Mable meets her Waterloo at Biggin via Hartington
Time taken 2 ¼ hours
This was a walk inspired by a Peak District Online client, or at least his premises, as having seen his Christmas advert I decided to take myself (and Mable) off to the dark side to find out where his hotel was and was not disappointed. Having nosed around for Biggin Hall I decided that we would make a walk of it and proceeded to have a lovely afternoon tromping in winter sunshine, with her who rarely really obeys! It was very cold and icy but mainly dry – perfect for a bracing walk so off we trotted.
The walk started near the Waterloo Inn in Biggin, turning left up to the church and then off to the right, by Drury Lane. We followed the lane until we reached a tight stile in the wall to the left. Walking across the field beyond, we travelled through a gate and walked down into Biggin Dale using the left hand fork in the path by some trees.
Continuing downhill in the dale we met up with the river and turned right into the valley to follow the river along. There is some lovely Peak District scenery here with rock faces to the valley and all was quiet on the day that we made the journey (remarkable for a weekend, as I know this is a popular walk) except for tinny winter bird song. We ignored the bridge and continued into the meadow ahead, with the River Dove on our left, until we reached another, wooden, foot bridge, which we crossed, into Beresford Dale.
The path was narrow, so the fact that Mable had picked up another one of her tree trunk sized sticks – I can never understand why, on a strenuous walk you should want to laden yourself down with excess baggage, but remembered that I did not take on a white boxer for her brains! She may as well have been in full army full pack though was very proud of herself and her find – It never seems to worry her or slow her down and no walk is ever complete, I don’t think, in her mind unless she has found the mightiest tree trunk she can.
With the river, initially to be seen on our right we ambled down the lovely narrow dale and continued until we reached Pikes Pool, a very pretty spot, with its overhanging rocks and absorbed more Peak District wonders. With the chill biting at my face we quickly moved on across another bridge and up to trees and small wooded section before coming back into fields. Keeping below the hill we followed it around until, we reached two gateways, taking the right hand side one to lead uphill on the path.
On reaching a walled track we turned right and after some farm buildings turned right again onto another narrow lane, then almost straight left and then right a little further ahead. We continued through the fields until we reach a walled section and crossed over it, keeping it to our left until we came to a stile after which we followed alongside a small rock out crop to our right until a stile which left the outcrop to the left as we marched uphill. Luckily Mable had abandoned her stick/trunk at this stage as stiles were tight, especially with my winter layers on.
We passed though a final stile after a further field and continued along a narrow lane until we returned to Biggin and eventually the Waterloo Inn where I partook of a hot coffee and soup, to take the chill off, before returning home for a well deserved cuddle up on the sofa in front of a warming fire