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A Suffolk Lane

~ A diary of my life in rural north Suffolk.

A Suffolk Lane

Tag Archives: Tittesworth Water

Rain Almost Stops Play

01 Tue Nov 2016

Posted by Clare Pooley in Days out, holidays, Rural Diary, walking

≈ 44 Comments

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.

p1010201view

Looking towards Tittesworth Water from where we parked the car.

p1010202ramshaw-rocks

Looking over the wall towards The Roaches

p1010203hen-cloud

Hen Cloud

p1010204hen-cloud

Hen Cloud again

p1010205hen-cloud

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

p1010206hen-cloud

Looking towards Ramshaw Rocks from even further up Hen Cloud

p1010207hen-cloud

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

p1010208hen-cloud

Definitely more rain on the way!

p1010209hen-cloud

Threatening clouds

p1010210hen-cloud

It still didn’t look too bad in this direction

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

p1010211hen-cloud

One last look at the reservoir…

p1010212hen-cloud

…and at the views from the top

p1010213hen-cloud

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!

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Peak District Holiday 1st to 9th July. Days 7 to 9.

09 Mon Feb 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in domestic animals, plants, Rural Diary, trees, Uncategorized, walking

≈ 26 Comments

Tags

Peak District, The Roaches, Tittesworth Water, walking

As we were nearing the end of our holiday and the weather looked as though it would stay fine, Richard and I decided it would be a good idea to do another walk while we had the chance.  We had made a list of the walks we wanted to do before we came on holiday and we had already walked in Back Forest and up Hen Cloud.  Our third choice was a walk we had never tried before – along the top of the Roaches.  Our book of local walks suggested a circular walk starting at Tittesworth Water, walking across farmland up to where we usually park our car for our Hen Cloud walk and then up from there to the Roaches.   After descending from the rocks at the far end we would be able to follow paths and lanes back to where we left our car at the reservoir.  Richard made us some sandwiches, I washed up and packed our rucksacks and we set out about 11 o’clock.

001Tittesworth reservoir (640x480)

Tittesworth Reservoir

Tittesworth reservoir is a very short drive from our camp.  We had been there before but only for a short visit about seven years ago.  It has a visitor centre and people are welcome to walk all round the water and watch the many different types of wildfowl that live there.  Boating is also a popular activity on the water.

We walked from the car-park to Meerbrook, a village next to the water.

009Mossy wall (640x480)

I liked this mossy wall which surrounded someone’s garden.

I didn’t take many photos during the first half of the walk as it became quite hard-going shortly after we left the village.  The paths were very overgrown or we sunk into deep mud.  The local farmer hadn’t kept the ways clear and so it was difficult to follow the directions set out in our guide.

010Honesty (640x480)

Honesty (Lunaria annua)  A garden escapee that has naturalised all over the country.

012Thistle (480x640)

Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

013Self Heal (640x480)

Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)

014Red Clover (640x480)

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

We found a man tying up a gate with binder twine and asked if we could use the gate to get to the path we needed.  He said we could use the gate and then commented on the humidity of the day – nothing else.  We walked on and found the way blocked by an electric fence which we had to crawl under – not easy for those like us who are past the first flush of youth.  Getting up again is much more difficult than getting down on the ground.  Why hadn’t the farmer/farm worker said anything about this to us?  It amused him, no doubt.  We had to pass through a farm yard next.

015Conveyor (640x480)

This old conveyor-belt caught my eye…..

016Barn (640x480)

and I liked the barn.

We then lost the path at the corner of a field and had to scrabble about for a while til we found what we hoped was the right way.  We were discussing what our options were when, to our great surprise a man’s head popped over the wall above us and asked if he could help.  It is a very strange thing to think that you are in the middle of nowhere and then find that a man is hanging out his washing in his garden right next to you!  He was very helpful and we were on our way again.  By this time we were very hot and tired as the way had been difficult and uphill all the way.  Richard was getting annoyed and I had a great urge to laugh!

We had just entered the bottom of a steep field when we saw a muck spreader arrive and start its smelly work on the opposite side of the same field.  It was a race against time for us to get to the top of the field before the tractor had worked its way over to our side.  We knew that the driver would not have stopped his work just for us.  Fortunately we just managed it in time but we were so tired!  The main reason for this walk was to climb the Roaches and we hadn’t reached them yet.  We had thought the walk across the fields would have been a pleasant preliminary but we had sadly been mistaken!

We were now at the base of Hen Cloud and decided that we would stop for a short while and have our lunch after which we turned and walked towards the Roaches.  They, with Hen Cloud and Ramshaw Rocks, form a gritstone escarpment which marks the south-western edge of the Peaks.  The Roaches consist of two edges – a Lower and an Upper Tier.

018Crested Dog's-tail (640x480)

Crested Dog’s-tail (Cynosurus cristatus)

020Climbers (640x480)

The Roaches are very popular with climbers.

021Lodge in hillside (640x480)

This is Rock Cottage which is built into the rocks of the Lower Tier. It was formerly a gamekeeper’s cottage but is now a climbing hut.

022R at top of steps (480x640)

A set of rock steps connect the Lower and Upper Tier. Richard is at the top.

023Looking down through trees (480x640)
024View through trees (640x480)
025View up through trees (480x640)

The views through the trees from the top of the steps looking down and then upwards were very fine.

026Climber (640x480)

There were climbers everywhere.

These edges provide some of the best gritstone climbing in the country with famous classic routes such as ‘Valkyrie’, ‘The Sloth’ and ‘The Swan’.

027Strange rocks (480x640)

These strange rocks have been weathered by the elements.

029Pine tree (640x480)

The pine tree is growing out from a crack in the rocks.

031View (640x480)
032Rock (640x480)
033Rocks (640x480)
034View (640x480)

There was something of interest to look at whichever way we turned.  Please click on the images to enlarge them.

035Sheep (640x480)

Sheep are never far away in the Peaks.

036Cotton grass (480x640)

I was surprised to see what I believe is Common Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium) flowering this late in the season.  It could be Hare’s-tail Cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum).  Either way, their flowering time is usually April to May.

Tittesworth water away below us
Tittesworth water away below us
A view of another escarpment in the distance
A view of another escarpment in the distance

 

041Doxey Pool (640x480)
040Doxey Pool (640x480)

Doxey Pool is on the top of the Roaches.  According to legend it is inhabited by a water spirit or mermaid known by some as Jenny Greenteeth.  The pool is said to be bottomless and connected by an underground passage to another Mere or lake which also contains a water spirit.  Doxey Pool is situated many hundreds of feet above any known spring.  We didn’t see anything ‘unexplained’ while we were there!

View from the path
View from the path
Richard is far ahead as usual
Richard is far ahead as usual
052Rock (640x480)
053Rock (640x480)
055Rock (640x480)

A selection of rocks.

056Heather (640x480)

Heather (Calluna vulgaris)

057R at trig point (480x640)

Richard standing at the trig point

058Trig number (640x480)

The bench mark. Triangulation stations have now largely been superseded by digital mapping and aerial photography but many are kept because of their usefulness to hill walkers and because many people are so fond of them.

061View and rocks (640x480)
062Rocks (640x480)
063Rocks (640x480)

Yet more rocks!

064Sheep (640x480)

Hello! says the sheep.

065Cattle grid (640x480)

This is a cattle-grid (for those of you who don’t know). They enable traffic to use roads through farmland but stop the cattle from escaping from their pasture.

We left the Roaches and started to descend down through moorland and meadows.

067Lamb (640x480)

We met a very friendly lamb.

068Rosebay Willowherb (480x640)

Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium)

069Water trough (480x640)

These drinking troughs that use spring water or little rivulets remind me of the picture of the spring bubbling out of the hillside in ‘Mrs Tiggywinkle’ by Beatrix Potter

 

070Grass (640x480)
071Grass (640x480)
072Grass (640x480)

I am not sure what this grass is and any suggestions would be much appreciated.  It may be False Oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius)  I apologise for the poor photos.

073Vetch (640x480)

Some pretty vetch flowers. Probably Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium) 

074Calves (640x480)

We walked past a field full of bullock calves. I can’t resist them!

075Calves (640x480)

They are so curious and playful ….

076Calf (640x480)

and have such lovely faces!

 

079White flowers (640x480)
078White flowers leaves (640x480)

I don’t know what this plant is either.  I tried to take photos of its flowers – pink-tinged white umbellifers – but none of them came out.  The stems are purple and hairy and the leaves are quite distinctive.  I thought at first it might be Cow Bane but that and Hemlock are hairless.

080Holly hedge (640x480)

A Holly hedge (Ilex aquifolium)

082Meadowsweet (480x640)

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)

We soon found our way back to the reservoir and then returned to our caravan.  The following day was our last day and we had hoped to spend it sitting, reading and relaxing.  Fate and farmers decided otherwise.  The muck-spreading fever had taken hold and the field next to us was being fertilized.  We couldn’t stay where we were so we returned to Tittesworth Water and walked around there and had some lunch.  We amused ourselves for a while by watching some boys being taught how to row.  There were about six boys to a boat and the group that we enjoyed watching most consisted of a couple of lads who did all the work and the rest just made a lot of noise.  The two who actually did the rowing were on the same side of the boat so they went round in circles.  In the end they had to be towed ashore.

The next day we got ready to leave but before returning home we drove to the station to collect Elinor who had been staying with Alice.  They both seemed to have had a good time together but both were very tired and needed sleep.  Our journey home was fortunately uneventful.

 

 

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Peak District Holiday 1st to 9th July. Day 6.

09 Fri Jan 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in Rural Diary, Uncategorized, walking

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Hen Cloud, rocks, The Roaches, Tittesworth Water, walking

048View (640x427)

Tittesworth Reservoir  

After a very pleasant afternoon spent in Manchester with my mother-in-law, Richard and I returned to our caravan near Leek via the ‘Cat and Fiddle’ pass.  This is a road that crosses the Peaks from Macclesfield to Buxton with the Cat and Fiddle pub at the summit at an altitude of 1690 feet.  This has often been voted Britain’s most dangerous road as it has drystone walls along it and has many sharp and sometimes blind bends.  It is a favourite road with motorcyclists.  Richard drove carefully and we enjoyed glorious views across the Cheshire plains and over the moors.  No photographs I’m afraid.

We had a quick meal and after a short rain shower passed over us we decided to go out for an evening walk.  Our favourite short walk is up Hen Cloud and this is what we decided to do that evening.

002View from road HC (640x480)

The shower disappearing over the hill

The hill is a short drive from our camp-site – we can get there in less than ten minutes.

004HenCloud (640x480)

This is Hen Cloud seen from where we parked our car.

006Ascent (640x480)

The most strenuous part of the walk is the steep ascent up the side of a field from the road which always leaves us a little breathless.

007The Roaches (640x480)

At the top of the field is a gate on the right leading to the path up Hen Cloud.  If we look left we see The Roaches.  The word ‘Roaches’ derives from the French word roches – rocks.

013View (640x480)

This is what The Roaches look like when we have ascended Hen Cloud a little.

014Tittesworth Res (480x640)

A view of Tittesworth Reservoir (or Tittesworth Water as it is now called) from near the top of Hen Cloud

016Path (640x480)

As you can see the path is fairly easy and goes through heather and cotton grass.

020Tittesworth Res (640x480)

Tittesworth Water from the top of Hen Cloud. Why do some people feel it necessary to cut their names and messages into rocks and trees?

021Drop to road (640x480)

Looking through a gap in the rock we see the steep drop to the road below.

033Roaches (640x427)

Another view of the Roaches. It has only taken us half an hour to get up here and we are old and infirm – well – nearly!

035View (640x427)

A different view from the top of Hen Cloud

037View (640x427)

And another!

045View (640x427)

Tittesworth Water again

046View (640x427)

These rocks are on the edge of the escarpment

047View camp (640x427)

On the other side of the line of trees below us was a camp full of teenage girls. You wouldn’t believe the noise of incessant chatter that floated up to us on the still evening air! Or perhaps you would, if you have anything to do with teenage girls!

052Rocks (640x427)

A close-up of one of the rocks. This, I believe, is Gritstone which erodes easily. It is a coarse type of Sandstone.

055Plants (640x427)

Grasses and flowers living in the cracks in the rocks.  A few lichens there too.

056Rocks (640x427)

Strange rock shapes

057Rocks (640x427)

And more strange rocks.

We are always a little sad to leave the top of Hen Cloud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I talk about what it's like living in a quiet part of Suffolk. I am a wife, mother and daughter, a practising Christian and love the natural world that surrounds me. I enjoy my life - most of the time!

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