June 18, 2012
Dore to Bakewell
some rare summer sunshine
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Debbie and I pop to the local post office to send off some of the 60's Soul records I flogged on eBay. We then cruise down in to the city for a fried breakfast before getting to the train station for the late morning departure to Sheffield, and then a second train on to Dore, a village just a couple of stops beyond. Our plan being to do a little tour of scenic Derbyshire.
I lived in Sheffield in the 1990s and used to ride around Derbyshire most Sundays. It’s a beautiful part of England and I felt blessed that I could enjoy such wonderful countryside just a short distance from my downtown flat. It's an area I know a bit and reckon Debbie will enjoy it, even though it's hilly.
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The small road – Twenty Well Lane – that turns left just near Dore station is a steepish one, but much better than worrying about the traffic whizzing along the very busy Abbeydale Road – the A 621. At the top we buy some drinks at a newsagents and then soon after pass a sign proclaiming we’ve entered the county of Derbyshire.
After joining the A 6254, known as Main Road, we continue riding up to reach Owler Bar, a windswept roundabout. Thus far the scenery hasn’t been anything to write home about and I can sense Debbie is wondering why I raved about this part of England. As we cruise down, heading further south, she can begin to see why.
The countryside becomes more dramatic. Valleys and hills form a seriously rumpled green expanse. We're now in the Peak District National Park, apparently the world’s second most visited after Mt Fuji in Japan. Not that you’d know, as there isn’t too much traffic to worry about today.
Before getting to the bottom of the drop and reaching Baslow, we make a right turn and pedald up a minor road that gently climbs towards the village of Curbar and Froggatt Edge, which is a high strip of exposed rock that stands above the River Derwent.
At the road’s crest, a footpath leads off to Curbar Edge and Baslow Edge and we wheel the bikes through the wooden gate for a quick look around.
The escarpment offers a fantastic vista of Derbyshire and we have it all to ourselves. It feels we’ve found a holy grail, so decide to keep on riding, even though it's just a dirt track, rutted in places. There being no hikers around, we reckon it's okay to keep going - I’m not really sure if cycling is allowed or not.
We pose a few times for photos. A large element-carved rock makes one imposing backdrop - the granite sides fluted by millennia of wind and rain. Luckily, it's a clam day. There's hardly a breeze.
The stony descent takes us down into Baslow via a paved path and the River Derwent.
We want to get a bite to eat in a pub right beside the water, but it's locked up, so we ride south-ish, past Chatsworth House and Pilsey, where The Devonshire Arms is clearly open for business - a row of tables lining the frontage.
Our pot of tea for two was a rip-off at five quid and the staff pompously indifferent, so we skip on buying food and head to Bakewell.
A popular tourist place, there’s no shortage of B&Bs in Bakewell, some of them overpriced at 80 quid, but the first couple we tried ar full. Being a Monday, this's a bit surprising... later we learn that this is the day of the traditional market.
A young Australian guy behind the bar in the Red Lion quotes a reasonable rate and with time getting on, we take a double, have a quick shower and then watched Euro 2012 football in the bar with a pint or two. And yes, I have a wedge of Bakewell Pudding topped with custard for desert.
Today's ride: 38 km (24 miles)
Total: 3,551 km (2,205 miles)
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