A Walk on Ramshaw Rocks – Peak District Holiday

26 Mon Oct 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in Days out, plants, Rural Diary, walking

Tags

bilberry, church of St Edward the Confessor, cotton grass, heather, Leek, Peak District, Pride and Prejudice, Ramshaw Rocks, rocks, Staffordshire Moorland, walking

Sunday 16th August was Richard’s birthday and we marked it quietly by attending one of the churches in Leek and then having an early lunch at one of our favourite cafés. My own father died shortly before my birthday five years ago and so I knew a little how Richard was feeling.

The church we attended was St Edward the Confessor and we were comforted by the familiar words of the service and afterwards were made very welcome by members of the congregation. I mentioned this church in a post I wrote about the visit we made last year to the Peak District. In that same post is a mention of the favourite café. We were concerned to see that the café was up for sale. Would it still be there next time we visited Leek and if it was, would it still provide us with tasty oatcakes?

I didn’t take any photographs of the interior of the church but Richard did with his phone. The church contains some beautiful embroidery and stained glass.

Stained glass in the church of St Edward the Confessor, Leek

Stained glass window – St Edward the Confessor

I know that one window in the north transept was designed by Edward Burne Jones and made by Morris and Co. Not having any means of finding out for certain which of these two windows is the window I cannot tag the photo. (I think it might be the round window).

Hen Cloud from Ramshaw Rocks

The following day, we drove the short distance to Ramshaw Rocks as we wanted to walk on them again. We parked the car by the side of the narrow road and walked up to the first of the rocks – the one we call the ‘Top Hat’ rock.

‘Top Hat’ rock. I expect you can’t understand why we call it that!

I can see another photo-bombing bee!

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) and Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus)

A sweet and juicy bilberry!

Beautiful grasses – possibly Tufted Hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa)

Perhaps you see now why we call it the ‘Top Hat’!

This rock may look familiar to some of you. Perhaps I should give you a clue. Stick with the link – you will see the rock eventually. If you haven’t the patience, the rock appears at 4.38 minutes into the clip.

This rock can be seen very clearly from the road on your left as you go north along the A53 from Leek to Buxton.

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The photos in the slideshow are all of the rocks we saw on our walk.

A view of the surrounding countryside from Ramshaw Rocks

IMG_5461Common Cotton-grass still in flower

I was surprised to see this Common Cotton-grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) still in flower in August

Lichen and moss on a rock

More Common Cotton-grass

A cocoon on Heather. I don’t know what made the cocoon.

Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)

Richard climbing up the hill

A view

and another!

Richard and the carved boulder

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Alpacas

This is some type of Bedstraw plant. Note the pink spots on the flower buds.

I found this tiny fir tree next to the path.

This colourful Rosebay Willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) caught my eye.

We had by this time walked back to near where we had begun our walk. We returned to our caravan for our evening meal and a hot drink.

Thanks for visiting!

Peak District Holiday 1st to 9th July. Day 6.

09 Fri Jan 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in Rural Diary, Uncategorized, walking

≈ 18 Comments

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Hen Cloud, rocks, The Roaches, Tittesworth Water, walking

Tittesworth Reservoir

After a very pleasant afternoon spent in Manchester with my mother-in-law, Richard and I returned to our caravan near Leek via the ‘Cat and Fiddle’ pass. This is a road that crosses the Peaks from Macclesfield to Buxton with the Cat and Fiddle pub at the summit at an altitude of 1690 feet. This has often been voted Britain’s most dangerous road as it has drystone walls along it and has many sharp and sometimes blind bends. It is a favourite road with motorcyclists. Richard drove carefully and we enjoyed glorious views across the Cheshire plains and over the moors. No photographs I’m afraid.

We had a quick meal and after a short rain shower passed over us we decided to go out for an evening walk. Our favourite short walk is up Hen Cloud and this is what we decided to do that evening.

The shower disappearing over the hill

The hill is a short drive from our camp-site – we can get there in less than ten minutes.

This is Hen Cloud seen from where we parked our car.

The most strenuous part of the walk is the steep ascent up the side of a field from the road which always leaves us a little breathless.

At the top of the field is a gate on the right leading to the path up Hen Cloud. If we look left we see The Roaches. The word ‘Roaches’ derives from the French word roches – rocks.

This is what The Roaches look like when we have ascended Hen Cloud a little.

A view of Tittesworth Reservoir (or Tittesworth Water as it is now called) from near the top of Hen Cloud

As you can see the path is fairly easy and goes through heather and cotton grass.

Tittesworth Water from the top of Hen Cloud. Why do some people feel it necessary to cut their names and messages into rocks and trees?

Looking through a gap in the rock we see the steep drop to the road below.

Another view of the Roaches. It has only taken us half an hour to get up here and we are old and infirm – well – nearly!

A different view from the top of Hen Cloud

And another!

Tittesworth Water again

These rocks are on the edge of the escarpment

On the other side of the line of trees below us was a camp full of teenage girls. You wouldn’t believe the noise of incessant chatter that floated up to us on the still evening air! Or perhaps you would, if you have anything to do with teenage girls!