Nuneaton Mountain and Hillwalking Club had a very enjoyable
winter walk in the Peak District between Christmas and New Year to
blow away the cobwebs of the festivities.
On a typical winters day the weather was fine, dry and very cold which makes for good walking. With just a slight breeze the temperature felt below freezing which was just fine. This walk started at Waterfall which is a small village just north of Waterhouses on the A523. Attending were members of the club, Keith, Michele, Martyn and David who were also joined by Sue and Phil from Burton for their first outing.
The days before had been very wet and the fields could have been a quagmire, however with the hard frost the ground was solid and made for easier walking. We descended down a pretty limestone valley descending down into Monsal Dale to head north. Normally in summer this is a busy trail winding its way through a beautiful river valley, but on this occasion there was virtually no one around, probably put off by the winter conditions, which was great for our group. After a few miles we came off the track and headed to Butterton which is worth a quick visit with its old houses and an interesting ford. Sadly the pub in the village was closed. We then made our way down another valley, over fields and eventually back to the cars. A nice winter’s walk, taking about five hours and just over ten miles in length.