Bakewell Walk

The bus dropped nine lucky “non-walkers” in Bakewell (straight to the cake shops, no doubt), while the rest of us were taken on to Ashford-in-the-Water to actually do some walking.

We headed up through the meadows, joined the Monsal Trail for a short stretch, and wandered into Great Longstone, where we found a little stall of fruit and veg with an honesty box. A couple of us proved we had honesty… the rest walked by quickly, pretending not to notice the courgettes.

Next stop was the tiny church in Little Longstone, then up to Monsal Head for the all-important coffee break (probably the real reason most of us walk). Suitably fuelled, we took the higher path to Ashford — a bit rocky and uneven at first, but the views made up for any wobbles.

Lunch (and a pub stop!) in Ashford was very welcome. Then came the rain. Proper rain. We squelched our way along the river back to Bakewell, where the weather gods finally showed some mercy — just in time for us to stumble upon a food festival. Perfect! Nothing like a second lunch, especially when it involves cake.

We headed home at 4 o’clock, damp but cheerful. Big thanks to Trevor and Norman for back-marking (and keeping us all vaguely together), and to Vivienne and Dave C for snapping the photos that prove we didn’t spend all day in the pub.