A short 90 minute drive home heralded the end of this little trip…

We altered our plans slightly when Bob and Mandy suggested we meet them for lunch at the Falkland Arms at Great Tew – another fine example of an idyllic country inn.

We decided to stay on a local CL SIte, Newton Grove at South Newington.

Facilities are limited to fresh water, full waste and chemical facilities set in a large well-kept field.

No electric hookups but John was busy manufacturing a solar charging unit with battery and inverter for future guests to utilise. A number of picnic tables and a chiminea adorn the edge of the field and the very helpful owner John had left us with a small supply of wood.

After visiting the Falkland Arms, Bill (the naked chef) and Mandy invited us to their place near Woodstock for a BBQ.

On returning to Newton Grove, we made full use of the chiminea and chopped some additional fuel from the wood just behind, watching the local bats feasting on insects. Both pyrotechnic events passed without damage to people or property…

Much of the day was spent preparing to leave Carsington Water Caravan Club site. The weather held off enough to allow the awning to dry out and be packed away.

An afternoon trip to Bakewell resulted in refreshed stocks of various Bakewell tarts from the Bakewell pudding shop.

Evening was dinner at the Red Lion in Hognaston. Restaurant class food in a casual village-inn environment. This has been our classiest find of the trip.

Day four of the mini railways expedition and the Monsal Trail runs along the former Midland Railway line for 8.5 miles between Blackwell Mill, in Chee Dale and Coombs Road, at Bakewell.

The trail has been nicely restored and offers one of the most spectacular leisure routes in Britain for cycling, walking and horse riding.

All of the tunnels have been repaired and the longer ones have lighting present.

It was a wet and miserable day for weather but we completed the 17 miles round trip, having a picnic at the halfway point.

Day three of our historical railway journeys and today its the turn of the High Peak trail – a 17 mile journey from Cromford to Dowtow, near Buxton.

 

Formerly, the Cromford and High Peak Railway, it was completed in 1831 to carry minerals and goods between the Cromford Canal wharf at High Peak Junction and the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge.

 

 

We started the trail at Middleton Top to avoid the steep 2.5 mile incline from   Cromford. Stationery steam engines were required along this section to haul the trucks up the track. Horses were used on the flatter sections.

 

Upon leaving there is a short sharp incline of around a mile out of Middleton Top but then it’s all flat / slight incline beyond High Peak junction and on to Parsely Hay.

 

This time we didn’t stop at Parsely Hay but continued to then end of the trail where there is a pub, the Royal Oak. We had taken a picnic but the food looked good so would recommend this as a place to eat.

The return journey was as expected somewhat easier being predominantly flat / downhill – this is the best way to cycle this trail.

In the evening we cooked on the BBQ.

The old Ashbourne to Buxton railway was opened in 1899 but regular passenger services ceased in 1954 and in 1971 it became a cycle trail – The Tissington Trail. The trail is named after the village of Tissington which is on the route.

We drove to the car park close to the start of the trail at Ashbourne and cycled towards Buxton. Whilst we hadn’t planned which direction to take, we were pleased to have selected this way as the entire 13.5 miles was uphill – a steady grind for the entire length of the trail. Plenty of unspoilt scenery on the route to Parsley Hay.

We stopped for a coffee at Parsley Hay, which is just past the point where the Tissington Trail and High Peak trails converge.

The return journey was predominantly downhill and required little effort whatsoever to complete. Still the entire journey had taken some 4 or 5 hours.

In the evening, we ate at the Chinese restaurant in Ashbourne.