Three Dales walk.

It has been amazingly warm today but muggy and close.

There was a hint of mist on the tops of the hills as we set of on what was billed as a 6 mile walk from our hotel along the River Dove (my walking app recorded 7.99 miles!

We walked through Beresford Dale, Wolfscote Dale (both along the River Dove) and then Biggin Dale to return on a bridle path at fell top level to Hartington.

We sat outside our hotel for a refreshing drink when we got back and the sun came through which made it even hotter.

Lots of flora and fauna on our walk. I saw and identified my first Small Heath butterfly. We heard and then saw a Peregrine Falcon on the limestone cliffs above the river. The water was lined with mint which I've never seen growing this way before and there were lots of Cranesbills, Harebells and Scabiousmongst the wild flowers and no Hymalayan Balsam thank fully! I'm still experimenting a bit with my new compact camera for a holiday later in the year so tried some telephoto and some macro shots. I was amazed to see this hover fly looking so clear when I downloaded this Scabious so,decided to make it a tiny Tuesday blip.

We came to a point on the river, which is all private fishing,
and saw a fisherman demonstrating his technique to a family. He caught a brown trout (extra) as if to order, showed it to us and then put it back.

Later we went to Edensor on the Chatsworth estate. I wanted to see the graves of Deborah (Mitford) Devonshire and Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy who was married to her son, both buried at St Peter's church there. I've read quite a lot about both families and that of Earl Fitzwilliam (from Wentworth) who Kathleen died in an air crash with him in the late 1940's.

We didn't go into Chatsworth but could see quite a number of beautiful stags resting in the grounds.

A good day for wildlife and we had tea and cake too!

(Today would have been my dad's 99th birthday)