28 Jan 2010: Offerton Moor & Bretton Clough from Leadmill Web page by Bryan B, (aka Yeti) & Sunnydale
Start/Finish near Leadmill, Hathersage
Highest point: Near Wolf's Pit, 390m
Distance: circa 15 kms
Weather: sunny and cool, becoming dull
Vertical altitude gain: circa 530m
Time: 6 hrs
Yesterday's wind and rain was gone. The sun was out, and Sunnydale and I set out from Leadmill near Hathersage. First goal, the top of the distant Offerton Moor.
Sunshine, trees and water. A lovely sight to pass at the start of a walk.
A steady ascent through woods filtering bright winter sunshine.
As we gained height the view improved. And across the valley Winhill tried to pretend it hadn't
been blowing a gale with heavy rain up there less than 24 hours earlier.
We walked over the bleak Offerton Moor as the sun decided to take a break: maybe tired from
trying to melt drifts from the heavy snows of a few weeks earlier.
Oh dear, the sun really had been resting. The lane we wanted to use to get to Abney: still full of snow!
Well that last bit was fun. Close to three feet deep in places.
Abney came and went: too small even to be called a Hamlet. Then we were entering Nether Bretton.
Sunnydale pauses, knowing what is coming. Another superb section in yet another of her wonderfully planned walks.
"Take care Yeti, path is very narrow here", I was told as we walked though the truly lovely Bretton Clough.
And I mean truly lovely. Little streams coming from all directions to join the main one in the narrow valley floor.
And little streams need little bridges!
Wow. A narrow bridge now. "Will Yeti fit on that one Sunny?". "Course you will", she said with a smile, knowing
what was coming soon after we left Bretton Clough.
"No steps over this style Sunny?"..........."Yeti, it's not a style"
"You mean I have to squeeze through it?"............."Oh yes".
"Sunny....I think those stone pillars are bending outwards now."
"Yeti. You got through that narrow stone slot. Do you think you can get under that bridge now?". "Of course I can".
Of course I did. And took a photo. Right at the end of another lovely Peak District walk with Sunnydale. Thank you.