SOGGY STROLL AROUND HADDON FIELDS

PRE-CHRISTMAS WET WEATHER WALK NEAR HADDON HALL

Deluge. That's the best word to describe the weather this morning. The roads are awash, the drains cannot cope and rivers are running down the white lines. It's going to be a wet walk.

We meet up in the Haddon Hall car park. The hall is closed and the car park is only supposed to be used for visitors to the hall, but there are some men selling Christmas trees from the car park and when PC asks (she's the first to arrive, as usual) they're happy enough to let us leave our cars there.

Admittedly, we're a little reluctant to leave the shelter of our cars and venture out into the storm, but this is our last walk before the festive season and it has to be a short one because daughter has a music exam later in the day, so we have to make the most of it.

Naturally we layer up, all the waterproofs come out of the car and when we're dressed our rucksacks feel quite light. Mollie seems unperturbed by the weather and is happy enough to be out.

We trudge across the car park and go through a gate leading onto the uphill bridleway towards Conksbury and, ultimately, Youlgreave. The bridleway slopes gently uphill, but flowing swiftly downhill is a small river. It's hard to avoid the water so we splash our way through, but we do have to be careful as some of the underlying limestone is exposed and this is very slippery.

We pause a couple of times to look back at the view, Haddon Hall is peering above the tree line, but we wonder if the poor weather will make the photographs a washout.

With the driving rain we are tending to keep our heads down and our hoods up, so we aren't having much of an opportunity to look around. However, looking down at our feet sees us squelching through streams and mud-baths. At one point we're in a field with cows, but they are far off to our right and pose no threat, although an open gate to our left is an invitation for more cows to join them, so we pick up the pace a little.

Then it's a stubble field, thank goodness it isn't ploughed, and by the time we reach the top we've so much mud on our boots that it feels like a particularly sadistic kind of weight training for the legs.

We go through a gate, and PC does some interesting gymnastics with her walking poles as she tries to fasten the gate shut without paddling in a deep puddle. Pity I don't have the camera.

There are only sheep in the next fields, and the grass is well knit so at last we have something half-decent underfoot.

However, at the end of this stretch we reach the mud again where it is all extremely churned up next to a barn. We paddle through the mud to a gate and go through, pausing to consult the map and the finger-post. A few moments of puzzling and we return through the gate. We need to turn onto the track on the Haddon Hall side of the hedge.

Although the track is obviously well used by farm tractors it is, at least, relatively clear. Yes, there are some deep puddles, but these are easily avoided. At the far end is another gate out onto the small road leading from Conksbury to Bakewell.

We walk down the road, manage to avoid the flood in the dip in the bottom, then after passing Noton Farm Barn we take the right hand path down Intake Lane. At first this is just a path down the edge of a field, but it goes through another gate and turns into a proper lane with hedges on either side. It also has a lot of puddle and dips, and quite a bit of flooding.

But it is an easy track to follow so we don't have to think much as we bemoan the amount of work the Christmas preparations entail, and wonder why so many people buy so much food for just two days!

We decide not to take the right hand footpath leading through Burton Ashes Wood - it isn't clear on the ground and the ground looks very squishing and uninviting - so we walk down to the main road. We know Mollie won't like it but at least she has already had a decent run.

At the main A6 we turn right, pleased that there is a pavement to separate us from the heavy traffic thundering past. Naturally, Mollie isn't happy, but she is staying close.

We have to cross over to the other side of the road when the pavement swaps sides, then we decide to see if the footpath through part of Haddon Park is worth walking.

We turn left up the bridleway and cross the bridge over the swollen River Wye. On either side the fields have been turned into small lakes, complete with ducks, and the bridge itself is carrying its own pond. We reach the footpath turning at the side of the river but, as we suspected, a few yards along it the path disappears beneath the rising river. There is no point even attempting to go through so we back-track to the road to complete our journey.

It isn't long before the car park is in sight. The Christmas tree sellers have already packed up and gone home but the car park barrier is, thankfully, still open. We have a brief debate (we haven't eaten yet and our buns beckon) and we decide on driving to the Calton Lees car park at Chatsworth where we are able to change out of wet clothes and settle down for lunch.

We have a small toast from the secret flask - today it is a nip of Danzy Jones, a wonderful welsh whisky liqueur made by the Celtic Spirit Company, and the closest I have managed to find to the now unavailable scottish Wallace liqueur. PC gives it her approval, then pours out the coffees which we drink with our sandwiches.

The second coffee is shared with the buns - a festive treat of puff pastry fresh cream mince pies. Perfect.

Our day, and our walking year has ended too soon. Family festivities take over for a couple of weeks so we'll not be out again until the New Year when we will try to walk off the inevitable newly gained weight.

WE WISH A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.

Happy New Year on a Bakewell Walk

It's time to boldly go where we've never been before. We tend to avoid the White Peak area, primarily due to the abundance of cows and a surplus of walls to negotiate, but it's winter and we needed to find somewhere easy to reach, and hopefully easy to walk. And with luck all the cows will be indoors.

So we meet up in the main car park in Bakewell. It isn't a starting point we've used before, although we have managed to touch the edge of this lovely Derbyshire town (or is it a village?) on other walks, especially when we've used the Monsal Trail, but this time the town will be our main point of contact.

We pay our parking fee, pleased to note that it is a little cheaper than some other Derbyshire Pay and Display car parks, and pull on as many layers as possible. Overnight it has become very windy which, in turn, has made it seem very cold.

We take the path down towards the River Wye, cross a bridge, then follow a path running beside the river and past the huge tented-roofed cattle market. Then we have to study the map. It should be a straight-forward walk along a footpath, but the parking area for vehicles visiting the weekly market has obliterated the path, and other parts are roped off. There is a path at the far side of the hedge running parallel, but we choose to stick to our planned route, though we walk on the tarmac road instead. Signs are, to say the least, minimal, but as the tarmac curves to the right we manage to spy a walkers gate over to the left. We have to step over ropes to get to it, but we're on the proper path.

A little way along and a local dog walker is behind us, but they take the parallel path on the far side of the hedge which angles uphill. We assume that they want to keep our of our way, which may be true, but we discover later that they probably intended to keep our of the mud!

Now we're away from the market area the views are improving, but we're starting to pay the penalty for a choosing a low-level walk in winter. The river is only a few yards away to our right, and the ground underfoot is muddy. We tip-toe elegantly around the sloshy bits, but it isn't pleasant. At times it is hard to see a path underfoot (although it's obvious where it is, sandwiched between the hedge and river) and at a particularly wet and boggy section we're relieved to see a narrow footbridge. From here we cross a stile, another boggy field and some broad steps up to join the drier path. Not that this is easy. Being on a slope the churned path is very muddy and we struggle to keep upright. At last we reach the end and come out onto a tarmac bridleway/drive.

We pause to look around, but admit that so far we aren't terrible thrilled with the walk. We're used to far reaching views and wide open spaces, whereas all we've had to contend with is mud. Still, the sun is making an effort and if we can gain some height all may not be lost.

We follow the path uphill and, just before it turns sharp left, look down on the final abandoned section of railway line that forms the Monsal Train. Here it is a narrow path terminating at a bricked up tunnel. It doesn't look very appealing. We continue along the path then pause again to check the map - we seem to be doing a lot of that today. Whereas the tarmac continues straight on there is a path to the right which is the bridleway we need to follow. This goes through a gate then turns right again to follow the fence line uphill.

We're really climbing up now and with the brightening sky we're beginning to get some good views across the Wye Valley towards some very obvious earthworks buried beneath green grass. Through another gate and we know we're somewhere above Haddon Hall although all we can make out is a solitary building that must stand somewhere in the grounds, the Hall itself is hidden from view.

The path is very distinct here, and easy to walk. The sun is shining and the wind has eased, and it seems that the day is going to turn out OK after all. There's a wall ahead which forces the path left. Directly in front is another wall which seems - after consulting the map - to indicate the line of a path, road or driveway directly to Haddon Hall from the farm here. There's no public access, so we can only guess.

We walk between a hedge and the high wall which shields Bowling Green Farm from view, and continue uphill. This is still a bridleway so it is easy walking, broad and firm underfoot. The path dips down, and we ignore the track to the right which would take us towards Rowsley. Instead we go left and pause to enjoy the view down the valley (with Coombe Farm) towards Bakewell. This is more like it. A squirrel, disturbed by our presence, takes flight from its hiding place and scoots out of the way.

This track is very reminiscent of Forestry Commission paths, but we soon reach the end and have to make a decision. The path we thought we'd take is left, but although it is a public bridleway it seems to end at Coombe Farm and we doubt the farmer would appreciate us walking through his yard. We don't want to turn back (all that mud!) so we decide to take the obviously well-used bridleway straight ahead and uphill through Rowsleymoor Wood. We're making good time so we reckon we can easily cope with this slightly extended route.

Part way up the path we see evidence of wind damage - a huge tree has had one of its heavy high branches split from the main trunk leaving creamy white timber exposed. We walk under the fallen branch and push on up to the top of the path, which turns left and levels out. Ahead is an ornate sign inviting us to walk along a Permissive Path in Manners Wood. We decide to accept the offer.

This is a wide, level and easily walked path shielded by trees but offering tantalizing glimpses of the views beyond. It is probably an especially lovely place in Spring. Eventually we find somewhere to sit for lunch, up the slope a little and using a ground level branch to prevent us sliding down.

Out comes the secret flask with the Ramblers - it is our first walk of the New Year after all and we need to celebrate it in a suitable fashion - followed by coffee, sandwiches and our New Year Bun. It's the old stalwart, the fresh cream scone, but no worse for being familiar. The scones are eaten with alarming speed and relish before we finish off with another coffee.

Time to pack up and move on, so we continue on our way. At last the path splits, and we take the downward section which leads us to a couple of streams which we have to negotiate before depositing us on the edge of Bakewell Golf Course. After reading the signs exhorting us to take care we set off, only to see another sign next to a bell telling us to ring it to warn golfers of our presence. We race for the bell (well, lumber purposefully) and I win, giving it a loud ring to warn the non-existent golfers. I think we're the only people on the course!

However, once we've left the course and are following the path down to Bakewell, we look back and see a handful of golfers, so maybe they were just keeping out of our way.

We cross over the Monsal Trail bridge, then along the side of a field of sheep before seeing some animals in the adjoining field which we debate over. Are they llamas, or alpacas? We settle on alpacas, not that we have any specialist knowledge of them and are just as likely to be wrong as right.

At the bottom of the path we meet the road and it's only a short way to the car park. We've made excellent time, and it has turned out to be a good walk after all, leaving us time to go to look at an interesting arty shop on the edge of Bakewell before we leave. Next time we'll return to Bakewell, weather permitting, to walk the other way.