Exploring The World Beyond My Front Door

A round walk from Edale village ascending to Kinder Scout through Crowden Clough and descending down Jacob's Ladder. Saturday of the second May bank holiday weekend was spent amongst good company with lots of food and ice cold drinks in the glorious sunshine, returning home I decided to spend the following day out in the wilds but nowhere really called out to me. Sunday morning came and I still had no specific destination in mind until I happened to pick up a walking guidebook for the Peak District, which fell open on a walk from Upper Booth to Crowden Tower on Kinder Scout then by the rock formations called the Wool Packs before descending down the ancient packhorse routes and Jacob's Ladder. This route attracted me for a number of reasons, I love Grindsbrook Booth also known as Edale village and it's my favourite starting point in the Peaks; the opportunity to photograph the Wool Packs and also to finally hunt down the Edale Cross which had eluded my attempts to fi

A round walk starting from Maltby to Roche Abbey through Hooton Levitt and Laughton-en-le-Morthen. Part two. Refreshed from the short break beneath the sign for Brookhouse village I consulted my walking guide and set off for Laughton-en-le-Morthen. The abbey still lay ahead an unknown distance along footpaths that, if like the ones encountered previously, would take some creative interpretation to stay on course. The route outlined in the guide led me along the quiet Brookhouse Road, leading over a train line that I had walked over countless times where it passes under Tickhill Road on the outskirts of Maltby by the colliery, on my way to work. Rounding a bend the spire of All Saints church, that had been a beacon on the landscape all the way back from Hooton Levitt, dominated the quiet country road. The distinctive spire of All Saints Church, Laughton-en-le-Morthen. The village has Saxon roots but was mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Lastone". There a

A round walk starting from Maltby to Roche Abbey through Hooton Levitt and Laughton-en-le-Morthen. Part one. All adventures must start somewhere and this modest one started in Rotherham, having caught a train from Sheffield only to find that the bus to Maltby had just left, I found myself with almost an hour to fill. Rotherham has a fascinating bridge connecting the train station to the bus interchange and I might have been tempted to investigate but it was Sunday morning and a local football match was drawing in fans to the pubs in the city centre. I feel self-conscious walking about with my camera at the best of times but especially amongst larger crowds. The shopping precinct is overshadowed by the brooding hulk of Rotherham Minster actually called All Saints Church and I sat in it's shadow and watched the local people and early football fans mingle. I resisted the urge to get out my camera from my rucksack for a good 20 minutes but the Minster is such a fine building I f