The second picture was taken from the left hand river bank looking towards the waterrfall. There’s not much light available for photography, so a tripod is an essential piece of kit. Fortunately I still have my ancient one from many years ago and it proved invaluable. The first picture needed a 25sec exposure at an aperture of f11 to give me detail from front to back. Just for comparison, the second picture had an exposure time of 0.3sec with an aperture of f2.8.

The third picture was taken with the tripod placed in the middle of the river. No, I didn’t get my feet wet as the river is pretty shallow in most places, though you do have to be careful not to step back from the camera without looking first For this picture the exposure was 13sec at f11.

And finally the movie. The camera I used was a Canon Ixus 960 IS, which is a compact “point and shoot” type of camera that is completely automtic. To be honest I didn’t think it would have been able to cope very well with the low light conditions in the clough, so I was pretty impressed with the still pictures I had been getting. However, I really didn’t think I would get anything worthwhile on the video setting. Still, nothing ventured nothing gained, so I took a one minute video with the camera on the tripod.

Beresford and Wolfcote Dales, Derbyshire
Start point: Hartington, Ordnance Survey Map OL24, Grid Ref: SK 129 604

Click here to download a full screen version of this walk (CAUTION: the file is 2MB in size).

Circuit of Chrome Hill, Derbyshire
Start point: Longnor, Ordnance Survey Map OL24, Grid Ref: SK 088 649

Click here to download a full screen version of this walk (CAUTION: the file is 3.5MB in size).

Six Dales Walk, Derbyshire
Start point: Monsal Head, Ordnance Survey Map OL24, Grid Ref: SK 184 715

Click here to download a full screen version of this walk (CAUTION: the file is 5.5MB in size).

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The next picture is another wild flower that grows in profusion in lots of places around the meadows, but one that unfortunately very quickly turns into literally millions of seeds floating in the air, much the way dandelions do. However, it does have a nice name; the rosebay willowherb, and flowers between July and September. You’ll find it on wasteground, cleared woodland and riverbanks.

The fourth picture I have entitled “Storm on Winter Hill”, and is an attempt to produce a simulated coloured sketch using Photoshop.

My final picture is an attempt at table top photography utilising a small vase and some flowers that were borrowd from the Rivington Green Tea Rooms with the kind permission of the owner.

Well I hope you like this motley collection, it’s the best I could come up with for the moment as I have been rather too busy this past week to be able to make a more concerted effort to do better.

The first of these was a picture of a house near Springs Reservoir that has a rather grand embossed emblem on the perimeter wall. As you can see from the enlargement of the emblem, it says ‘Bolton Water Works’. A very smart looking house and a very grand emblem for such a work-a-day place.

Opposite the house is Springs Reservoir. A very small reservoir as reservoirs go, but with some lovely wild flowers growing by the side and with great scenery in the background.

My third picture was taken on Walker Fold Road of a tree I have seen many times and thought would make a nice shot. Today was my first attempt, though I’m sure I’ll be back on many other occasions when the opportune moments arrive.

My final picture, taken from the same vantage point, is of the large mast on Winter Hill. Not the greatest picture of Winter Hill you’ll come across but a reminder to me that there are many footpaths on Collier Row Road and Walker Fold Road that lead onto Winter Hill and that I have yet to try out.

As you can see from the picture, there wasn’t a great deal of light for good photographs. So I’m afraid that for the moment you will have to make do with this paltry effort until such time as I can go back there and do things properly.I’ll probably save that occasion until there has been some heavy rain so that there will be a lot more water passing over the waterfall than there was today.

It’s a 12Mb file so please be patient whilst it downloads, and if you will be viewing it in RealPlayer it looks terrific in full screen mode.

Not quite sure which way to go from the memorial, we decided to follow a path that followed the edge of the neighbouring field. This gradually took us uphill towards the head of the clough, and after a short time we met a group of young walkers on their way down. On enquiring with them, they told us that the waterfall we were seeking was a little farther along the path, but we would be unable to access it. They told us they had walked up the stream (literally) and had used their climbing ropes to get up the waterfall when they reached it. After a quick insepection of the top of the waterfall, and not being equipped with ropes, we decided we would leave it for another day.

Instead we decided to go and find another waterfall, this time not far from Belmont church. Once again we were unlucky, this time because there wasn’t much water coming down off Winter Hill and the waterfall wasn’t realy much to look at. Still, I did at least manage to get a picture of Ward’s Reservoir (also known as The Blue Lagoon) and one of Belmont Church.

Talking about it is one thing, doing it is something else. Still, nothing ventured nothing gained, so on reaching the footbridge I clambered over the fence and made my way along the narrow path. It quickly became obvious that the clough is very overgrown with trees, shrubs, and lots of thorn bushes. And the path, what there was of it, veered from one bank to the other at frequent intervals, Oh, and then there were the rocks in the stream. As you no doubt can gather, I was in for a fun time.

It seemed the best way forward was to clamber along the bed of the stream and hope I don’t put my feet in too deep. Once again the best laid plans of mice and men fell apart when my foot slipped off a moss covered rock and I found myself almost knee deep in water. If my friend John who came with me on the earlier trip had seen me this time he would probably have wet himself laughing at my antics.

I don’t think my two dogs, Brett and Sam were too impressed either. But they weren’t worrying about getting their feet wet, they were having a great time dropping a ball in the stream, letting it float away then chasing after it. Not conducive to finding waterfalls but funny to watch.

Eventually, after much stumbling about in the stream I came upon what appeared to be the bottom of the waterfall. Unfortunately the way forward was blocked by the rocky sides of the stream covered with overhanging tree branches and roots, plus a few more of those pesky thorns. I didn’t want to go back now after coming this far and at last sighting the waterfall, so I looked around to see if there was a way through.

With a bit of effort I managed to clamber up the rocky face on the left of the stream, but it soon became obvious that the way forward really was blocked. So, somewhat reluctantly, I retreated a little way and looked for a way up the grassy banks that would get me around this point. Much grunting and a few scratches later I had scrambled up above the clough and began searching for a path to follow. Eventually I found my way to a narrow road which I followed uphill, hoping I would then find a way back into the clough and the rest of the waterfall.

At the top of the hill I came upon a stile in the fence at the side of the road so I climbed over and followed the path back down towards the stream. Unfortunately, it seemed that if there was more to the waterfall I had passed it by, the stream once more being back to a fairly level course.

Interestingly, in amongst all the rocks and fallen trees I came across the remains of a wall. Why would anyone want to build a wall down here, was it the remains of a house or the remnants of a long lost industry?

Nearby was a long wooden stairway leading out of the clough and, as there didn’t seem to be any more of the waterfall I could find for the moment I decided it was time to head off home. So, calling Brett and Sam out of the stream for the last time, I walked up the stairway to a path that took me to the road back down to where my car was parked.

Close by where the path brought me out onto the road I saw a small clearing that seemed to be taken over by foxglove plants. A sort of foxglove haven you might say.

Just to make sure he didn’t miss out from having his picture taken, Sam decided to pose amongst the foxgloves.

Well, this time I did at least manage to see what looked like the beginnings of a waterfall. Maybe one day soon I’ll get to see the rest of it.