Tissington Trail

Sunday, 26th June 2016

Kathleen dislikes missing Mass on a Sunday, but, there is no bus service to Ashbourne on a Sunday, and it is too far/dangerous to walk to Ashbourne. Cycling to Ashbourne is a possibility, the road should be quieter on a Sunday, there are certainly no buses running.

Instead, we decide to do something which is rare for us, and take the van into town. We know there is parking alongside the start of Tissington Trail, and,  that is within walking distance of the Church, plus, we can, cycle the Tissington Trail.

A quick check on the all knowing Google tells us that Derbyshire County Council are far sighted enough not to have installed height barriers on their carparks, and it is possible to park the van there. So, they get a £4.50 parking fee, plus, the money we spend on drinks, snacks along the way.

I have the bikes unloaded and all ready to go for Kathleen's return from church.

The Tissington Trail is an old railway line, so, the gradient is not too steep and any point, but, it is a steady up hill ride from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay, 13.5 miles later.

Initially, the route is tree lined, but, there are more open stretches as we climb steadily.

It is all very well done, the surface is good, firm, smooth and well drained, and, there are several picnic spots with tables and kiosks selling drinks and snacks.

At 10 miles, there are mutterings of "how much further?". 

Past experience tells me, this is a prelude to giving up.

I need to employ some psychology to get us there.

I check my watch, 12:30, we have been going at an average 9 miles per hour, according to my trusty Halfords Cyclometer.

I play my winning hand and suggest "why don't we just cycle until 13:00, and then turn around and go back?".

Now, the arithmetic tells me, this is the same as saying "let us cycle for another 4.5 miles", but, it sound much less strenuous.

So, we cycle on, and arrive at the end point (13.5 miles from Ashbourne) with 10 minutes to spare.

My suggestion that we just cycle on for the odd 10 minutes is, not very politely, declined by Kathleen, I think "b----r off " was the exact term used.

We cycle back to Ashbourne, 13.5 miles downhill, and round off with a very good "toastie" and coffee at the picnic area and cycle hire point, at the beginning of the trail

Monday, 27th June 2016

Having cycled 27 miles, yesterday, we decide on a less energetic day today.

We take the Bus into Belper. Free of course for us "oldies", well, there has to be some advantage in being old! 

Belper is a reasonably pleasant place. It has clearly been an industrial town, but, the Mill has long since closed. It has the usual signs of decline, ie a surplus of charity shops, but, effective measures at rejuvenation appear to be bearing fruit. Overall, I would describe it as an up market South Shields, without the coast line, but, with it's building better preserved and in a better state of repair.

One other point, because the bus journey takes us along A517, in the opposite direction to Ashbourne, we discover where the elusive Nags Head is. It looks to be a very pleasant pub, but, we will not be walking there!

Derbyshire, Ashbourne

Wednesday, 22nd June 2016

June 2016 has been a major disappointment, in terms of weather, not very warm, and mostly overcast cloudy skies.

With a brief window of better weather promised, and, a means to escape the wall to wall coverage of the EU Referendum, it is decided we will have a week away in the Campervan.

As usual, in the UK, the difficulty of finding somewhere to stay, at short notice, dictates where we go. 

First and second choice, Melrose Caravan Club Site and Norwich Caravan Club Site, are fully booked, so, we are off to Derbyshire, Ashbourne Caravan and Camping Club Site.

An easy drive, mostly on motorway, the weather is dry and warm, but, hardly brilliant.

We arrive shortly after lunch, the site is a little more remote than we had hoped, and the road to Ashbourne is busier than we had hoped, with no cycling provision.

But, in a spirit of "making the best of it", armed with instructions from the site office, we set off to find the pub in the next village (The Nags Head).

The instructions lead us out the "back" of the campsite, onto a small and quiet lane, so far so good. We are supposed to spot a footpath on our left, which we spectacularly fail to do, and after a pleasant, but fruitless (in terms of pub finding) walk, we emerge onto the busy A517, and risk life and limb walking back to the campsite.



We find we appear to be in a mobile data signal blackspot, we cannot get a data signal on "3" or Tesco/O2, how infuriating! Our friends (Bryan and Joan) who are walking along the Pyrenees in Northern Spain, appear to be able to check Facebook and update their blog, but, four miles from a Derbyshire market town, and alongside the busy A517, nothing!

Thursday, 23rd June 2016

Perhaps, after yesterdays experiences using the site provided instructions, perhaps, I should have known better, but, today it is decided we will travel the four miles into Ashbourne by bus. 

The "instructions" claim there is a bus stop 100 yards along the road, after turning right out of the Campsite entrance. After a short exploratory walk, I cannot find a bus stop. I do discover, later, there is one, a combination of overgrown foliage and a lack of local knowledge, for now means, I cannot find it.

Instead, I walk approximately half a mile in the opposite direction, to find an alternative bus stop, this is not a pleasant experience.

Later, I make the trip again, with Kathleen, who, is definitely, not amused by the traffic whizzing by, within touching distance.

The bus arrives, promptly, and a very pleasant East European (from his accent) bus driver, welcomes us on board. 

We have a brief explore of the town, which is a very pleasant place.

Thanks to a cycling book, bought for me by son Gary, some years ago, I am aware of a cycle route starting from the town, the "Tissington Way".

We walk the 3-4 miles, from Ashbourne to Tissington. It is an old railway line, and easy going, so, it is decided, we will cycle it, if we can find a way to get the bicycles to Ashbourne, without risking the A517!

The day is rounded off, with lunch in "The Horns", just off the Market Square.

We return to the Campsite, by the bus, the same pleasant driver, who kindly points out to use, there is in fact a bus-stop closer to the campsite. It is a sort of "virtual" bus-stop, on one side of the road, toward Belper, there is a Bus Stop sign, but, it is totally obscured by rampant foliage. On the other side of the road, heading toward Ashborne, there is no Bus Stop sign, but, the driver assures us, if we wait there, the bus will stop and pick us up.