Sheffield - 12 September
After leaving East Kilbride on Friday morning, the first stop on St Leonards Ramblers’ weekend away was the local hotel in the village of Temple Sowerby some six miles east of Penrith. Here everyone enjoyed coffee and scones before setting off on a short 4 mile circular walk along the banks of the River Eden. On their return to the hotel, they enjoyed more refreshments before re-boarding the coach to drive to their ultimate destination of the Aston Hall Hotel on the southern outskirts of Sheffield. After an excellent dinner and enjoying the facilities and comforts of the hotel, all retired for a good night’s sleep to prepare for the next day’s exertions.
Saturday morning began overcast as the coach set off for the village of Ambergate. On leaving the coach, both high and low groups headed for the Cromford canal by which time light rain was falling. Following the canal northwards for around five miles, High Peak Junction was reached and with the rain having stopped, lunch was had in pleasant sunshine. After eating, the high walkers broke off westwards to climb up to Black Rock and descend to the village of Cromford at the head of the canal. The low walkers continued along the canal until they too reached Cromford. A social stop in the village preceded the coach trip back to their base in Sheffield for another excellent dinner and the after dinner entertainment.
Sunday morning was the start of a beautiful sunny day. After breakfast and a group photograph in the hotel gardens, the coach was loaded with the group’s luggage in readiness for the journey home, but not before a trip to the small town of Crich near Matlock. Crich is the home of the National Tramway Museum which is housed in its own self contained village with shops, pubs, tea rooms, operational trams and scores of stationery trams from around the country including a few old “glesca caurs”. Everyone took a nostalgic ride on a tram or two with the old penny they were given on entry and a great time was enjoyed in the sunshine exploring this unique “village”
The journey back to East Kilbride on Sunday evening was broken by a stop at Sedbury Home Farm near Scotch Corner and a comfortable trip up the M74 to East Kilbride ended what had been a memorable weekend away.