Tags
annual meadow-grass, Betony, bull, calves, cows, Devil's-bit Scabious, enchanter's nightshade, eyebright, flowers, former industrial landscape, garlic mustard, grasses, greater plantain, harebell, hart's-tongue fern, Hawthorn, Ilam Country Park, Ilam Cross, Ilam Hall, Ilam village, industrial landscape, lamb, Lesser Burdock, Maidenhair Pleenwort, Paradise Walk, Peak District, power station, Rabbit, River Manifold, rowan, Sheep's Fescue, Small Teasel, stile, The Battle Stone, tormentil, unimproved grassland, wind farm
Richard and I had a weeks holiday in the Peak District during August and stayed in our caravan as usual and at a favourite site. We travelled on the 15th taking Elinor with us and once we had set up the caravan and had had a short rest we then drove to Sheffield as Elinor would be staying the week with Alice. We had a cup of tea, a nice chat with Alice and Richard met Mona, Alice’s cat for the first time.
Richard and I then returned to our caravan near Leek in Staffordshire calling in at the supermarket on the way where we bought enough food to keep us going for most of the week. We couldn’t find anywhere to buy a take-away meal so we heated up a ready-made lasagna in the oven and had a very late but tasty dinner.
The weather forecast was for four days of good weather followed by cooler rainy weather so we thought we’d do as much walking in the dry at the beginning of the week as we could. Our first full day was also Richard’s birthday and we decided to have lunch at the White Hart in Leek where we know we can get very nice Staffordshire oatcakes filled with cheese and bacon or cheese and sausage. Before going in to Leek we had to put the awning up on the caravan. An awning (for those who don’t know) is a tent, shelter or canopy which is attached to the side of a caravan which provides a little extra space to live in. We find ours very useful, especially in wet weather as we can keep our soggy shoes and coats out there.
After lunch we tried to find a wood I wanted to walk in but we had great difficulty following the directions to it. In the end we gave up and went to Ilam Park and walked from there.
From the carpark we walked towards the remains of the hall and through the archway to the other side of the building.
The gardens are very attractive and have places to sit and admire the scenery. We made our way through the pleasure grounds, the path descending towards the River Manifold.
Paradise Walk is a Lime tree avenue where, in its heyday, the owners of the hall and their guests could walk and talk and admire the parkland.
This cross shaft, known as the ‘Battle Stone’ has been set in a little enclosure at the side of the Paradise Walk. It is strange to us to find that people in former times were happy to use any material they found to build their houses, even part of a cross!
This was the first time I had ever seen this plant and it took me some time to ID it. My photograph isn’t the best and I wasn’t too sure where to start my search. The plant is often found on damp, disturbed ground near woodland edges and near streams and rivers.
We went over the river at the next bridge and then crossed a meadow the ascent of which gradually got steeper.
The calves were a little curious but the cow continued calling to them and they stayed with her.
At the top of the field was a bull and a couple of cows. Fortunately, they were more interested in eating than in us because we were quite puffed by the time we had got to the top of the field and I don’t think we could have run anywhere!
I’m afraid the photos got more out of focus the further up the hill I got. It was all I could do to keep my footing.
We were glad to get to the top and catch our breath. There was still rising ground to cover but the really steep bit was finished with.
Eyebright is slowly becoming rarer because it is semi-parasitic on the roots of other plants and will only grow in undisturbed grass land. There is very little undisturbed grassland in this country.
Both pictures are typical of cattle-farming country. The well-trampled area next to the gateway and water-trough which in wet weather is extremely squelchy. The bank of nettles beyond the trough…
This is the interesting thing about the Peak District. The whole area has been industrial at some period in its history. We may be out on the moors and seemingly miles from anywhere but industry or the effects of industry surround us.
We began the descent towards Ilam village.
This may look like a rather uninteresting patch of grass with a few flowers in it. However, in this approximately 40cm x 40cm piece of land there are at least three different types of grass and more than six different flowering plants, not all in flower. True diversity!
The path was much clearer in real life than in my photograph. An indentation in the soil; the grass growing differently on the path and the light reflecting off it in a different way making it look lighter, sometimes darker than the surrounding grass. I’m sure it would be more obvious at sunset or sunrise or with a dusting of snow on it.
We had descended to the valley again and entered Blore Pastures Wood by the stile.
We saw this enormous plantain next to the road as we approached Ilam.
The cross was badly damaged in a storm some years ago but has recently been completely restored.
The village was full of people enjoying the evening sunshine. I had hoped to photograph the houses and the bridge but there were too many people in the way.
A most enjoyable walk in glorious sunshine.
Thanks for visiting!
Tammi Kale said:
Awesome post!
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you very much Tammi!
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Lisa G. said:
Now, that looks more like a bunny than your hare from the other day. The Peaks – I was just watching Pride and Prejudice the other day! A caravan sounds lovely, especially with awning. 🙂
I looked up Staffordshire Oatcakes and found a recipe on a BBC site – sounds terribly good. I may have to try it!
Mona is lovely, & your husband is right-on to call that sheep “Wingnut”. Sounds like a nice few days.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Lisa! Staffordshire oatcakes are so versatile and can be used like wraps, tortilla and the galette from Brittany, France to make a tasty meal. Any filling will do!
I always think of the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice when we visit the Peaks as the place where we stay is probably less than a mile from the rocks where Lizzie climbs to look at the scenery.
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Gallivanta said:
Staffordshire oatcakes are now on my to make list. They look delicious.
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clarepooley33 said:
They are delicious and oats are so good for us! Though of course once filled with cheese and sausage they aren’t quite so healthy 😉
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susanpoozan said:
That looks as if it was a most interesting and varied walk.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Susan, it was!
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unionhomestead said:
I very much enjoy seeing photos of all those plants I grew up reading about….harebells and eyebright to name a couple. Also enjoyed all the animal phyotos of which Mona was the undeniable star 😊
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Sharon! Mona is a star and keeps my daughter busy 🙂
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Jill Weatherholt said:
Wow! So many wonderful photographs, Clare! I enjoyed them all. One of my favorites was the view across water meadows from ‘Paradise Walk.’ Stunning! Happy belated birthday to Richard! Thanks for sharing your lovely walk. xo
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you so much Jill! I will pass on your kind message to Richard. I hope you are well and safe this weekend xo
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Charlotte Hoather said:
Oatcakes make me think of Nana and Grandad, we used to eat them with melted cheese, bacon and beans on the side, so yummy, but I didn’t like them cold with butter and sultanas inside 😝.
I wonder why they battled over Leek, I have family there and it always seemed so remote.
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clarepooley33 said:
I have never tried them cold or with a sweet filling; I enjoy the hot savoury fillings too much to want to try anything different! 🙂 Leek to north Cheshire is a long journey probably because there is no direct route and all the roads are so windy!
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Charlotte Hoather said:
Yes I remember feeling a bit car sick.
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clarepooley33 said:
Poor you!
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margaret21 said:
A great record of a fascinating visit. Thanks.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Margaret. I hope you are recovering well from your long journey.
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margaret21 said:
Jet lag not TOO bad, thanks …..
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Beautywhizz said:
Lovely photos and so many wildflowers.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you!
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Andrea Stephenson said:
Thanks for such an enjoyable walk Clare, it was lovely to explore this part of the world with you and share some of the sights.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you very much Andrea!
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Ste J said:
Walking in your footsteps is always great fun, I love the messy scene as well, there is something satisfying about a hotch potch of nature and evidence of humans.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Ste J. Anything too perfectly tidy doesn’t seem real to me.
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
That was another great walk! The hart’s tongue fern was quite a find. That’s one I’ve never seen in the wild.
I’ve never heard of small teasel or lessor burdock. Teasel doesn’t grow here but burdock does, so I’ll have to read up on it.
That’s a great shot of the enchanter’s nightshade and not an easy one to get with such tiny flowers. The lighting was perfect.
I would’ve liked a sign warning of the bull but at least he wasn’t in the charging mood.
That’s quite an amazing variety of flowers, even though it was August. I keep hoping to find eyebright here but I’ve never seen it.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Allen. Hart’s-tongue fern isn’t too difficult to find here in Britain even where I live in the supposedly dry East of England. It is another fern that prefers neutral to lime-rich soil so that may be a reason why you haven’t found it. I read that the Hart’s-tongue in the US is also slightly different to that found in Europe.
We have two types of Burdock, the Lesser and the Greater (Arctium lappa). I see the lesser more often than the greater type. Greater B’s flowerheads are larger 20-40mm across and the florets don’t project beyond the bracts. The lesser B’s flowerheads are 15-20mm across and the florets do project beyond the bracts. The leaves are different too. The greater B has heart-shaped leaves with solid stalks and the basal leaves are as long as wide. The lesser B’s leaves are also heart-shaped but have hollow stalks and the basal leaves are longer than wide. So once those differences are known it is easy to tell them apart.
I was so surprised to see so many flowers there! We did have a late start to summer which has made a lot of difference to the timing of the flowering of plants. I was aware of a greater difference in the Peaks to that in the country round my home.
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
Maybe it’s the lesser burdock that I see here. I’ll have to look into that. Thank you for the information!
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clarepooley33 said:
My pleasure Allen.
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tootlepedal said:
My brother likes walking round Ilam so it was good to see another view.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you. I believe I have seen some of his Peaks photos in your guest spot.
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womanseyeview said:
Such a lovely hike and you know a lot of plants! I was interested to see the harts-tongue fern – it’s one we’re always looking for as we hike our rocky Nuagara escarpment as it’s described as rare here.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you! I also read that the Hart’s-tongue fern is rare in North America and that it is slightly different to the European Hart’s-tongue. I see it fairly often and it is so distinctive it cannot be mistaken for anything else. It prefers neutral to lime-rich soil so in theory it should be found on the escarpment.
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M.Barrett said:
Some really nice photos there – I enjoyed the little tour of your holiday!
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you!
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Jane said:
I enjoyed your tour of your Peak’s District holiday, not only for the lovely country views but also for the descriptions of foods. Staffordshire oak cakes stuffed with various goodies? That’s new to me. The traditional meals from your part of the world sound so hearty and comforting! I grew up reading books, poems and nursery rhymes that mentioned stiles but we don’t have them here in Australia (that I know of) so it always grabs my attention to see photographs. That lamb is gorgeous. 🙂
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clarepooley33 said:
The traditional meals aren’t just hearty and comforting they also cause us to become quite hearty as well! We all still like to eat the foods that our ancestors ate who worked on the land or in factories from dawn til dusk and lived on a pittance in unheated houses! We still stuff ourselves with these gooodies and end up blubbery like whales! One of the reasons I don’t like the squash stiles is I have short legs and my backside is somewhat generous in size! I know I’ll get stuck in one eventually unless I reduce my width by a few inches. 😀
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Liz said:
what a fabulous holiday you clearly had – it must have been so restful and restorative. 🙂
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clarepooley33 said:
It was a fantastic holiday 🙂
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Gallivanta said:
A beautiful walk. I particularly enjoyed the references to Ilam Park and Ilam Hall because I live very close to Ilam Road which takes one to the University at Ilam and the university gardens around Ilam Homestead http://www.ilamhomestead.co.nz/gardens.htm which is next door to Ilam Fields. And our Ilam doesn’t look much like your Ilam but here is the connection :’ The suburb was named after the ancestral home of the Hon. John Charles Watts-Russell (1825–75), who hailed from Ilam Hall in Staffordshire, England. He settled in Canterbury in 1850, arriving on the Sir George Seymour and named his property Ilam.’
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clarepooley33 said:
Well fancy that! So many people who immigrated used the names of their old homes when establishing homesteads in a new land. It must have been a comfort of sorts as I suppose they must have been homesick and a little frightened. It has been interesting to discover a little more of the Watts-Russell family story. Thank-you!
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Gallivanta said:
It was an intriguing discovery for me too.
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Kate R said:
Such a lovely walk Clare – I do enjoy the walks you take us on and this was particularly beautiful. Ilam looks really lovely and I particularly loved the photos of the pretty River Manifold and the view down to Ilam village. Mona looks absolutely gorgeous and I am sure your daughter loves having her.
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clarepooley33 said:
Thank-you Kate. Yes my daughter loves having Mona living with her; they are good for each other. My younger daughter stayed with Alice in the summer and said that Mona watches out of an upstairs window when Alice is due home from work and when she sees Alice walking up the road she runs down stairs to greet her at the door. Ilam is a very pretty place and I hope to go back there next year just to look round the village and the Hall.
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Kate R said:
Oh how sweet about Mona! 🙂
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clarepooley33 said:
She is lovely and appreciates being loved and wanted at last.
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ig said:
When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a
comment is added I get three e-mails with the same comment.
Is there any way you can remove people from that service?
Bless you!
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Clare Pooley said:
Do you have a WordPress account? If so, I’d recommend you click on the support button and you should get help very quickly. I am no expert and cannot think how you would cancel the request unless you go back to the post and see if there is any other button you can click. Perhaps you can re-click on the Notify button as that may cancel the original request. Good luck!
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