Peak District cottages

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A walk from Ilam

Ilam Hall

Ilam Hall

Wednesday was forecast to be a fine day with rain later in the day so we set off for Ilam stopping first at Ilam Hall for coffee with views towards Thorpe Cloud from the garden. From the Hall we took the lane that lead to Blore, using field paths as short cuts where we could. At Blore crossroads we passed the fields used for the Sheepdog Trials and walked down the lane past the church. Further along at Martin Hill we picked up a path that headed for our lunch stop, Mapleton. The first few fields were fine but then we came across a field with some cows. Nothing new there but these ones seemed quite agitated especially when they saw the dogs. The bull wasn’t bothered but some of the cows chased after Smudge, even he was surprised as he’s used to ones that obey him. Blue had to be put on a lead but eventually we all got through the fields and the cows wandered off. We walked down through the parkland surrounding Okeover Hall before crossing the River Dove and finding a spot in the Okeover Arms garden for lunch. We were last in the village a couple of years ago and it’s under new management with dogs and walkers welcome. The church is worth looking at. After lunch we set off across the fields and picked up a path along the River Dove heading back to Ilam. At Coldwall Bridge we cross the bridge and picked up the Manifold Trail passing the confluence of the Dove and Manifold. Apart from a short stretch at the beginning this six mile walk had been relatively level. Soon we were back at Ilam. It was still warm and although there was an ice cream van there I opted for stopping at Monyash to buy one but half way there the heavens opened. The forecast said rain at 4pm and it was just after 4pm! So no ice cream in the end. In the evening we decided to go to Piedaniels for one of their set meals which we all enjoyed. I could have gone to WI but missed it.

 

 

 

 

 

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Plan C – Lyme Park

Monday stayed dry but cooler at our Bakewell cottages (click here for details).  Silaging continued and was completed by the afternoon.  Had hoped to go for a ride on one of the tractors but never found the time.  A busy day with one departure and three arrivals, one has been before and one cleaner up.  Chris went to Chatsworth House in the morning for a networking session held by the tourist board.  Everything ready for guests and all here by 5pm.  Friends, who stay with us at Christmas, arrived about 4.30 for a few days.  Pity the weather was just breaking.  In the evening we went down to the Bulls Head in Ashford for a meal.  I had planned a walk for Tuesday but the day dawned dreary and a little damp.  We thought we would go to Hardwick Hall but that is closed on a Tuesday so we opted for Lyme Park (of Mr Darcy fame in the 1990’s series).  Although it is not that far away it takes about an hour to get there.  It also meant we had to leave the dogs at home.  It stayed dull all day but at least the rain held off until we were on our way back.  We had a good time walking round the house and gardens as there had been changes since we were last there.  In the gardens they were preparing the beds for summer plants so little colour there but the rhododendrons were good.   Unfortunately Chris felt it was too cold to go into the lake for his Mr Darcy moment!  In the evening we went to Felicinis in Bakewell for a meal.  Enjoy the photos.

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The National Arboretum 5/6/13

We’ve been meaning to visit the National Arboretum for a while as it can be reached in about ninety minutes from our cottages near Bakewell (click here).  Although it started dull the forecast was for it to brighten up which unfortunately it didn’t. One departure and one cleaner up.  Andrew was up to release cows into the paddock and field behind us so they can chomp that down.  He cannot decide when to silage but silaging is definitely well under way in the area.  We set off mid morning so had plenty of time to wander around the 150 acres (which includes a lake) – and it is still growing.   There are no admission charges, but donations are appreciated, and in lieu of entrance fees they charge for the car parking.  There are over 200 memorials and not all are military, like one for the Police and the RNLI, and not all military ones relate to the UK, the Polish one was interesting.  We found the WI wall where we had a chat with one of the volunteers who was doing some work nearby.  The ‘Shot at Dawn’ (306 stakes to represent those shot at dawn during WW1 for ‘cowardice or desertion’) and Far East POW tributes were quite moving and there was also a 9/11 memorial.  It will certainly be worth another visit in a few years time to see how the 50,000 trees are maturing. Here is a link to some of the photos I took.  We came back via Ashbourne which was a quicker route than taking the A6 which we had done in the morning.  After tea Joanna collected me for our monthly WI committee meeting.

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Seasonal jobs

As it was a quiet day at our cottages (click here for details) I thought I would go down to the market, especially as it was a nice day.  Left Chris to walk the dogs and the cleaner to prepare today’s cottage. Had a nice walk round the street market, although it was very busy, but also had a walk round the stalls at the agricultural market as Chris is pricing up some electric fencing.  Back home and finished off in the cottage.  Nice enough for lunch on the patio again but we could see that silaging was happening in the distance (the dark green fields become light green).  Just as we were finishing lunch Andrew brought some more cows over the road and decided to take some back who were closer to calving. These needed separating from the rest of the herd so Chris went down with Smudge and lent a hand (and paw).  After guests arrival, they have been before, we went down to the agricultural supplies in Bakewell to get more pricing on electric fencing and ended up getting what we needed.  This a saved a trip to another supplier so we went for afternoon tea instead!  We chose Edensor near Chatsworth as a new tea room opened there last year and we haven’t tried it out!  Still a nice piece of chocolate cake sitting outside with the dogs looking up to the church was a nice way to spend an hour.  When we got back Chris decided to erect the fence to keep the cows off the drive.  It didn’t take too long.  After tea I took the dogs for their evening walk and it was nice to feel the warmth of the late evening sun and listen to the swallows and in the near distance the sound of the combine as it cut the grass at Andrew’s neighbour.  The machine was still cutting at 10pm, but it was still light.  Andrew is going to wait another week as he usually silages straight after his neighbour but even we can see the grass is not as long as it usually is and an extra week of sun and warmth will help.  Tuesday was another warm day.  One departure with one arrival later in the day.  One cleaner up and later in the morning I headed to Chesterfield to do some personal and business shopping.  Back later in the afternoon, Chris had seen the cottage in but I went and said hello.  Although it was still warm the breeze made it to difficult to eat dinner outside.  Never mind, if the weather carries on this way it can’t be long before we have a picnic!  Here are some photos from Monday.

 Here come the herd
 Always a couple of stragglers
going across the road
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A pleasant weekend

Well the weather continued fine sunny and mild over the weekend at Bolehill.  Saturday was a busy day with six departures and three arrivals.  Three cleaners up and cleaning finished by lunchtime.  After a late lunch Chris cut the grass and I finished off in the cottages.  First two cottages arrived between 3and 3.30pm, one has been before, with final cottage arriving about 4pm they have also been before.  Time for some jobs in vacant cottages as well.  Sunday remained fine so we spent some time on outside jobs. Chris did some painting and jet washed the cars, although he was worried the last time he did it snowed!  I planted up some more shrubs and we had lunch on the patio.  No departures but one arrival here about 5pm.  Still light at 10.45pm.  Amazing how quickly you get used to the longer daylight hours.

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Back to business

Monday dawned bright and sunny but a breeze took the edge of the temperature at our Bolehill cottages. Two departures and three arrivals and two cleaners up.  I had hoped to get out and do some more planting but the morning went in getting cottages ready and cottage related jobs.  Chris spent some time pruning and removing some more casualties from the winter and some gutter work. After lunch Chris did his ‘lollipop patrol’ and helped bring the first of the hooligans across from the farm to spend the summer on this side of the road.  I went down as backup and took some photos.  With cows in three fields Blue is going to feel ‘cowed in’!  By the time I could have gone out to do some gardening I had to think about guests arrival.  First cottage arrived just after 3pm, they have been before, second cottage arrived about 4pm and final cottage at 5pm.  Tuesday was a wet day for most of the time with a brief dryer spell at lunchtime.  One cottage out and one cleaner up.  So no jobs outside but instead an indoor day and for me in the morning jobs around the house and sorting out various requests from guests and in the afternoon accounts.  Glad of a drying room with the number of times I took the dogs out!  Had hoped Wednesday would be an improvement on Tuesday but it wasn’t although it felt milder.  Late morning I did find time to put some more plants in the border in the car park which had lost quite a few over winter. By lunchtime the rain had set in again so back to indoor jobs.   Andrew and Joanna were out for the day so we went down with cow dog (Smudge) to round up the cows for milking.  I think the weather meant they didn’t want to hang around so they were all queuing to get in within a couple of minutes.  The rain continued on and off during the evening but they are forecasting  another fine weekend ahead.

 Here they come!
 There’s always a straggler or two.
 The final steps to summer pastures.
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A busy Saturday

Saturday started sunny and warm!  Four departures with two arrivals at Bolehill and two cleaners up.  I nipped down to Bakewell to the Farmers Market.  It was busy in Bakewell and at the market.  Back home in time for final guests departure, they have booked for next year.  Late lunch after finalising cottages. Chris cut the grass again too.  First cottage, who has been before, arrived at 3.30 with second cottage arriving at 4.30. With more well dressings from today we then drove to Ashford to see theirs which were good as usual, and also had a look at the Flower Festival in the church which was impressive.  We then drove round to Monyash and viewed their well dressings.  Going late in the afternoon meant the sun was in the wrong place for some of the photos.  Double whammy of cows with the milk cows coming out after milking for the first time to spend the night out grazing as well as the hooligans being let out for the first time.  They had a good gallop round the field for the first time but they are on the other side of the road for the moment.  On this side of the road a couple of cows breached one of the walls and were found in one of the fields set aside for silaging.  It is still to early to set a date even though in previous years silaging may well have been completed by now.  With a number of returning guests here this weekend and the nice weather it was nice to spend some time chatting with them during the afternoon.  Here are some well dressing photos.

 My favourite so far this year

 Panel from children’s well

 Real veg were used in this one

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Unseasonal weather!

23 May 2012 saw a warm sunny day with the warmest day of the month at Bolehill and a temperature of 23.4 deg C.  A year later we saw a temperature of 6.deg C with squally hail showers, wet snow and a cold wind!  In the morning I went to Buxton to do a supermarket shop and do banking etc.  On the way back I called in at the nursery to see my hanging baskets which are coming along fine.  The owner is despairing of the weather as it is too cold to bring out the bedding plants to sell and many plants are not coming along well because of the low temperatures.  Whilst there one of the heavy hail showers which left the ground white over.  Back home the afternoon went in accounts and later on we were back in Buxton as we had tickets for Made in Brum.  Jasper Carrott hosted an evening of entertainment by a number of ‘mature’ performers who originated from the Brum including Bev Bevan and Geoff Turton.  An enjoyable evening. Friday remained cool but with the promise of a much better weekend.  A windy day with leaves, which have only been on the trees a matter of weeks, blowing around.  The back lawn looked more like October on an autumnal day than May.  Two departures and three arrivals and one cleaner up.  As I didn’t need to go to Bakewell I managed to have everything ready for arrivals before lunch.  First guests arrived just before 3pm, they are from the Netherlands with second cottage arriving at 4.30.  Final cottage arrived about 5pm, they have been before. With a cold night forecast I put a fleece over some of the plants I still haven’t planted in and it sounds like I may have to do so again over the next couple of nights.  The talk is that we may have had the coldest spring for over thirty years.

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Little Moreton Hall and Bidduph Grange Gardens

Wednesday was forecast to be a pleasant day at Bolehill so I thought about going for a walk.  Chris suggested we use the day to visit somewhere before attractions got to busy during the summer so we opted for the above.  We have had good feedback from guests who have visited them and as they are National Trust we thought it was about time we went as we get a lot of National Trust members staying. As they are close together it was worth visiting both and we had a pleasant cross country drive to Little Moreton Hall which is not far from Congleton.  This is one of the best known timber framed buildings in England and there was more to see than I thought. After a tour of the house we were free to wander around the house and Knot Garden.  We had taken the dogs and although they are not allowed in the house they can go onto the picnic area in front of the house.  It was a lot cooler than I expected but hoped it would warm up by the time we drove the few miles to Biddulph Grange.  Although it did brighten up it never really warmed up.  We had lunch at the cafe before we had a walk round the gardens. The gardens were developed by James Bateman, a horticulturist and orchidologist,  and is an interesting example of a Victorian garden.  It has areas representing different parts of the world from where the many plants and seeds were collected as well as an arboretum, pinetum  and rhododendrons, many of which were not out yet.  I imagine if you picked the right week, and I bet in usual years this week would have been the right week, the gardens would have been a riot of colour.   The house is not open to the public which is a shame as it looks quite imposing.  After the gardens we visited a local garden centre before driving back cross country to Bolehill.  One cottage, who have been before, had just arrived. Spent a few hours catching up on emails and phone calls and this resulted in a couple of bookings.  Enjoy the photos.

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More shopping!

The forecast for Monday was for a warm day at Bolehill once the sun broke through the mist, except that it didn’t.  At least it was mild so some more plants went out once two cottages had departed and cleaner had been up.  One arrival later in the afternoon.  Had some time for accounts and paperwork. On Tuesday I popped down early to Bakewell to get some provisions for the next couple of days.  After coffee we went to Chesterfield calling first at Bookers.  As I haven’t been for a number of months (I had hoped to go just before Easter) I am starting to get low on some items for the cottages.  Afterwards we called in at B and Q as some cottage garden furniture needs replacing but we didn’t find anything suitable.  We also called in at Wickes for some guttering.  The day had started off dull and cool but brightened up in the afternoon, well at least it did here, a couple of times I looked across to the Edges and all I could see was dark rain clouds!  With more cows in the fields in the area we are often the first port of call when cows are out on the Sheldon road.  This has happened a couple of times already in the last few weeks. Although the farmer who owns the cows lives a few miles away it is normally Andrew who rounds them up and puts them back!