Thursday and Friday disappeared in a combination of WI bits and jobs around the home.  With our WI holding a table top sale next Monday in Bakewell Joanna and I spent some time on Thursday afternoon having a look at the donations and pricing them up.  In the morning Andrew, Ian and Joanna had been rounding up the cows for fly spraying.  At this time of year the flies can cause ‘august bag’ or summer mastitis.  On the local news there were pictures of a number of hay fires all suspected to have been started deliberately.  Further south it had been raining quite heavily but it never got this far north.  I cooked some muffins in the evening as a trial run for baking more over the weekend as we can sell home baked food as well as bric a brac on Monday.  Down to Bakewell early Friday morning to get provisions for the weekend (including a BBQ on Sunday if the weather holds).  Some children found a dead bird in the courtyard which I think was a baby curlew.  Got some more bits ready for Monday as well as preparations for Saturday at our peak district cottages.  Its going to be a busy few days!

Here are some pictures of the walk on Derwent Edge.  To see more please follow the link.  Will we get another heather walk from our peak district cottages before it goes?

Wednesday was forecast to be a fine day at our peak district cottages so we headed for Ladybower Reservoir to walk up to Derwent Edge.  We were off early to get one of the roadside parking spaces but when we parked found we were amongst a group of women walkers but luckily they headed off in a different direction.  We took the path heading up to Whinstone Lee Tor but at the first gate found two notices that meant the dogs had to stay on their leads for the duration of the walk.  One was because of the nesting birds and the other was that a shoot was on.  I had forgotten the grouse season had just began.  Nevertheless off we went and made up to a meeting of paths where we then took the path along to Derwent Edge.  I had always wanted to see the Salt Cellar, one of those iconic rock symbols of the peak district.  Along Derwent Edge there are a number of rock formations with names such as the Wheelstones (aka Coach and Horses) the Cakes of Bread and the Salt Cellar.  There weren’t as many walkers as I expected, probably busier at the weekend and hardly saw any women!  This is the highest we have walked at and being quite clear we had wonderful far reaching views back to Abney Moor where we walked last week, up the Derwent Valley, along the Vale of Edale with Win Hiil. Lose Hill and Mam Tor all lined up.  This is what you call a WOW walk!  And of course the heather!  Probably just peaked but still wonderful to behold.  Just before we stopped for lunch we met a party of beaters with their dogs.  They were all dressed in the livery of a hunting party in plus fours etc.  At lunch on Derwent Edge we were joined by hundreds of heather flies.  They are very big and just appeared each time the sun came out.  The walk we were following was about 10km which is probably too much for me so after lunch we took a short cut to pick up a lower path heading back to the car.  It is a path we have walked before but it seemed strange to be lower down, we still had the fine views but now we were below the summits.  On the way up we had stopped to watch a farmer on the other side of the hill move his sheep, even with a quad we could see his dogs as black blobs moving the sheep.  Later on in the walk a helicopter landed in his field and a couple of times during the walk it took off then returned so we were speculating as to what was going on.  The walk was about 6 miles in the end.  Once back at the car we took a drive up the Ladybower Reservoir and stopped at various points to take some photos.  We were also looking at parking places as I have another couple of walks for the area and where we can park will determine which walk we can do.  When we stopped to take some pictures by Howden Dam  a couple of planes flew over, not sure what they were but I hesitated a guess as Spitfires but probably not!  The water levels are really low in the reservoirs.  We stopped at Hassop Station on the way back for tea and cake, just getting there before they closed so we didn’t need any tea!  When we did get back Chris had to check all the cottage TV’s as it was the first day of the digital changeover.  He will have to do it all again in a few weeks time too!

Some days go as expected.  Monday did.  It was a fine day with usual Monday events and one cottage in later in the day with one cleaner up.  Tuesday did not go to plan but sometimes its for the better.  One cottage out with one back in and one cleaner up.  A bit more showery weather wise. Cottage arrived earlier than expected, they are from Holland and weren’t sure how long it would take to drive here from the ferry.  This meant I had more of the afternoon free than I expected.  Initially I had planned to pop down to Bakewell but decided I had time to go to Matlock and do a supermarket shop.  This meant I would have all day Thursday to do things rather than having to do another visit to Bakewell and a supermarket shop.  Chris came with me to Matlock, we called in to look at the new Recycling Center at Darley Dale, this will save trips to the other side of Buxton in the future.  On the way back we called in to visit the former owners of our peak district cottages. When we got back we had a little mystery as there was a box of plums waiting on the doorstep.  One of our guests told us the ‘mushroom man’ had left them for us.  This didn’t mean anything so we made a few phone calls and discovered that Andrew had met someone as he was driving out of his fields on this side of the road who had spotted the mushrooms in the fields (there are a lot of mushrooms in our fields this year) and Andrew had said he could pick some.  He must have left some plums in return for the mushrooms thinking Andrew lived here.  We gave the plums to Andrew as he likes them more than we do, and we don’t like the taste of the mushrooms in the fields anyway!

Another busy Saturday at our peak district cottages.  Seven cottages out with five back in (one here for a few more nights).  Four cleaners up but after the early start for the last couple of weeks it was a later start so a later finish but everything ready by the time the first guests arrive.  At this time of year a lot more bits get left behind and there are more breakages, although nothing large so far. Chris cut the grass with the weather staying fine and after the poorer weather of last week, the forecast is more promising. Guests arrived between 3 and 5 pm, two have been before.  Sunday was a quiet day with Chris doing some odd jobs around the house and ditto for me.  One cottage in later in the day, the first of our overseas visitors this week, two Italian couples, one of which has been before!  A chance to gossip with my sister on the phone before a quiet evening in.

Wednesday was the day of the Ashover (Agricultural) Show but the forecast was for a day of heavy rain although it was dry in the morning with threatening skies.  We couldn’t make up our mind whether to go or not but in the end set off for Chesterfield with a view that we could always go on to Ashover.  In the end we didn’t and in the end the rain didn’t start until about 2.30.  Never mind there’s always next year! (Apparently Sky TV were there filming for a new comedy series and also were in Matlock on Friday).  Thursday and Friday saw housework and odd jobs with a trip down to Bakewell on Thursday afternoon followed by a trip to the Peak Village Outlet Center.  I thought Bakewell was busy as usually Thursday afternoon is quiet.  Both Thursday and Friday were disappointing weather wise and overall it has been a disappointing week for our guests at our peak district cottages.  No consolation that the forecast is better for next week.

Here are a couple of the photos but to see the rest follow the link. Hopefully we will get a chance for another heather walk from our peak district cottages soon.

First Monday for ages with no guests so used the day to pay this months bills and keep accounts up to date.  With Tuesday forecast to be a nice day I planned a walk on the Roaches but had a chat with Sally Mosley who organises walks in the area and she suggested Abney Moor if we wanted to see some heather.  We haven’t walked up there so it was an opportunity to explore another part of the peak district.  We parked just outside the hamlet of Abney not far from Hathersage and our peak district cottages and picked up the path above Abney Clough down to Stoke Ford.  We have been at this point before when we did a walk from Eyam, at this point Abney Brook and Bretton Brook converge and become Highlow Brook.  We followed the path parallel to this until it went down to the brook.  Up and past Highlow Hall where we once stayed many years ago when it was a B&B before we had even thought of moving to the area.  Across the road to Abney and picked up the track round to Offerton Hall.  As we walked along the track there were some stunning views of the Hope Valley and we could see the heather on the hills.  At Offerton Hall we picked up the bridle path and then a minor footpath up onto Abney Moor.  Here there were extensive tracts of heather although some had been burnt off after last season.  We found a nice spot to have lunch although we had to put the dogs on their leads at one stage as they kept running after the gliders they could see in the distance.  The path back to Abney was a bit indistinct at times but we were soon back at the car.  With the Derbyshire and Lancashire Gliding Club the other side of Abney we went to have a look.  One of my WI colleagues works there but it was her day off but we stayed and watched a few take off and land.  After that we drove back to Hathersage for afternoon tea at the Riverside cafe and then onto the agricultural merchants at Brough for some weedkiller.  A quiet evening in with a surprise visit from Andrew and Joanna with a special request.  Watch this space!

Saturday started dry but clouded up mid morning to brighten up in time for guests arrivals.  All eight in today with six cottages out and three cleaners up.  Once again an early start to cleaning which led to a timely finish for both the cleaners and myself.  It brightened up enough for Chris to give the lawns a tidy up cut as it had not grown much this week.  Six of the cottages arrived between 3 and 4 pm with one arriving about 5pm and the final cottage, from Belgium, at 7pm.  Two cottages have been before and one is in for 10 nights.  Felt a little fresher in the evening and Sunday was on the whole fair with some showers in the afternoon.  A quiet day for us but found the time to do the advert for next years Visit Peak District and Derbyshire Visitor Guide.  With no guests in or out until next Saturday at our peak district cottages we may even have a few days off!

Here are some of the photos from the silaging plus some views around our peak district cottages