April Peak District Walking Weekend

On the first week of April I held the last of my guided Winter Walking Weekends (the 'Winter' bit being a touch inaccurate, as the weather became sunny and spring-like as the weekend went along). We were quite a large group, taking the train from Hathersage along to Edale station.

Gentle rain over Mam Tor with the ridge to Losehill ahead

We began in gentle rain, climbing up to the summit of Mam Tor, before taking the switchback ridge over Back Tor and along to Ward's Piece on the top of Losehill.

The short steep climb up to Back Tor with a weak rainbow in the Edale valley

 As we walked along a rainbow appeared below Back Tor and the sun was out descending Losehill towards Hope.

Descending from Losehill

 After a picnic stop and a welcome coffee and cake stop in Hope village we passed the pinfold leaving Hope behind (story of my life) and took the footpath passing through Navio, the site of a roman fort, and eventually to Bamford where we caught the train back to Hathersage.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny. We left directly from Hathersage passing the village church and the grave of Little John before following the valley up to North Lees. This large house was once visited by Charlotte Bronte when she stayed in Hathersage and is the model for Thornfield Hall (Mr. Rochester's house) in Jane Eyre. Now divided into apartments it looks southwards toward Hathersage from a beautiful and scenic position.

North Lees and spring Daffodils

After a brief stop we continued up past the climbers, bouldering at 'the plantation' to reach Stanage Edge. The hard work now completed there followed a walk along Stanage to it's southern end before crossing Higgar Tor to reach Carl Wark and the remnants of it's Iron Age fort, and then Longshaw Estate with it's welcome cafe and lunchstop.

Last ascent to reach Stanage Edge

 And finally we turned back northwards, passing Lawrencefield and Bolehill quarries, with the sunlight fizzing through fantasy birch woods, eventually dropping down to return to our starting point in Hathersage.

Sunlight through the woods of Lawrencefield quarry

Puglia in the Spring

Spring flowers in Puglia

At the end of March I spent a week with Vic and Jude, staying at Vic and Gina's house in Puglia. Based near the white city of Ostuni I wanted to see if it would be a good central base for a walking week.

Approaching Ostuni through olive groves

The towns are full of history, particularly the Centro Storico of Ostuni itself. The old town of Cisternino and the castle at the heart of Carovigno are both beautiful.

Cisternino's centro storico

Courtyard of Carovigno's castello

 There are older traces of human history, too; bronze age cave dwellings, menhirs and dolmen (Is that a plural? I've no idea.), and relics of classical Greek and Roman cultures, most notably Egnazia. We had a busy week touring these hotspots.

Trullo near Cisternino

The walking was more difficult. There's not a culture of countryside walking - I guess it's too hot for much of the year.

More wildflowers

Old olive trees

 So there are few footpaths and much of the walking must be done along white gravel roads and small tarmac lanes. Some of these are lovely, bordering farms with picturesque Trulli houses and gnarled olive trees, but at times it feels like a sub-urban wasteland, with fly-tipping and litter.

View towards the Adriatic from the escarpment near Ostuni

 So the jury's out. I'll give it some more thought and make a decision later in the year, but we enjoyed our recce and the place is certainly photogenic and unique within Italy.