So, Gemma and I went to the Peak District for the May Bank Holiday. For those of you keeping track, that is prior to the Sausage and Cider Festival, so I am falling even further behind in my posts. Not to worry, the busy period at work is over so I have time to update you all.
Its nice, but...um...where are all the peaks?
The peak district is a national park that is mostly in Derbyshire, so it is not too far from Leicester. We camped out for two nights and went 'xploring during the day. Our first visit was to Eyam. Eyam's famous for being a plague village. In 1665 when the bubonic plague reared its ugly head the village went into voluntary isolation. They clearly did this for the sole purpose of being able to market itself as a tourist destination 350 years later, because the action isolation did not stop the steady march of the plague.
Castleton, not Eyam. Castleton just looks more picturesque and my photo of the Eyam sundial was woeful.
All through the town there was information about the plague with many houses proudly proclaiming how many people died within their walls along with short (and somewhat morbid) bios. We also visited a museum and learnt the many methods of curing plague the involved somewhat atypical methods not practiced by modern medicine; plucking chickens, blooding amphibians, catching mice (I may have got my cures crossed, but you get the picture).
Entering the Arse.
We visited a couple of caves, one of which was named named the Devil's Arse because (allegedly) flatulent noises could be heard from inside the cave, where we learnt how to make rope. This process stinks, so maybe that is where the name came from. We also took a boat through Speedwell caves. This was really cool, I think mostly because I am slightly claustrophobic so I was in edge the entire time (the tunnels are really close).
I maintain that this picture offers me every right to be anxious
Other than that we just took in the scenery. I went hunting for Robin Hood's cave, but wasn't really sure what I was looking for. I ended up on top of the Creswell Crags.
When I took this photo I was really hoping it was Robin Hood's cave. It is not Robin Hoods cave.
I went for another run from Casteton trying to get to Kinder Scout because it is supposed to be awesome. Much to my chagrin I failed to use my map and compass properly and ended up lost; I am still not too sure where I went although I did get back to Edale okay. It turns out that southern hemisphere compasses do not work in the northern hemisphere, and explains the simialr debacle Goof and I got into many moons ago in Siberia.
This is Grinds Book. I was not lost yet. After Grinds Brook I followed a trail that did not actually exist in a direction I though was north. It was not north and the trail slowly disappeared...
Lastly, Gemma and I enjoyed a walk around Ladybower Resevoir, with a particular interest in the Derwent Dam as teh RAF used this site to practice bombing runs prior to the attacks in German dams in WWII.
Aha! My picture of the Sundial, and it is not (too) crappy!
Then...ah...we went home. Story over. Man I really need to work on my endings.
