Waking up slowly to the thrumming of raindrops and gentle bleating of new-born lambs is the best way to start the day. Lying in bed in an oak-beamed attic at YHA Hartington Hall, other countryside sounds filtered through the single-glazed windows: the twittering of goldfinches on the tiles; the knocking of a woodpecker in an old tree; the mooing of cows in the barn next door.
YHA Hartington Hall, near Buxton in the Peak District, is one of YHA’s most beautiful and historic hostels; its oldest parts date from the 17th century. The weather forecast for the week after Easter was discouraging but it turned out better than expected, with lots of sunny intervals between the downpours, and the rain-related benefits of dramatic clouds and sparkling puddles. The lumpy blankets of moss that cover the drystone walls in the fields around the hostel shone even brighter under dull skies, as did the celandines, wood anemones, and unfurling ferns.
Because of all the rain in previous weeks the River Dove was in spate and the Dovedale stepping stones were impassable: National Trust staff were out in force to keep people safe. But we enjoyed revisiting Ilam Park as we had stayed at YHA Ilam Hall just after the first Covid lockdown, and will always associate the place with freedom and rediscovery. The Paradise Walk at this time of year is enlivened by gambolling lambs and the scent of wild garlic. We played ‘Pooh dandelions’ from the bridge over the River Manifold.
It proved easier to explore the valley of the River Dove from the Hartington end, along Wolfscote Dale, as an extension to a three-mile circular walk from the hostel door that begins at Leisure Lane. There is a small cave, called Frank O’ the Rocks, and we saw dippers flitting upstream as if showing us the way. The valley was full of blackthorn and gorse, and funny moss structures that resembled rabbits and hens. Beresford Dale contains magnificent old trees, their green limbs dripping with lichen and ferns. If you peer through the undergrowth you can just spot the tiny fishing house of Izaak Walton and his fishing companion Charles Cotton of The Compleat Angler fame. Published in 1653, it has never been out-of-print. YHA Hartington Hall can provide a range of walking route maps to suit different abilities and weather conditions.
One day the rain was so heavy that we headed to Buxton, to take refuge among the tropical vegetation and goldfish ponds in the conservatory that forms part of its Pavilion Gardens. The glass arcades also contain cafes and shops, art exhibitions and bouncy castles. We explored the Regency architecture of this spa town, which after extensive restoration is once again welcoming visitors to relax in its thermal springs. Rather than pay £1.50 a litre for Buxton water in a supermarket, you can fill up your own bottle for free from St Ann’s Well opposite The Crescent.
On the recommendation of a friend, who said it was her favourite historic house in the country, we visited Haddon Hall near Bakewell, 20 minutes’ drive away. It’s a time capsule that was shut up for nearly two centuries, until, in the 1920s, the owners began to bring it back to life. There was a huge raftered banqueting hall with a roaring fire; a Long Gallery with dappled green glass windows; intricately carved 17th century furniture; a portrait of a massive horse and a tiny jockey; and splendid walled gardens. We picked up some Bakewell tarts on our way back; shops in the town also offer the apparently more authentic Bakewell pudding, an alternative pastry and ground almond confection.
The sun came out on our day trip to Carsington Water, a Severn Trent reservoir 30 minutes’ drive from Hartington. There’s a good kids’ playground there, with an acorn-themed tube slide and a hammock swing, and a nice walk to Stones Island where stone obelisks frame the views, with toeholds so small children can see through too. At the far end there’s an ‘excavate the sewer’ activity (fun for dads!). More than 215 bird species have made their permanent or seasonal home at the reservoir. We spotted our first swallow of the year, on April 5th. On the 8th, a local birder wrote: “Star bird this morning (and the year so far) was a summer-plumage Slavonian Grebe … Gorgeous bird, deservedly attracting some admirers.”
Our last day was the sunniest of all and on the way home we stopped off at Parsley Hay. Once a bustling railway station that during the Industrial Revolution helped to connect the canal systems that were transporting raw materials and manufactured goods on either side of the Peak District, now it’s the site of one of Britain’s earliest public cycle hire facilities: it opened in 1975. Today you can hire bikes – including a good range of adapted versions for people with special needs and disabilities – and take to the High Peak Trail, or the easier Tissington Trail, 13 miles down to the town of Ashbourne. We walked from Parsley Hay to the old signal box at Hartington and on to Ruby Wood nature reserve.
Hartington village itself is worth exploring – there’s a trail map — and there are four food shops so you don’t need to head to a town to stock up on provisions. The Hartington Cheese Shop is packed with local cheeses from the Hartington Creamery and other Derbyshire and Staffordshire dairies. They range from traditional favourites such as Stilton (“Handmade by skilled cheese makers, this Stilton marks a welcome and historic return to Stilton making in the Parish of Hartington” according to their website) to innovative modern recipes, such as Peakland White with Cranberry and Orange, and even Chocolate and Chilli cheese (“will cause conversation and controversy!”). They also sell everything you need to go with cheese, such as biscuits, chutneys, even cheeseboards.
Hartington Church contains some beautiful paintings, and there are interesting and moving gravestones in its churchyard, including one remembering a dog called Flip. As I left farmers were dropping off lambs to take part in the lambing thanksgiving service, nestling in a bed of hay near the altar. Because of the rain, someone had put up frog warning signs around the pond, to urge drivers to take extra care.
Hartington Hall, which has been a YHA hostel since 1934, is very atmospheric, with flagstones, carved ceilings, wood panelling, and mullioned windows. It is rumoured that Bonnie Prince Charlie visited, in 1745, and his name is on the door of a cosy dark wood-panelled room with a high double bed. A full account of the Hall’s history can be found in the profile researched and written by YHA’s volunteer archivist John Martin. He has produced illustrated profiles of more than 170 hostels, past and present, a real labour of love.
After the Wolfscote Dale excursion I wrote in my diary: “Cold + wet + muddy (fell over in water meadow) … but a lovely walk.” I came home thinking, don’t even bother to look at the forecast in future, because changeable weather doesn’t have to spoil a trip away.
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