Derbyshire Dales

My website: Deep Mono Photography

Downriver from the Headstone Viaduct is the picturesque four-step weir that is a favourite picnic spot on the River Wye.

Weir side story........it's not very often I can be bothered with a write up so bare with me it might get a touch dull....... Another shot from Mondays trek to the Peak District with the Welsh one, just off the Monsal Trail. When we arrived at the top of the weir we were greeted by half a tree, ok might have been a large branch, sat nicely on the first shelf and spoiling the view somewhat......after a half hearted attempt to move it by chucking a few small rocks at it and trying to reach it with a tripod it was obvious said tree/branch wasn't going to budge. At some point I decided to go in for a paddle, I mean seriously where is Paul when you need him? Tree/branch eventually moved with the help of the tripod and the forces of nature.................. At which point 3 toggers on the other side of the river decide that the view is quite nice now and they'll stay after all and proceeded to stand in the same spot for an hour blocking our shots.......... Is it just me or do toggers fit nicely into two categories, nice friendly ones that don't mind sharing a few helpful hints or tips and coconut ring or two, or ones that are so far up their own backside?.....best stop there it's a family show!

Monsal Trail, Peak District

Headstone tunnel, Peak District.

No tune for a while so how about.....

youtu.be/l7Fy5uGNMUM

The parapet stone is dated 1691, but this is assumed to be the date of rebuilding. The bridge is a Grade II Listed Building. Just out of shot to the left, the traffic on the A50 thunders past on the modern replacement bridge. www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk

"Past the Pond Cottages (originally for lead smelting) and a footbridge is a picturesque pond, held by the Lower Dam, which was built in 1830 to harness the Brook. This stone-lined reservoir features a central drain plug. From high on its dam wall, a still-visible metal pipe conducted water to the wheel of the adjacent, second mill, dating from 1850, and still functioning as a sawmill at the turn of the 20th century." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley_Brook

3 shot panorama from the edge of Thorpe Cloud, looking down onto the stepping stones. It's a shame about the ash trees, which have mostly died now.

The last shot of the day before I hurriedly headed back down to the car. With the rain was fast approaching, I decided to call it a day. The view...

Headed up for my 2nd trip to the Peak District in a week yesterday, there was a lovely cloud inversion in the valley & eventually some side light...

My website: Deep Mono Photography

Downriver from the Headstone Viaduct is the picturesque four-step weir that is a favourite picnic spot on the River Wye.

A long exposure of one of the top falls at Arkwight's Lumsdale Project. One of my favourite locations in the Peak District, I have to keep returning again and again. www.cromfordmills.org.uk/lumsdale

This is one of the oldest mills in the valley, known as Paint Mill because of its use in grinding barytes (Barium Sulphate) for the paint industry. The material was heated (calcined) on metal floors supported on bricks in a kiln-like structure and was used as a white pigment for paint manufacture. This mill has also been used as a lead smelting mill, to grind corn and as a bleaching mill and the wheel pit, old bleaching vats, traces of white barytes and the underground heating system with the associated chimneys to dry out the mineral are still visible.

My website: Deep Mono Photography

Bole Hill Quarry is an "Elephant's Graveyard" of abandoned Millstones. It was first worked for grindstones in the late 19th century, but the majority of the stone was quarried from here between 1902 and 1910, for the 1.25 million tons of stone used in the Derwent and Howden dams. Gritstone millstones were known by millers as “peaks”, and came in pairs. Grain was ground between the close fitting pair of stones to produce rough flour. Gritstone millstones fell out of fashion because they had a tendency to turn flour a grey colour. The were replaced with churt composite millstones, or “French” stones, which although more expensive to manufacture produced a white flour, and needed re-facing less often. Millstones from this quarry are reported to have been transported to the river Trent by placing an axle through 2 millstones and driving them over the moors. From the Trent they were transported by river to Hull and then distributed around the country from that port.

The curiously shaped Mother Cap stone at Surprise View near Hathersage in the Peak District.

My website: Deep Mono Photography

The Headstone Viaduct across Monsal Dale in the Peak District.

Chatsworth House

Hartington railway station opened in 1899 about two miles away from the village it served. Originally the line was the trackbed of the Buxton to Ashbourne railway line, built by the LNWR. The trail, known as the Tissington Trail was created after the railway closed in 1967. It runs along a 13 mile route from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay.

Heading deeper into the trees this composition of moss covered boulders appealed.

Couldn't resist a wander in the woods at Padley Gorge (along with a million other photographers). Great Colours and conditions, easy to see why its...

View from Chrome Hill to Parkhouse Hill, with the steep side in shade formed by an old fault line.

It's not often I come away from a day out with more than 5 half decent shots so i'll have to bore you with another of this lovely location!

My website: Deep Mono Photography

Bole Hill Quarry is an "Elephant's Graveyard" of abandoned Millstones. It was first worked for grindstones in the late 19th century, but the majority of the stone was quarried from here between 1902 and 1910, for the 1.25 million tons of stone used in the Derwent and Howden dams. Gritstone millstones were known by millers as “peaks”, and came in pairs. Grain was ground between the close fitting pair of stones to produce rough flour. Gritstone millstones fell out of fashion because they had a tendency to turn flour a grey colour. The were replaced with churt composite millstones, or “French” stones, which although more expensive to manufacture produced a white flour, and needed re-facing less often. Millstones from this quarry are reported to have been transported to the river Trent by placing an axle through 2 millstones and driving them over the moors. From the Trent they were transported by river to Hull and then distributed around the country from that port.

My website: Deep Mono Photography

This part of Lumsdale always makes me imagine discovering an ancient, ruined temple in a jungle clearing.

Taken on the Flickr Lumsdale Group meet on February 15th 2014 with Graham Fox, Kev Palmer, Steve Woodhead, Sean Chapman, Dave Oxtaby and last, but certainly not least Liz. (Oh, and a flying visit by Iain)

More information about Lumsdale can be found here.

So this is a NEW picture, it's fair to say I've almost forgotten what one of those is, Lockdown hasn't treated me well, I've felt very trapped and very fed up about the whole not being able to go anywhere, I''ve not been on here as much as well as I really didn't want to see all the places I was being stopped from visiting. I know everybody is in the same boat but it has affected me adversely to the point where yesterday I just had to get out.

We decided to go for our allowed exercise (walk) in the Peak District where there had just been a recent dusting of snow, the drive over was interesting with nil visibilty in parts and thick snow, I envisaged the scene I wanted to photograph, and indeed 1 mile away everything was covered in snow but the mist was very dense so it would be a challenge, in this image there a little bit of mist at the the very summit, minutes before you couldn't see any of it!

Arriving at this spot I was quite amazed to find that this was the only hill in the area not to be completely covered in snow, not even a flake! also the mist was that bad you could hardly make the hill out, just so glad to be out again with the camera I decided to just stand there and wait to see if I got a break in the weather, as you can see, amazingly it happened, looking at the scene it didn't seem that it ever would but amazingly it did! so pleased, a worthwhile journey and the best image I've got from this location to date, it really didn't last long either with the clag coming back in shortly afterwards and hardly lifting again all day, enjoyed the walk, and came back with an image, happy camper, so good for the soul. Hardly saw anyone else all day, I'm gonna continue to pick quiet locations to travel to for a walk and hopefully some photography, all it needs is common sense.

Portfolio of images on my own website here

Located immediately north of Pond Cottages the southern tip of the Pond 2 retains a sluice gate but the head of water was not used to provide power; the pond acted merely as a reservoir. This pond remains water-filled but is heavily silted, and is the subject of a current (2014) Heritage Lottery Grant bid to reinstate it.

historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1417570

Chatsworth

The well known rock formation of the Kit-Kat stones that sit under the plateau of Higger Tor. In the distance the Iron Age Hill Fort of Carl Wark and...

It was so very windy up on Higger Tor when my brother and I ventured up for sunrise that using a tripod was futile. It was well worth the effort...