Author Topic: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'  (Read 4097 times)

joester

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Family Joester had a good slog round the White Peak today in the sunshine (get it whilst you can!).  The walk had a couple of suprises in store, which is mainly why I wanted to share with you.

We parked at Friden Brickworks, near Newhaven.
A short trot down the road leads you to the head of Long Dale, which is a bit sloppy underfoot (and not much fun, to be honest) before you leave the cattle behind and enter Long Dale proper:



It was so peaceful in there (apart from my kids!).
We went right down Long Dale and into the more verdant Gratton Dale, eventually popping-out at Dale End.
Back into lush pasture at Gratton Grange Farm, after a while we encountered this:



I found it is the last lines of 'In Praise of Limestone' by WH Auden.  It reads:
"but when I try to imagine a faultless love
    Or the life to come, what I hear is the murmur
Of underground streams, what I see is a limestone landscape."

Here is the setting for this strange installation:



There was more strangeness to come.
We walked on past Mount Pleasant Farm and Kenslow Farm, before getting on the road again to get onto 'Green Lane'.
On Green Lane, not far before getting onto the High Peak Trail, we found this:



I have discovered that 'Aquae Arnemetiae' is the what the Romans first called Buxton, and there's an obvious reference to the Derwent there too.

I have also found that both the Roman inscription and the Auden cobbles are part of some Millenium project called 'Sites of Meaning' - there are quite a few more round and about, apparently (I'll have to seek the others out).

Unfortunately, any references I could find to the Roman inscription did not translate it, and it is damn hard to translate latin without knowing the grammar.
It begins 'this road...' and then somthing about management or curation.
The next line seems to be about a 'road not sustained' (looked after?).
 If there any scholars amongst you that could help me out? (or just people that are better at searching the Internet than I am!)

A fine afternoon out with some unexpected suprises.
I love it when the countryside yeilds these little secrets.

solvitur ambulando

Dazza

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #1 on: 23:55:43, 08/08/09 »
Unexpected surprises thats for sure.

Sounds like a good day and good walk.
Dazza
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These boots were made for walking so that's just what I'll do. After I've re-proofed them of course...

joester

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #2 on: 18:12:42, 09/08/09 »
'In Praise of Limestone' part deux.

Having got rid of the two oldest daughters until Friday, and noticing that it still wasn't raining, we drove up into the White Peak again.

This time, we started at Alstonfield, and walked up to the top of Narrowdale Hill, at 367m, it provides a splendid vista, here's a shot looking down at the Hartington Bridge Area:



We then descended northwards to the foot of the hill, Narrowdale Hall lies at its base, it appears that it would suit an 'enthusiastic DIY-er', if no-one takes it on soon it will be a ruin within 10 years.  That would be a shame:



And then round the corner into Wolfscote Dale.  For those of you that have never visited the Dales of Derbyshire, the walk down Wolfscote Dale into Mill Dale and eventually Dove Dale is the epitomy of what these deep limestone sanctuaries are all about, come and see!



We walked down the dale as far as Coldeaton bridge, having passed a rather friendly heron posing for photos (see the animal pictures thread).  A steep ascent takes you out of the Dale back towards Alstonfield, here's looking back down:



And on that same climb, here's looking South towards Mill Dale (little Bea is liking it):



A rather nettle-y path takes you back to the quaint, well-kept Youth Hostel at Alstonfield.

A marvellous afternoon out.
solvitur ambulando

genji

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #3 on: 18:16:42, 09/08/09 »
A fun day too by the looks of it.
"pain is your bodies way of telling you that it is hurting"

Rambler7

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #4 on: 19:54:56, 14/09/09 »
I've just joined the forum, based on seeing your message.

The wife and I discovered Longdale and Gratton Dale 2 or 3 years ago as we ventured further from Sheffield. The 3 stones at GR190602 and the inscription on the Bradford Dale slab bridge, both set us thinking, but we didn't realise they were part of something that much bigger.

Thanks very much for saying that they are part of the Sites of Interest project. We now have 15 other reasons to go to Middleton this weekend.

We need something more sensible to do as we completed the Kielder Challenge (26 miles) on Saturday. Definitely worth a visit next year on Saturday 4/9/10.

C & G (Ramblers)

joester

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #5 on: 20:18:33, 14/09/09 »
That's good to hear, thanks.

I'd like to see what some of the other Sites look like, do you have pictures? if not, do post up photos of the others once you find them.

All the best,

Joe
solvitur ambulando

Rambler7

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #6 on: 20:57:20, 14/09/09 »
Joe,
We've got the odd photo, but as not catalogged, they will take some finding. Not got a lot of time this week but will have a look over the weekend.

C&G

stevieboy378

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #7 on: 21:06:44, 16/09/09 »
Here are a few more to look out for :




At the top of Long Dale (The muddy, unpleasant part) :




Midway down Long Dale (this is "The 3 stones at GR190602" mentioned by Rambler7):




On the lane that runs between Middleton and Dale End :




Check out http://www.sitesofmeaning.org.uk/ for a list and map references of the stones . . . .
« Last Edit: 21:49:02, 16/09/09 by stevieboy378 »
"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ! . . .
. . . .except the weasels." - Homer Simpson

Steve Wilcox

Dazza

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #8 on: 23:08:50, 16/09/09 »
Some interesting landmarks.

The White Peak is a great place to walk, lot of interesting diversions as you've nicely proven.

Was stamping around the Roaches today. A very highly recommended jaunt.
« Last Edit: 23:16:07, 16/09/09 by Dazza »
Dazza
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These boots were made for walking so that's just what I'll do. After I've re-proofed them of course...

joester

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #9 on: 13:46:41, 17/09/09 »
That's brilliant Steve, cheers.

For some obscure reason, my Google search didn't actually pull-up the main Sites of Meaning website!

It ain't giving the game away about the latin inscription though!

I feel a bit of a twerp now actually, because we must have walked past the first two.
I imagine the first would be hard to spot, and the second, well I guess it just didn't register somehow! - Mr Observant I'm obviously not!

I do remember seeing the faces in the last photo ('Smerrill'), but I must of just thought 'that's a bit odd' and walked on (I don't like walking with the kids on narrow country lanes, and am always keen to get back onto paths asap).

It seems rather strange to me now that my first little report does not include these three.  I guess there is something mental that governs what we conciously notice, and the significance we attach to it if we have noticed something. 
I guess that day my capacity for both of those was somewhat variable...
solvitur ambulando

stevieboy378

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #10 on: 14:11:35, 17/09/09 »

I feel a bit of a twerp now actually, because we must have walked past the first two.
I imagine the first would be hard to spot, and the second, well I guess it just didn't register somehow!

IIRC, the first part of Long Dale as you leave the road at Friden ( the muddy unpleasant part ) is a track beside a field. There is a broken-down drystone wall on your left, between you and the field. I think the stone is part of that wall, and is easy to overlook. Don't quote me on that though - its been a few years since I was there last ! !
The 2nd one (the 3 stones ) sits next to a stile on the valley bottom, roughly 2 thirds of the way down to Gratton Dale - it has a wall placed in front of it, I think, to keep people from climbing on it. There is another path down the valley, on the left hand slope as you walk towards Gratton Dale. If you were on this path, and not the one along the valley floor, you could have missed it. On the valley floor path however its pretty unmissable . . .
"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ! . . .
. . . .except the weasels." - Homer Simpson

Steve Wilcox

joester

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #11 on: 16:05:20, 17/09/09 »
yep, valley floor all the way! (as in my first photo in the O.P) - hence my previous post.

Perhaps it has a 'Somebody Else's Problem Field' around it?....
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stevieboy378

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Re: Long & Gratton Dales - 'In Praise of Limestone'
« Reply #12 on: 16:22:05, 17/09/09 »
Just checked back through me photos - heres a shot of the 3 stones, and surrounding wall, from the hillside, looking down towards where Long Dale meets Gratton Dale :



a close up of the stones :



The path crosses the wall to the left of the stones, via a stile.
ISTR the only reason I spotted the stones was beacause I stopped at the stile to get my drinks bottle out of my rucksack - so perhaps it is possible to pass it by unnoticed . .
« Last Edit: 16:28:56, 17/09/09 by stevieboy378 »
"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ! . . .
. . . .except the weasels." - Homer Simpson

Steve Wilcox

 

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