Ramshaw Rocks

Tags

heather, hills, Peak District, Ramshaw Rocks, Rosebay Willowherb, walking

The day following our climb up Hen Cloud was very wet and chilly.  We did a little shopping and visited the Book Barn at Brierlow Bar where we both found some interesting books to buy.  We spent the rest of the day resting and reading.  Richard was feeling unwell as he often does on a Saturday which is when he takes a once-weekly tablet for his osteo-porosis.

The next day was our last full day in the Peak District.  It began with rain but by lunchtime the weather was beginning to brighten up.  We went into Leek and indulged in some more oatcakes and on our return to the caravan we were pleased to see that the awning was dry and so we emptied it and took it down while we could.   We drove to Ramshaw Rocks and took our last walk in the Peaks this year.

I had to take a photo of the colourful plants we saw at the beginning of our walk

The Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) had started to change colour because of the cooler temperatures.  The bright green grass, the cooler green of the fir tree, the purple heather and the bright pink of the willowherb looked so good together.

There was still some Rosebay Willowherb in flower

Ramshaw Rocks

The purple hill in the centre of this photo is Hen Cloud where we had climbed a couple of days before

I love the way these limestone rocks have been eroded by wind and rain

The path was a little wet after all the rain we had had.

Ramshaw Rocks

Very strange!

The path

I always think this looks like a pointing finger

Ramshaw Rocks

There was very low light and the rain was never far away during the whole of our walk.

Looking towards Hen Cloud again

Another view from the rocks

Richard found a pleasant place to sit. Underneath him was a shelter from wind and rain. I can imagine that sheep would like it here in the winter.

Looking down to the road beneath.

Ramshaw Rocks

I call this rock the Top Hat. Those of you who know the 1995 TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth may recognise this rock.  

We returned to the car and went back to out caravan to spend our last night away from home.  The next morning we set off at 6.00 am to travel to Sheffield to collect Elinor before Alice set off for work at 8.00 am.  We took her back to Blackshaw Moor, collected the caravan and went home.

Thanks for visiting!

Rain Almost Stops Play

Tags

good food, Hen Cloud, Meerbrook, Peak District, Rain, Ramshaw Rocks, The Lazy Trout, The Roaches, Tittesworth Water, views, walking

We woke on the fourth full day of our holiday to thick cloud and while we ate our breakfast we heard the first raindrops on the roof of our caravan.  We spent a little time tidying and cleaning the caravan and then drove into town to do some shopping in the supermarket.  It was very wet by the time we had finished so we were glad to get back and have a hot cup of coffee.  We had arranged to have a meal with Richard’s brother Chris and it was booked for 1.30 pm at ‘The Lazy Trout’ in Meerbrook, a village a few minutes drive away.  We set off at 1.15.

Photograph borrowed from the internet.

My brother-in-law arrived shortly after we did and we enjoyed an extremely pleasant meal in this very welcoming place.  If anyone is in the area I would heartily recommend the food – it is delicious!

We had thought we might have a walk round Tittesworth Water after our meal but the rain was still heavy so we returned to our caravan for hot drinks and a chat.  Chris stayed with us until 6.30 pm by which time the rain had stopped.  Richard and I decided not to waste a nice evening and so drove to Hen Cloud and did our once yearly clamber up to the top.

Looking towards Tittesworth Water from where we parked the car.

Looking over the wall towards The Roaches

Hen Cloud

Hen Cloud again

Looking East from halfway up the hill.  Ramshaw Rocks are on the left of the photo

Looking towards Ramshaw Rocks from even further up Hen Cloud

View down to the road and beyond to Tittesworth Water from the top of Hen Cloud. We noticed more bad weather approaching!

Definitely more rain on the way!

Threatening clouds

It still didn’t look too bad in this direction

We decided to get back to the car before the rain arrived.

One last look at the reservoir…

…and at the views from the top

We would have preferred to have stayed up at the top for much longer but the sensible thing to do was to get to the bottom before the rain caused the rocks to get slippery and the low clouds to lessen visibility.  We were surprised to see a group of young boys being taken climbing up the Roaches as we got to the bottom of the hill.  By this time it was about 8.00 pm and the thick cloud was making it very dark.

We were back at our caravan before the rain began again.

To be continued…

Thanks for visiting!

A Walk on Ramshaw Rocks – Peak District Holiday

Tags

bilberry, church of St Edward the Confessor, cotton grass, heather, Leek, Peak District, Pride and Prejudice, Ramshaw Rocks, rocks, Staffordshire Moorland, walking

Sunday 16th August was Richard’s birthday and we marked it quietly by attending one of the churches in Leek and then having an early lunch at one of our favourite cafés.  My own father died shortly before my birthday five years ago and so I knew a little how Richard was feeling.

The church we attended was St Edward the Confessor and we were comforted by the familiar words of the service and afterwards were made very welcome by members of the congregation.  I mentioned this church in a post I wrote about the visit we made last year to the Peak District.  In that same post is a mention of the favourite café.   We were concerned to see that the café was up for sale.  Would it still be there next time we visited Leek and if it was, would it still provide us with tasty oatcakes?

I didn’t take any photographs of the interior of the church but Richard did with his phone.  The church contains some beautiful embroidery and stained glass.

Stained glass in the church of St Edward the Confessor, Leek

Stained glass window – St Edward the Confessor

I know that one window in the north transept was designed by Edward Burne Jones and made by Morris and Co.  Not having any means of finding out for certain which of these two windows is the window I cannot tag the photo.  (I think it might be the round window).

Hen Cloud from Ramshaw Rocks

The following day, we drove the short distance to Ramshaw Rocks as we wanted to walk on them again.  We parked the car by the side of the narrow road and walked up to the first of the rocks – the one we call the ‘Top Hat’ rock.

‘Top Hat’ rock. I expect you can’t understand why we call it that!

I can see another photo-bombing bee!

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) and Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus)

A sweet and juicy bilberry!

Beautiful grasses – possibly Tufted Hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa)

Perhaps you see now why we call it the ‘Top Hat’!

This rock may look familiar to some of you.  Perhaps I should give you a clue.  Stick with the link – you will see the rock eventually.  If you haven’t the patience, the rock appears at 4.38 minutes into the clip.

This rock can be seen very clearly from the road on your left as you go north along the A53 from Leek to Buxton.

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The photos in the slideshow are all of the rocks we saw on our walk.

A view of the surrounding countryside from Ramshaw Rocks

I was surprised to see this Common Cotton-grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) still in flower in August

Lichen and moss on a rock

More Common Cotton-grass

A cocoon on Heather. I don’t know what made the cocoon.

Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)

Richard climbing up the hill

A view

and another!

Richard and the carved boulder

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Alpacas

This is some type of Bedstraw plant. Note the pink spots on the flower buds.

I found this tiny fir tree next to the path.

This colourful Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) caught my eye.

We had by this time walked back to near where we had begun our walk.  We returned to our caravan for our evening meal and a hot drink.

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

Holiday Memories and Other Musings

Tags

'Local Hero', Austrian Tirol, Cinqueterre, Hen Cloud, holidays, Lake District, Lake Garda, lambs, Limone, Long Sleddale, Northern lights, Ramshaw Rocks, Staffordshire Peaks, Tuscany

So nice to be at home for the day – no trips to the shops or doctors and no errands to run.  Spent the day recovering from a bad headache which bothered me yesterday and doing lots of ironing – lovely!  R phoned me earlier and mentioned that I might be able to see the Northern Lights this evening.  Went out well wrapped up as it is quite frosty tonight but wasn’t lucky enough to see them.  I would love to be able to see them – one of my greatest dreams I think.  I love the scene in the film ‘Local Hero’ when the young American oilman sees them while on the phone to his boss on the night of the ceilidh.  Tonight, in spite of waiting for some time and turning into a block of ice I saw nothing.  The stars were extremely bright but there was some light pollution on the northern horizon.  Heard a tawny owl in the distance and some squeaking in the hedge from some type of rodent.  How strange it feels to walk in the dark outside!  The heavens so clear above and so big and then not to be able to see the ground or one’s legs and feet at all.  Is it like swimming?  Almost a floating feeling – as though with just a little effort one might be able to rise up and up to the stars.

Rainy, wet morning today and then showers (some hail too) and then a little sunshine.

R and I have been talking about past holidays recently and thinking about where we might go this year so I’ve decided to post a few pictures of some of our holiday destinations over the last few years.

Last summer’s holiday was in Tuscany – so lovely.  Here are two photos I took on a trip to the Cinqueterre.

 

For the last few years we have gone to the Staffordshire Peaks in early summer.  It is a wonderful place for a holiday and also close to Manchester where R’s relatives live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went to the Lake District at Easter in 2010.  Lots of lovely lambs!

 

 

The same year we went to the Austrian Tirol.  We had gone to the same places in 1994 for our honeymoon.  The Lakes immediately after our wedding and with A for a week and then to Austria in August just the two of us.  A went to Disneyland Paris with her Dad for a week and stayed with my parents for the second week.

 

 

In 2011 we went to Limone on the banks of Lake Garda in Italy

 

 

Where to this year?