Sunday, 02 June 2013
Adrian writes: On a sunny but cool morning, eight club members in three cars, Mick C, John S, Steve, Cheryl, Jacob, Neil, Joseph and myself met at Tissington old station, north of Ashbourne in Derbyshire at 9.30 am for our all-day ride in the Peak District.
Mick was the leader for today and led us north, up the Tissington Trail as far as Hartington Old Station, for a change we left the trail and headed west down the B5054 towards Hartington village but half way down we turned north through Long Dale, a lovely valley road, at the end of which we turned east to cross the Tissington Trail and the A515 for our coffee stop at The Old Forge in Monyash by the village green which was very busy, some found room to sit inside and some sat outside in the lovely sunshine. After coffee Mick took us along some lovely lanes with great views and through some pretty villages:- Over Haddon, Youlgrave, Alport, Elton,Winster, to Grangemill where we turned onto the A5012 for about 2 miles, down hill, through the Griffe Grange Valley before turning right on the B5023 up a long hill to the village of Middleton and Middleton Top and then under the bridge of the High Peak Trail, (another old railway track that we have used on previous trips but were not going to use today) to our lunch stop at Wirksworth. Some of the group had brought sandwiches and ate them near the town square while the others went to a pub for a meal.
After lunch we headed south out of Wirksworth up a very steep hill to Topshill, Kirk Ireton (where a fate was being held), Moorside and then round the south side of Carsington Water to the visitors centre on the west shore for an afternoon coffee stop. We left the Visitors Centre at about 5.00pm for last few miles back to Tissington via crossing the B5035 to Bradbourne and then left and right on the B5056 over a bridge beside the deepish ford and up the last hill to arrive back at Tissington Station after everybody said was a very enjoyable day.
Thanks to Mick for a very good ride and all the group for coming.
Adrian Lee