Monsal
Head Revisited - Part II
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Proudly displayed as a work
of art the remains of yet another cast-iron water wheel at the
newly-refurbished Litton
Mill where the name of the valley has changed yet again to
Miller's Dale.
I'm not sure, but this looks
like another mini-hydro-electric scheme for the rejuvenated mill
...
... and there's no shortage
of water or water pressure showing here at the convergence of
the main stream and the leat overflow.
Looking back at Litton Mill
hamlet, having crossed the Wye by the linked footbridges over
the divergence of the leat and main stream.
Further up the hill looking
back to Litton Mill from Priestcliffe Lees Nature Reserve and
noting the mist is still present but thinner and more penetrable.
Heading back to the start
now and passing by the working farm of Higher Brushfield ...
... the holiday cottages
at the Middle Farm ...
... and at Lower Farm, 'premises
ripe for development'.
Our path now lay along the
edge of the near-ravine of Taddington Dale where the A6 traffic
far below occasionally roared like a somnolent dragon.
Turning the corner back
into Monsal Dale the A6 heading to Bakewell can be seen at Lees
Bottom in the middle of the now larger and more gentle valley
of the Wye.
Up the valley, the landslip
visible on the far hillside above the weir is known as Hobs House.
Following the sweep of the edge of the wooded hillside ...
... brings us round to Monsal
Head where the building's white walls act as a beacon to the thirsty
and hungry traveller. We certainly felt we belonged in those categories
and we were well sated by the Chicken and Leek Pie and the house
bitter and white wine respectively.
But before we reached that
happy state we were able, in the mid-afternoon dusk, to savour
something of the famous view from the valley edge and the route
we had taken out mid-morning.
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