Green

P and I went for a walk with Bertie, to give him (and us) a good leg stretch. The route took us down Tideswell and Cressbrook Dales, passing both Litton Mill and Cressbrook Mill (extra). In the early 19th century Litton Mill became notorious after investigations revealed the scale of abuse of child labour. The mills working lives are long gone, and both buildings are converted into apartments.

The Dales in the Peak are well wooded, with ash trees one of the dominant species. Ash die back is having to be dealt with and trees near footpaths felled before they become a danger to passing walkers. One day I will have to visit Dovedale again, a gorgeous dale where nearly all the trees are ash. I know it will be upsetting to see it. We passed a chair which someone had made out of ash, inscribed with the words “Ash Requiem 2021”. Not a place to sit comfortably (extra).

The main image is a view down the River Wye in Cressbrook Dale. The clear water allowed us to watch some very large trout swimming near the bank.