Easter Sunday started dry at our Bolehill cottages near Bakewell (see here). No departures but one arrival with cottage already prepared. With the time having changed Chris went round the cottages (and house) and changed all the clocks. Down to Bakewell to get paper and called in at Little Cowden to see how lambing was getting on. A quiet day at home but the morning sunshine gave way to afternoon showers, some of which were heavy with hail and thunder. Cottage arrived just after 6pm. With the lighter evenings it now means I can take Smudge for a walk in the evening weather permitting. So on my first evening walk I witnessed a red sky, an omen of the weather to follow? Perhaps not as we woke to a covering of snow on Monday morning and that was after nearly an inch of rain had fallen. Further south storm Katie wreaked havoc but the morning here was dull with some showers. Two departures but no arrivals with one cleaner here. The afternoon brightened up but it remained cool with a number of passing showers. I spent the afternoon catching up on accounts as it is the end of the financial quarter. Tuesday was much brighter but still cool. A busy day with four departures and three arrivals and two cleaners here. With early departures cleaning got off to a prompt start and all cleaning and checks were finished by lunchtime. Handyman also here and he and Chris did some jobs in the vacated cottages. Two arrivals here by 3.30, one has been before, with final one here by 9.30. Spent some time in the afternoon on paperwork. Discovered a photo I had uploaded to BBC Weather Watchers had been shown on the local weather and I had missed it!
dog friendly peak district
Easter weekend begins
Thursday 24th March was a fair day at our Bolehill Cottages near Bakewell (see here) with rain arriving later in the afternoon. One departure with two arrivals and one cleaner here. I did some preparations for Friday’s arrivals. First cottage arrived just after 3.30 with second cottage about 5pm, they have been before. Friday was a busy day with two departures and four arrivals and one cleaner here. Some cottages already prepared but there was still plenty to do and I even found time to dig in some of the plants I had bought earlier in the week. Friday was a lovely spring like day, great for the guests that were already here and some of the arrivals made the most of the day before arriving. First cottage here just after 3pm and as soon as they had sorted themselves out they walked down to Over Haddon. Second arrival was here about 3.45 with third cottage here at 5pm and final cottage at 6pm, all have been before. After final arrival we popped down to Over Haddon to the Garden Tea Room that had officially opened for the first time this season. As it had been such a lovely day they had run out of cakes in the afternoon (they still had brownies) so it was a very good first day for them. Unfortunately the forecast for the rest of the weekend was not so good. Saturday was a mild, dull and breezy day with some heavy showers in the afternoon. One departure and one arrival with one cleaner here. Down to Bakewell first thing to the Farmers Market and the rest of the day went on various jobs. Cottage arrived about 3.30, they have been before and even booked their next holiday before settling in! Some lovely colours in the sky later in the evening after one of the showers.
A walk at the reservoirs
Wednesday was forecast to be a fine and dry day at our Bolehill cottages near Bakewell (see here) so we thought it would be a good idea to get a bit of fresh air and stretch our legs! Two arrivals so first thing did final checks before heading off to Derwent Reservoir. We had heard that the water was coming over the dams bearing in mind that we had been there just a few weeks ago and the reservoirs were half empty. We managed to find a free parking space before the Fairholmes car park. It was not busy and we had chosen one of our regular walks heading out along the reservoir towards Howden dam then up over Abbey Bank before a gradual descent back down to the reservoir. Much colder than recent days but it was nice to experience a sunny dry day! As we walked along the reservoir’s edge we bumped into one of our guests, I had recommended looking at the reservoirs to a number of our guests. We also came across the site where they are building a hydro power scheme. Up on the moors the ground was quite boggy in places but once we were up there we didn’t come across anyone else. Back down as the sun was setting, hard to believe the days are now getting longer, and back home late afternoon. First cottage already here and second one arrived at 6pm, both have been before. Out in the evening with one of our guests at the Cock and Pullet in Sheldon where we had a nice meal. Christmas Eve got off to a wet and windy start. A catch up morning after which we delivered the last of the Christmas cards to friends in the area, stopping for cups of tea in places. Back late afternoon and a quiet evening in having done our preparations for Christmas Day. Enjoy the photos.
More mild and windy days
Thursday was a quiet day at our Bolehill Cottages near Bakewell (see here) so we both caught up on jobs and I also did some preparations for Friday. Another mild day. One cleaner here to keep up with cleaning. In the evening we headed to Chatsworth Farm Shop and then onto Chatsworth House itself to look at the Christmas decorations. This year the theme is Toad of Toad Hall and they have introduced timed tickets as well as some late evening openings. We took advantage of a late opening to have a look around the house at a quieter time. I thought the theme and decorations were good and like last Christmas the house will be open until 4 January so guests here for Christmas and New Year will also have the chance to visit. Friday was milder than originally forecast but cooler than the last couple of days. Two departures and four arrivals and two cleaners here. Chris was kept busy with jobs inside and outside of cottages. The cows were moved off our land onto Andrews fields this side of the road and in the next couple of days they will go back across the road for over wintering in the barns. Two cottages here just after 3pm with one more at 5pm and final one at 6pm. Three have been before. The wind picked up again in the evening and a yellow warning of wind was in place until Sunday morning. Saturday was another quiet day again with jobs around the house and cottages. A very windy day and for the first Saturday for a long time we had no cleaners here. One departure and they are back in March. After tea we picked up Joanna and Andrew and went to the Village Hall for a quiz night. This was well attended and a nice sociable evening and although we did well we didn’t win. Sunday was a lot calmer and a bit fresher than Saturday. Two departures. A quiet Sunday for us and my thoughts turned to Christmas preparations and my forthcoming visit to my sister! Enjoy the photos from Chatsworth.
Chatsworth Christmas Market
We had to change plans for Thursday 19th November at our Bolehill cottages near Bakewell (see here) as the weather forecast had changed between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Originally we had planned to go to Carlton Lees car park after lunch as showers were forecast for the morning and then walk to Chatsworth to visit the Christmas market. By Thursday morning the forecast had switched with showers in the afternoon so we set of mid morning for Chatsworth only to find us joining a queue for 
Chatsworth by the time we reached Edensor. So we turned into Edensor and had coffee and cake. That was a good idea as when we left the tea room we found a parking space in the village. We then walked over to the market from there with Smudge. The market was busy but not too crowded and we made our way around the 150 stalls. I made a few purchases, some being 
Christmas presents. Although cloudy it was still dry at lunchtime and we had some lunch in the stables courtyard. We bumped into one of our guests and also the previous owners of Bolehill. There were a number of small herds of deer on the way back to the car and they did not seem to mind us or Smudge passing relatively close to them. We got back to the car just as it started to rain. Good timing. Back home via the Farm shop of course. Friday started 
dry but as the day progressed there were a few showers, luckily none were wintry but they were expected. No departures but three arrivals and one cleaner here. Down to Bakewell first thing to get provisions for the weekend. All cottages cleaned and checked by 3pm. Two arrival just after 3pm, both have been before. Third arrival at 4.30. Down to Bakewell to Hattersleys the wine 
merchants for their winter wine tasting then fish and chips to round off the evening!
Summer’s last hold
After a pleasant weekend Monday was a mild and sunny day at our Bolehill cottages near Bakewell (see here) after the early morning mist had cleared. No departures but one arrival and one cleaner here. Down to Bakewell first thing to visit the market and get provisions for the next few days. Cottage arrived just after 3pm, they have been before and the rest of the afternoon went in accounts. Another spectacular sunset but it is getting darker much earlier. Tuesday was another fine day with a misty start but once again the sun soon burned off the mist and it turned into a warm sunny day. Tuesday handyman here and he and Chris did some outside jobs. I also spent time in the garden in the morning having spent the morning on accounts. The pattern of a misty start and a fine day held true for Wednesday. No departures or arrivals so the morning went on jobs around the house and in the afternoon we went to Haddon Hall. We haven’t been there for a couple of years and we haven’t been at this time of year. They have opened up some more of the terraces so it was nice to be able to enjoy them on the last day of September. Yet another lovely sunset, looks like the weather will change after the weekend though. Enjoy the photos.
September’s weather stats: Highest temp 18.2 C on 10th and lowest temp 6.1 C on 27th. Warmest day and night 11th. Coldest day 8th and night 24th. Wettest day 12th with .39 in rain with 1.02 in for month (Sept 14 saw 0,34 in rain)
Carl Wark and Higger Tor
Thursday was forecast to be a fine day at our Bolehill cottages near Bakewell (see here) so it was disappointing when we had some early showers. I had planned a walk in Monks Dale near Millers Dale but with the showers we worried it might be too slippery under foot as it is rocky in places. It is one of a number of ‘dog friendly’ walks which have no or few stiles and are shorter in length. Plan B was a four mile walk near Hathersage around Carl Wark and Higger Tor. We parked at Surprise View car park where it was still cloudy but brightness was in the distance. The heather was not quite out, not that we were expecting it to be, so we have made a note to come back in a couple of weeks time when it should be at its best. We set off from the car park to the first viewing point then followed a fence that ran parallel to Millstone Edge. The path was easy going and as we had not arrived until nearly 1pm it wasn’t long before we stopped for lunch with wonderful views along the Hope Valley. We could make out Win Hill, Lose Hill, Mam Tor, Winnats Pass and the Hope Cement Works! The path continued to the bottom of Higger Tor which we skirted and picked up another path towards Carl Wark, an old fortified hill. A number of years ago we did a longer walk here and that time we climbed both hills. We also skirted Carl Wark and headed down to Burbage Brook. During the walk we had been able to make out Stanage and Burbage Edges. At the brook we picked up a minor path along the brook rather than the Sheffield Boundary path. There were highland cattle grazing on the opposite bank. By now the sun was coming out and it felt a lot warmer. When the path emerged at the main road we crossed it onto the Longshaw Estate then carried following the brook down to Lawrence Field. It was busy here with families enjoying the sunshine. We then picked up a sunken path that took us back to the main road and the car park. Home via Monsal Head as we wanted to avoid Bakewell and the show traffic. At least it was a nice evening. Enjoy the photos.
A fine weekend
Friday was another fine day at our Bolehill cottages near Bakewell (see here). A breeze lowered the temperature but it remained dry. Off first thing to Bakewell to get my hair cut and get provisions for the weekend. Two departures and no arrivals and one cleaner here to keep up with cleaning. Chris spent a lot of the day on gardening duties including grass cutting, strimming and weed killing. Some cows were moved back into the front field. I spent most of the afternoon preparing the empty cottages for Saturdays arrivals. Little Cowden Farm have managed to cut the
hay and Andrew was hoping to start a second silage this weekend but everyone is too busy. They started the second silage at Lynne’s. Saturday started fair but turned cooler with showers in the afternoon. Two departures and six arrivals with one cottage still here for another two weeks . One cleaner here and with a lot of the work already done the remaining cleaning and checks were completed by lunchtime. This gave me the afternoon to catch up on emails. First cottage not here until 3.45, then four more arrived at regular intervals until 5pm, two have been before and one 
was last here before we arrived. Final cottage here at 7pm, an Italian couple who are here for two weeks and for the fourth time! At least it brightened up again in the evening. Sunday was forecast to be sunny and warm and although it started cloudy it did brighten up but the sun really didn’t materialise until later in the day and the breeze kept the edge of the temperature again. Nevertheless after getting the paper we went to Chatsworth Farm Shop to get some picnic items. A quiet day but I got my picnic later in the day over at Kirkdale even if the sun did play hide and seek!
Leek and Hayfield
Wednesday started off a bit dreary at our Bolehill cottages near Bakewell see here. No departures or arrivals. I had planned to go to Leek with one of the cleaners but she couldn’t make it so Chris and I went instead. We haven’t been to Leek for a while and drove there via Longnor where we stopped for coffee. Wednesday is market day in Leek so it was quite busy and after a wander around the shops we had lunch before heading back home for mid afternoon. Chris had arranged to provide some computer advice at the village hall and as he had to go back later we stopped at the pub for a quick drink. Thursday was mainly cloudy but stayed dry. One departure and a number of 
bookings first thing but finally we set off to Hayfield which I had planned to visit for some time. Hayfield is about thirty minutes away if traffic is OK and is an interesting village. It is where the Kinder Trespass started from and it was the birthplace of Arthur Lowe (Dad’s army). More recently it was used in filming for the BBC series The Village. From the Sett Valley Trail car park on the edge of the village we crossed the A624 and walked through the village picking up the bridleway that led to Middle Moor. There were some nice views back to Hayfield and the surrounding 
countryside and over to Kinder Scout. Close to a shooting hut we picked up a footpath along White Brow on the upper reaches of the Kinder Reservoir where we found our first heather of the season. Here we stopped for lunch before reaching William Clough. It was along the Clough that the Kinder Trespass took place in 1932. We then walked back along a lower pathway beside the reservoirs before we reached the River Kinder. Here we could have followed the river back to Hayfield but we took a higher path threading our way through a number of farms before arriving back in Hayfield. It was too late for tea and cake as the cafes were closing so on the way home we stopped at Hassop Station and had an early tea instead! Enjoy the photos.
Bakewell market
Sunday started wet but by mid morning it was drier at our Bolehill cottages near Bakewell (see here) and we saw plenty of sun during the day. One arrival due later in the day but cottage already cleaned. After getting the paper we had a relaxing morning but later drove to Over Haddon to see one of Chris’s photography friends who had a new camera and needed a model so I obliged! Waiting to see the end results! A quiet afternoon and guests arrived about 4.30. Monday started grey but soon brightened up. One early departure and with no arrivals or cleaners we both 
went down to Bakewell market for a little stroll and coffee. Cannot remember the last time we went together! By the time we got home it had clouded up again and we had some rain and drizzle into the afternoon. I spent some time cleaning and tidying up in the office. In the evening I should have gone to the Over Haddon Committee meeting but it was rearranged at the last moment for the following Monday. Initially the forecast for Tuesday was fine but the forecast deteriorated as did the weather on 
Tuesday. Handyman here and one cleaner here to turn a cottage round for arriving guests. I spent time on housework and accounts. Guests arrived 4.30. In the evening I collected Joanna and we went to Bakewell for this months WI meeting. Our speaker talked about understanding abstract art and I learnt quite a bit and will view it differently now. Always learning something new at the WI! Hope you have watched the programme about the WI ‘Cake Bakers and Troublemakers’. Here are some photos taken on my evening walks with the dogs.