Tag Archives: peaks district

Day out at Chatsworth House

by

30 July 2011

It was a brilliant sunny day today and so we drove up to Chatsworth House, to capitalise on the good weather. We wanted to fit some walking in before the weather changed.

En route, we treated ourselves to a gorgeous meal at the Grouse & Claret. Each of us ordered a different dish, and we were all
individually impressed with the quality of the food and the courteous and prompt service.

On arriving to Chatsworth House, we made tracks for the Stables, cafes and gift shops. There are four gift shops that seamlessly connect one to the other.  There is the garden shop, the interiors shop, the farmyard shop, and the orangery shop. There is a huge variety of products. There is bound to be something that will appeal to you.

Inside these gift shops, and surrounded by all these beautiful creations, I was in my element. The others became bored and left for a coffee.  I eventually caught up with them, but only after I had soaked up all of the glorious colours and designs. I enjoy crafts and creating things myself, and so I found this environment very inspiring.

The sun was beginning to burn and I noticed that I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable in this heat. Having acquired some bottled ginger drink, we then had to consider where to go next.  The parks outside by the river makes a lovely walk, but since I felt I was melting under the sun, I suggested we head up the hill instead towards the Dell.

Being under the shelter of the trees, was glorious.  Behind Chatsworth House it almost seemed like you were walking in a small forest.  Walking up the little steps and exploring the cave like structures was brilliant.  We also had fun waving to the people in the passenger cars that were being tugged along by a tractor – classic!

We stopped along the way to take some photos and video and before we knew it, the day had gone and it was time to return home.  But I simply could not go home until we first stopped off at the Chatsworth House farm shop to buy my favourite lemon and lime cheesecake.

All in all, it was a very successful day!  We burnt our calories during our scramble up the hill, and soaked up the beautiful scenery.  A brilliant treat to the senses.

Dinner at Biggin Hall

by

Saturday 14th of May 2011

We finally got around to celebrating the belated birthday of my Aunt.  We went to her favourite local, Biggin Hall, for her birthday dinner.  It was a little chilly inside, and I really should have thought to wear more winter clothing, but as it as Spring, it had not occurred to me.  But we have been having some unusually cold weather lately.

The food was scrumptious and very reasonably priced at £20 pp.  On arrival we were given a complimentary pims.  For an entree we had a choice of four or five dishes.  I chose the chicken and parma ham salad, while the others on my table ordered the smoked salmon.

Then for mains there was again another four to six dishes to choose from.  I usually like to order locally sourced food, and for this reason I ordered the local beef.  On the menu they had other dishes including fish and chicken.

Then for dessert, the others chose the Raspberry fromage and I ordered the walnut and maple sundae …. delicious!  But that was not all.  After dessert we then helped ourselvess to a buffet table containing a large selection of cheeses and fruit and crackers.  Finally, when we could not possibly eat any more, we then went out into the reception rooms to help ourselves to after dinner coffee and chocolate mints.  Better yet, we could help ourselves to as many mints as we liked!  It was a most enjoyable evening, and we will be sure to return there again!  I heard they also do fabulous lunches, and afternoon teas, and Sunday lunches too, so we’re spoilt for choice!

Here are the contact details for Biggin Hall below:

Alice and Goldie

by

It is Spring, 2007, and I am back again doing my exercise walking around the dales in Derbyshire.  It feels like I am on a health camp, plenty of nutritious vegetables and fruit and everything else on a ration.  Very good for me, the fresh air in particular.  The scenery is good for the soul too isn’t it!

Allsop En Le Dale static van and holiday home

by

This beautiful, modern and well equipped holiday home comes with all the luxuries you have become accustomed to.  For example, this static van has two bedrooms.  It also has two bathrooms, one of which is an ensuite.  That means that this holiday home is ideal for the whole family, and for entertaining guests.  The lounge contains two long couches, each of which convert into guest beds.  The dining table is located just off the lounge, and there is a separate kitchen.

Continue reading →

Alice in Castleton

by

countryside 1

Castleton is a small village in the Peaks District, and is at the edge of the Vale of Hope.  It is full of steep hills.  Under these hills are the caverns that fascinate the tourists and travelers.  A well known Celtic hill fort is there, and is on a hill called Mam Tor.  The buildings in Castleton are typical of the area and made from limestone.  The borders of the paddocks are made of rocks that are very attractive.

devils arse

There is one main road that goes through Castleton and on it seems a never ending supply of jewellers, featuring naturally, Blue John Stone, from which this area is famous.  There are also plenty of cafes and pubs for you to choose from.  We stopped off at Ye Olde Nags Head and had a scrumptious meal there.

hills bridge

We ran out of time to explore everything in Castleton so have made plans to go back there the next opportunity we get.  Perhaps we will wait until our next lot of visitors arrive.  What I would like to see next time will be Peveril Castle.  The history of the castle is that it was a gift from William the Conqueror in 1086 to his son William Peveril. 

The first people to settle in Castleton were the Celts.  The hill called Mamtor was known as the shivering mountain and contains the remains of the Celtic hill fort on summit, an enclosure of 16 acres at an altitude of 1700 ft.  When we were there, we saw a lot of people walking up the summit to it.  The interesting thing is that the keep, added in 1176 was used as a dwelling until 1480. 

cavern 1

Originally I thought there was only one cave to explore in Castleton, the Treak Cliff Cavern where blue john is found.  But to my puzzlement, we discovered when we got slightly lost, that there were in fact a total of four caves in Castleton.  Peak Cavern, which has the largest opening in Britain.  Interestingly, the source of the village river is Peak Cavern at Peakshole Water.  Peak Cavern is popular amongst serious cavers too.  You will also want to visit here if you are into archaeology and fossils. 

speedwell cavern 1

Another cave is called Speedwell Cavern  and is said to be the only cave in Britain with a boat ride.  It also features an 11 metre deep ‘bottomless pit’. Blue John Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern that features the blue and yellow fluorspar  called blue john.  Blue John was first mined at Treak Cliff.

tickets to cave

 In 1770, there were 16 mines for Blue John stone, and the stone was made into ornaments and clocks as well as jewellery.  It is unique in that it is only found in the United Kingdom.  A nearby town of Buxton also contains a museum that features the history of the Blue John stone, and jewellery stores offering delicate pieces made with blue john.

On the day we arrived to Castleton many of the houses along the main street had tables containing bric a brac and books and clothing for sale.  They all had different numbers displayed on top of their tables.  It seemed like they were all taking part in a village wide garage sale.  What a fantastic idea.  But I did feel sorry for them because it was pouring down with rain.  However things did improve later on in the day as the rain stopped and the sun made a surprise visit.

We missed the Castleton Ancient Garland Day and Oak Apple Day that is celebrated each year on 29th of May.  One of my best friends has her birthday on the 28th of May, so it’s a date I can easily remember.  On the 29th, people dress up in Stuart style attire and pretend to be a King or Queen, and the idea is to celebrate the beginning of summer.

ducks 1

There are some lovely old pubs in the village, the Castle Hotel, and the YHA that is in a majestic building dating back to the 17th Century called Castleton Hall.  The YHA has always been a favourite of mine, as you can generally always know what to expect and are confident in the security and standards that you will receive.  To reach the YHA Castleton Hall just put in the postcode S33 8WG into your satnav, and telephone +44 (0)1433 620235.   If a youth hostel is not your thing then there are plenty of other accommodation options including the traditional bed and breakfast.

Upcoming events include the Castleton Medieval Festival on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2009.  It is free to attend, and you will be transported back 800 years in the past.  There are craft markets, a concert, and reenactments. 

visitors centre

If you have any questions on Castleton then be sure to check out the Castleton Visitor Centre on Buxton Road.  If you have a satnav the postcode S33 8WN will get you there, or telephone +44 01433 620679 for directions.  The visitor centre has a couple of rooms off to the side featuring exhibitions of local artists and photographers.  You should also find the restrooms behind the visitor centre convenient.  The carpark of the visitor centre is fairly large and a convenient place to stop.  If you get the opportunity to visit Castleton over Christmas then be sure to check out their Christmas lights decorations between 16:00pm and 23:00pm daily during 14 November 2009 and 3 January 2010.

The Devonshires at Chatsworth House

by

It looked very grey today, so I was certain it would rain.  However we didn’t let that stop us from taking a little joy ride into the countryside.  We didn’t have too much time to spare so we had to think carefully of our itinerary.  We had friends up for the weekend that we hadn’t seen in years and years, so it was such a fun get together.  Time went very quickly and before we knew it they were on their way again.

We went to Chatsworth House near Bakewell, that is in the Derbyshire Peaks District.  Here are some photos I took today. 

20090711 blog 2

20090711 blog 1.1

20090711 blog 420090711 blog 3

 

 

It costs £2.00 to park your car on the grounds, which is fairly reasonable considering costs of car parking in the nearby towns.  It was still mid morning and some of us hadn’t quite woken up yet, so we headed straight to the cafe.  The cafes, restaurants and gift shops are located in converted and refurbished stables that are a fantastic use of the space.  We were amazed at the variety of items on sale in the gift shop.  I liked too many things there.  Two items I was particularly fond of were two rather large necklace in pink and green.  They were a little above my price range, but certainly gave me something to think about, and provided plenty of inspiration.

After we finished our trip to Chatsworth House we drove up to their farm shop to pick up some goodies.  The lemon and lime cheesecake we picked up from th shop was exsquisite.  It was the perfect dessert to our lunch.  We were very lucky with the weather, it didn’t rain until after we had returned home.