bleak and beautiful

Good old Sheffield, yet another festival underway in this wonderful city this week. Sheffield Walking Festival and I took full advantage on Tuesday - any excuse to venture up onto the Kinder plateau again.  Last week it was our hike to Ringing Roger, but this week the walk was in the other direction, following part of the Pennine way

We start off low level and gentle on this, the hottest day of the year and the hottest September day since records began.

 but soon reach the steep bits and an enticing peek at the edge up there

 It was a hard slog in that heat though

 but worth it looking back at the ascent so far

 the glorious blue skies and the Pym Chair outcrop up ahead on Kinder

 Needed frequent water replenishing

and from here I'm just going to let the plateau and its incredible jumble of rock formations and rich dark peat unfold before your eyes . ..

Pym Chair

 The magnificent Woolpacks

 Finally at our highest point on Crowden Tower where we stop for lunch at last

 Then it's onward towards Grindslow Knoll and our descent

Five happy hours and 8 glorious miles.  Met some lovely people and I am now totally besotted with Kinder.  Bleak, wild, unpredictable and right up on top of the world.  Just perfect.

And getting back down to the ground (and while we are on the subject of festivals) Sheffield are about to launch into this year's Festival of the Mind this weekend - 15 - 25 September in the city centre - get along to some of the talks and events - guaranteed to get you thinking!

to the hills

It was thanks to those brave folk who 'trespassed' on Kinder back in 1932 that we all have access to wander these wonderful moors.  And Kinder has always held a mystical magic for me, even though, ridiculously, I've never been up there before in all my years living in Sheffield.  Until yesterday . . . .

This was the song Ewan McColl famously wrote after the Mass Trespass:

And we urban ramblers start by leaving Edale and crossing Grindsbrook - you'll spot my hiking buddy as he grapples with the steep rocky inclines and finally attains the 600m peak of Ringing Roger

such a great time for the purple heather

and loved the gentle folds in the mountainside leading up to Grindslow Knoll

we spy Ringing Roger and the clouds lift.  It's been swelteringly hot but muggy skies.

and we make it - glorious views all round

and round towards Lose Hill and Win Hill

Enjoyed a picnic at the top then a quick descent for a welcome cuppa in Edale

And before I go, here's the other Ewan MacColl that sprang to mind up there in the hills - It's a bit sad and reflective, but I just love the 'Joy of Living'  - give it a listen:

Soon it will time for our local carol singing here in the North of Sheffield and I look forward to our Eric at the Black Bull singing the Joy of Living so beautifully most Thursday nights.

And here's a great guide to walking the hills of the Peak District 1,000feet - The Highest Hills in the Peak District

eastern delights

Given that I am a West Coast girl at heart - sunsets and warm Gulf Streams - venturing East isn't usually on the cards.  So the last couple of days brought some unexpected and lovely surprises on our family jaunt out east.

WeDnEsDaY

Lovely sunny day on our first visit to Peterborough and a great walk through the parks to the lovely Selina's Cafe for the bestest banana bread ever

with the loveliest family

ThUrSdAy

Yet another first - a wonderful day in (also sunny) Lincoln - starting with the cathedral

and so exciting -  turns out George Boole, arguably the father of computing as we know it, was born in Lincoln

 Yummy lunch in the cloisters

 and the usual great crumbling tomb - headless this time!

 Then the most beautiful dancing reflections from the stained glass windows up high

 and outside into the sun and the lovely old houses

 and town

with my trusty companions

always managing to sniff out a good coffee house when we see one and take a look how lovely this one is inside - Makushi.  Next time we're going to try out their brunch!

 Some Hug(h)e(s) scandal uncovered here eh ? . . .

 and I did rather love that doggie in the window

and the old-school Gents!

so a lovely happy family excursion - and here's to the next one!!

The quest

Such fun today - finally finding the incredible Motte and Bailey castle that is Bailey Hill, in the lovely sunny Bradfield.  Probably one of the best surviving examples in Yorkshire, according to our walk leaflet.

So off we set on this walk from Low to High Bradfield with a bit of a diversion to find Bailey Hill.  Mike enjoying a bit of shade from the sun.

Very quickly we were in the lovely graveyard of St Nicholas Church which I've featured many a time before, such as in this October 2011 blog post.  This sweeping view always takes my breath away.

 and this time sheep were safely grazing (and sleeping!)

which of course brought to mind a bit of Bach

and while you listen, take a look at the grave of poor Joseph Beaver!  Did the engraver die too?  Wasn't there enough money to complete the wording?  But I suppose it says it all . . .

Anyway, onward we go - above the church and off the walk route and, after a pretty walk through woodland undergrowth, we rounded the corner to find this massive motte and bailey castle - so perfectly formed with it's moat all the way round.

 maybe just look at Mike in relation to the 'castle' to get a feel for the size of Bailley Hill

And naturally this was a bit of a homecoming for Mike Bailey meeting his namesake hill - ha ha!

To read more about this amazing ancient monument see this article on the Historic England website:  Bailey Hill motte and bailey castle, High Bradfield.

Anyway, we move down the hill towards Lower Bradfield with a final view back of the Church

Over a series of impressive steep and ancient stone stiles

 with views right over to those wonderful purple heather-clad moors

and bringing us down to earth - literally - a cuppa at the cute little Cafe in the tiny Post Office.  Sat outside on the sunny bench watching the Council busily and noisily re-tarmac the roads!  (And spot the Tour de Yorkshire remnant from that wonderful day in 2014 - read about it here from a Grenoside perspective.
Lovely blogpost here on Cafes to Contemplate about the Flask End Cafe you might like to read.

So that was it - lovely sunny day, great amble and real wow factor on finding Bailey Hill!