Autumn Footprints 2021 - Around Crich Stand
w/e 10 October 2021
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490
I usually take part in 4 or
5 walks each week during the Autumn Footprints Festival and choose
from about 40 that are on offer. Understandably when the Festival
returned this year the number of walks available during the 16
days was reduced to 29 which obviously means that there was more
than one walk on some of the days. During the lockdowns my physical
fitness significantly deteriorated and although I am now regaining
some of it, I was a little daunted by the length of some of the
walks so I discounted several of the longer more strenuous ones.
I also discounted the really short ones and the Nordic Walking
trials plus some of those I had walked in previous Festivals.
In the end I only took part in 3 of the walks available although
during the two weeks, I did manage two more 5 mile walks that
were not actually part of the Autumn Footprints programme - but
more of that later.
The first walk I did in this year's Festival was The Launch Walk in
Shipley Country Park but these images all come from another walk
"Around Crich Stand" on Tuesday 21st September. Twelve
of us set off from Crich Market Place passing in front of this
cottage to turn right at the footpath signpost onto the Recreation
Ground.
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We left the Recreation Ground and continued up Coast Hill passing
Wheatsheaf Lane. We could have cut through here to Cromford Road
but as that is a busy road leading up from the Market Place towards
the Tramway Museum we continued along Coast Hill to the open
countryside west of the village.
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Our first objective was to be on the east side of Cromford Road
so we turned down a track and over an old bridge crossing the
route of the dismantled tramway that used to run from the museum
when it was still just a quarry down to Bullbridge.
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Having crossed Cromford Road we walked through Folds Yard to
reach the open countryside on the east side of the village. From
here there was a distant view of the road junction close to the
entrance to the Crich Tramway Village - the National Tramway
Museum - but we would soon be turning away from that and heading
northwards towards Plaistow.
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As we turned to start the northward trek, the field we entered
had a herd of cows who scattered as we entered the field but
soon settled down again to continue grazing the grass. We crossed
the lane visible above the cow which runs past Ann Croft Farm
also visible (top left) and then continued through eight of nine
more fields.
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There was also a view of the Sherwood Foresters Memorial to the
left, the aforementioned Crich Stand. This is probably the closest
we got to the Memorial on this walk but then again, it is called
"Around" and not "To" Crich Stand.
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We eventually reached Cliff Farm but there was a slight pause
here as a lorry was blocking our path as workers were involved
in replacing a telegraph pole. The problem was soon resolved
however as a short detour took us past the lorry and onwards
to Plaistow Grange.
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A short stretch of road walking took us to the entrance to Glebe
Cottage and we turned left to follow the track.
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Whereas cattle in the field we had crossed earlier had moved
away to allow us to pass, here inquisitive beast gathered at
a fence to see who was passing.
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At Glebe Cottage we started the climb to what was probably the
highest point in the walk and in single file we followed David,
our leader of the walk from Amber Valley Ramblers.
At this point we were still short of the half way point of the
walk - click here to continue.
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