Sunday was forecast to be sunny and warm at Bolehill Farm.  I had the option of planting out more plants or going for a walk so I decided we would go for a walk.  First down to Bakewell to get the paper then packed the rucksacks and headed off to Sheldon.  With nature being so late this year we wondered if we had missed the show of cowslips and orchids in Deep Dale.  Well the fields between here and Sheldon were full of yellow flowers – dandelions!  As it was such a nice day the path was busy with walkers but when we got to Sheldon and picked up the path by the church (would like to have taken a photo as it is an unusual church but it was shrouded by trees) it quietened out. Where the path split we took the one across the fields rather than the one that headed to Shacklow steps.  We had some nice views across the countryside and could make out the Hunting Tower at Chatsworth.  Just before the descent to White Ladies Car park at the top edge of Shacklow Woods we stopped for lunch over looking Fin Cop on the other side of the valley.  It was a steep descent, the walk profile looked like we fell off a cliff!  On the way down (slowly) we met a couple of D of E groups making their way up.  At the junction of paths we picked up the one into Deep Dale and were delighted that the orchids and cowslips were still out.  The sign informed us that there were up to a million cowslips in the dale.  Didn’t count them though! Although there were a number of walkers around it was by no means busy bearing in mind it was a nice Bank Holiday Sunday.  We made numerous stops to take photos and before the path reached the Chelmorton road we took one of the paths back to Sheldon .  This was the less steeper of the paths but we found we had to go through a field of cows with calves.  Blue wasn’t happy and although the cows decided to follow us they kept a distance.  We then walked across the fields with a number of stiles before reaching Sheldon and walked down the road to try the new tea room but it had closed.  So we walked back up road to the village hall where they were doing cream teas.  Pity Chris forgot to take a photo!  Then the final stretch back to Bolehill including the uphill bit at Kirk Dale and then we were home.  Just in time for the arrival of the days guests.  A quiet evening in recovering from an enjoyable seven mile walk!  Enjoy the photos.