Not a nice walk at Shipley Park

I've been avoiding my usual walk at Shipley Country Park for a while - actually the whole of this year since I fell down the stairs. It starts with an uphill walk, not particularly steep, but quite long, and I didn't think my ankles could cope with either the up or down of it.

Last week though I felt brave enough to go. I've been walking further when out and thought I'd be okay. I was wrong.

The tarmacked hill was difficult, but the slippery path under the trees on Horsepool Hill was really troublesome with me struggling at times to keep my balance. It had rained in the morning and the leaves and beechmast one way then the other. 

Even having reached the flatter section at the top of the hill, I didn't feel comfortable. I've been choosing absolutely flat, well surfaced paths for the last few months, and this wasn't really either. Normally I wouldn't have a problem, but my legs were tired, and my ankles had had enough.

 If you go up though, you have to come back down, and this puts a different sort of strain on ankles. So, all in all, not a happy afternoon. I obviously need more practice at hills but gentler ones first.  

Darley Abbey Mills

The sun was still shining after my visit to the hydrangeas in Darley Park, so I headed down to the river and slightly north to Darley Abbey Mills.

Now occupied by numerous businesses and a couple of restaurants, these mills are yet another reminder of 18th century industry in the Derwent valley; the most complete surviving cotton mill complex from that era. 

I feel that even today, and under a blue sky, they look rather grim and oppressive, so how would they have appeared when first built?

The weirs though look peaceful; a lovely place to stop and listen to the water.

 Back on the park side of the river the factory owners built accommodation for their workers. Probably crowded at the time, today it's a rather smart suburb of Derby with a definite 'village' feel to it, 

Darley hydrangeas and wildlife garden

I've been hoping to get along to Derby hydrangea garden all summer, but the weather seemed against me - either too hot or too wet - plus, with the garden being situated in Darley Park which is a popular place over the school holidays, the one occasion I tried to visit the car park was full. So I waited till the school term had started and the park was quieter.

This walled garden in a secluded corner of the main park is home to a huge collection of  hydrangeas of  different size, shape and colour.

Some of the smaller plants were looking a bit burned out by the previous week's late burst of summer but, although we're on the cusp of autumn, many larger specimens were still flowering well.

One of the charming things about hydrangeas is the way their colours change over the summer. At this point in the season their blooms are turning duskier, more subdued that their brash pinks and reds of early summer.

There aren't just hydrangeas to be seen here. Just outside the walled garden is an ares given over to wildlife gardening.

Some of the flowers are dying back now but verbena, cosmos, and this sky-high rudbeckia were still bringing colour to the area. 

With high walls sheltering it this is a lovely area to just sit and soak up the sun.

 

Suddenly it's Autumn

From a last burst of summer heat we've descended quickly into full-blown autumn.

On my daily local walks, I've noticed leaves turning yellow, and with the least breeze they seem to be piling up along the edges of paths. 

Nights are drawing in, accentuated by dark, wet evenings, and we'll soon be at the solstice, heading rapidly towards winter.

 

Cool Breezes - and reaching 10k again - at Carsington Water

Summer's surprise return return (after a lack-lustre August) stopped me in my tracks. Hot weather is fine if you're by the seaside, and can easily chill down in the water; not such fun if you're inland, and hiding from the heat behind drawn curtains.

It did seem a shame though to stay home, so off we went to Carsington Water. No swimming here as it's a Severn Trent reservoir but there are seats and picnic tables overlooking the water, and often a breeze (or howling gale) blowing across the dam. 

My intent had been to sit a while, take a short walk under the shade of trees, sit some more, then head home for a late lunch. BUT ... that reliable breeze was blowing and walking along the dam a little way seemed so tempting; then a little further, and a little further. 

People were out in yachts or windsurfing trying to catch that breeze, and after days of oppressive heat it was so pleasant that I walked a little more, with lots of stops on seats, till it seemed more sensible to go forwards than back and to carry on to the visitor centre for lunch.

The Mainsail restaurant has a balcony with marvelous views over the water, but wasps soon forced us inside.

Being midweek and out of holiday season we had a choice of tables so picked one with as glorious a view, although reflections in the glass look like UFO lights signalling beyond the far hills.

I'd hoped to try the scrumptious looking cakes, but my chosen salad wasn't the light meal I'd expected, so cake must wait for another visit.

After a leisurely meal it was time to head back. It's 2 km across the dam from visitor centre to Millfields car park, so the round (or, at least, there-and-back) walk was twice the distance I've managed since my last accident, but the route is well surfaced and virtually flat, with plenty of seats for a short rest. 

Actually the return trip proved easier and less daunting than the outward one, probably because the end was in sight. I was delighted to have reached that magical total of 10,000 steps for the first time since the beginning of June, and I'm hoping it's onward and upward (with lots of stops for lunch and cake) from now on

 

Shipley Park autumn food fair

I'm trying to up my step count in any way possible so last weekend, as a change from dull walking round the block, we headed out to Shipley Park and their autumn food fair. Usually we'd walk from Mapperley at the southern end of the park, but like most events this fair was being held at the Heanor access near the Visitor Centre.

It would have been easy to spend the whole afternoon eating (with tapas, gyros, and more on offer) and listening to the musical acts, but we'd had lunch and I did want to go for a slighter further walk. So after grazing for a while on samples of cheeses and flavoured spirits, we decided to head out of the immediate fair area.

On such a hot day though it was time first for ice cream, specifically an Hungarian chimney cake filled with it. The cake itself was a doughnut-type pastry, light and sweet, and formed into cones. I suppose they could be filled with any sort of fruit or cream, but the ice cream on offer was perfect for the weather.

 

Then we headed off through the wooded area of Cinderhill and suddenly the noise and crowds were lost behind us. The path here circles back quite quickly so at the far side we left the trees and headed into the wider park.

In the distance we could see the tree around the former site of Shipley Hall, which we normally walk to, but it felt too far for such a hot day.My step count had made it above 5000 for the second time in the week, which was very pleasing. I'm starting to feel my legs and ankles are back to being able to cope with longer distances, and I just need some cooler weather to try for them.