Peter and Hay Dale RFM Blue Line

Peter and Hay Dale  RFM Blue Line

03/08/24

This walk had a lot of lanes both green, stoney and tarmac. There were 2 outstanding features Hay Dale and Peter Dale as part of the Limestone Way. I did it on my own which is a shame as my brother Peter may have liked to see Peter Dale. I'll add it to one of our other walks.

The start at Peak Forest outside the chapel was about the only place in the area to park. 

Old Dam Lane quickly rose through the countryside with a wooded hill on the right and the high moors on my left. I exchanged good mornings with a dog walker.

The view back to the top of Peak Forest was very pleasantly rural. Unusual name for a village, I am sure there is a logical reason as it is obviously not a forest. I seem to remember somewhere that forest in medieval times meant land not being farmed rather than a wood. So maybe that's the origin.

                                                                                

 The view to the west over the rolling countryside was lovely and the blue skies welcome.

I passed a very secluded little terrace of houses next to the Limestone Way. They looked like railway cottages but there was no sign of a railway.

The sign post at the farm at The Cop was the kissing point between this walk and the Bradwell Moor walk. I love it when walks only connect at 1 point. Looking from the post I could see the Limestone Way disappearing over the hill. 

There were a lot of wrens on the stoney fence on my left and a curious cow a couple of fields away to my right.

I knew from last Fridays walk that the peak I could see was the high point of the Limestone Way above Castleton. Its one of the things I like about linking walks it gives geographical context and it is nice to know what is over the hill.

Beautifully rural the lane snaked through the landscape passing fields and curious cows. What do they think when they watch you so intently?

The Limestone Way then crosses over the A623 at Mount Pleasant Farm. Busy and noisy.

This stretch of the way is a tarmac lane but there was no traffic at all. I passed fields of cows with flocks of gulls and rooks and more than a few crows.

Down the stoney lane towards Hay Dale along the Pennine Bridalway past a big bull in a field.

It was a lovely walk through Hay Dale and there were many small brown birds. The usual suspects robins, black birds etc but I was sure I saw Redpolls but did'nt manage any photos. When I got to the bottom of Hay Dale just before the road I had a chat with an elederly couple who were taking photos of butterflies. They were very pleasant and we chatted for a while in the course of which they confirmed redpolls were present in the Dale and Little Owls. I didn't see the owls.

Peter Dale was very interesting. The lazy cows were all congregated near the road. Rock outcrops, dark overhangs, wooded glades a myriad of birds and insects and some very rough stoney paths made the walk through the dale memorable. 

The very steep hill up to Hargatewall was really tough and there were occasional vehicles but everyone passed on the narrow lane carefully. I passed a lady on a very handsome horse just visible in this photo and we exchanged pleasantries. 

Turning right after the village Bole Hill was a feature on the left. I imagined it being an ideal location for a hill fort and wondered if the wooded top reflected some ancient land division. 

The views on the right were basically looking back over the dales I had just passed through as I was now travelling in the opposite direction. In this photo the dales are identified by the line of trees some of which have only the tops visible.

The huge quarry at Lodes Marsh was visible in the distance. I had been walking on the tarmac for a while by now and my feet were getting hot. 

I passed the wonderful Sitch house but could not work out what the Sitch meant.

Passing the Pennine Bridalway I knew that I was a short distance from the start of Hay Dale where I had been a couple of hours ago.

Before Peak Forest I passed a roman road. The part with the tarmac was obviously still in use but the stretch through the field seems to have disappeared.

Back to Peak Forest. I am sure it is a lovely place to live but the main road and lack of shops or even a village centre make it unattractive for a visitor. However the walk was great and the lanes were in the main interesting. 

Distance	9.89	miles
Duration	3.24	hours
Avg. Speed	2.9	mph
Total Ascent	1017	ft
Steps	20918