but that feels far enough for me at the moment.

There's only one snag about this walk, and that's the unpredictability of the local sewage works. This day unfortunately they were smelly, and the wind blowing towards the canal, so I decided to not bother with ice cream from the visitor centre but just set off walking. 
This whole area is full of reminders of the days when it was the heart of the Industrial Revolution. Arkright's famous mill is a mile away in Cromford village, and the canal was constructed to move good from there. The canalside path passes Leawood Pumping Station. It's been restored, and on certain days I believe it's open to the public.
Then the canal goes over the river Derwent on a short aqueduct to reach the appropriately named Aqueduct Cottage.

This recently completed restoration has turned a ruin into an information hub, and even though it wasn't open it's a good spot to sit in the sunshine and taken in the view.


The cottage sits at the junction of the main canal and the Nightingale spur, and this was the point for me to turn away from the main route and double back.
I think this section is one of the prettiest now. The trees crowd closely over the water, and this short distance has a more natural feel than the main canal. It probably wasn't the case back when both sections were in regular use, but today it's peaceful and quieter (unless a train comes rushing under the hill)

 Behind its charm the Derwent valley is  a busy communication route. Here the river is crossed by the railway, and the canal crosses above that. Out of site to the left, the A6 carries traffic to Matlock and beyond.
We'd been stood here a while and I was watching the tracks for an approaching train when the hillside behind me started to rumble - a train was coming! I still find it exciting to spot a train, and although it's quite easy to see them walking by the canal it's rarer to actually be stood on the bridge as they pass!

 To find out more about Aqueduct Cottage's history and restoration see here 

I didn't seem to be the only one thinking it was a nice evening for going somewhere ...

Time then to return slowly to the car spotting wildflowers along the way, admiring the views, but with an increasingly unsteady step. 
It was a lovely end to the day but I need to learn to tell when enough is enough.



 

By the time we reached the large basin at Bellanoch I was convinced it had started to rain. I was glad to have made it to this point though, after seeing the same spot from on high a couple of days before.

 Fortunately the holiday didn't end on a wet note, as by evening the clouds had cleared and the sun put in a last minute appearance.