Birchover
- Andle Stone - Cork Stone
- Moor Plantations Triangulation Pillar
(S4151) - Nine Ladies Stone Circle - Lees Road -
Stanton in Peak - Alport - Bradford Dale - Limestone
Way - Castle Ring - Harthill Moor Farm - Stone Circle
-
Robin Hoods Stride - Limestone Way - Birchover
On
one of the few sunny days so far of 2009 I decided
to walk across Stanton Moor from Birchover. There
were very few people around as I started my walk
at 9.45am. I walked up the main road (passing Barton
Hill Quarry) out of Birchover. Keeping on the main
road turning left along Birchover Road I continued
as far as the field with the Andle Stone. This was
the first of many ancient stones I would visit today.
The views from the Andle Stone across to Harthill
Moor and Alport were great. I then returned back
to Birchover Road and retraced my steps back to one
of the entrances on to Stanton Moor. It was only
a short distance to one of Stanton Moors famous stones
- the Cork Stone - which I suppose gets its name
from the resemblance to a champagne bottle cork.
The stone is fairly tall and has several metal hand
holds for ascent to the top for the more adventurous
walker or climber. There is the remains of a small
quarry (New Park Quarry) behind the stone. My path
from the Cork Stone was the one on the right hand
side behind the stone across
the heather. This took me to the summit cairn of
Stanton Moor and eventually to the triangulation
pillar of Moor Plantations (S4151). I expect that
the scenery around the pillar and cairn are lovely
when
the heather
is in
full
bloom.
After
I short stop at the summit I continued across the
moor returning to the main path. I walked across
heather and then walked through woodland to arrive
at Nine Ladies Stone Circle. There is an information
board nearby to Stone Circle describing the history
of the circle and moorland. Today the circle was
mainly in shade as the sun does not get very high
in the sky at this time of the year. There was nobody
around while I was there at the circle. From the
Nine Ladies Stone Circle I headed off the moor to
gain access to the Lees Road. I then followed the
Lees Road through Stanton in Peak down to the main
Ashbourne to Bakewell road. I crossed the road and
then followed paths across fields and a caravan site
to Alport.
From
Alport I picked up the path through Bradford
Dale to the Limestone Way near Youlgrave. Then it
was
across
fields ascending on muddy paths to Harthill Moor.
I visited Castle Ring (not much to see there!!),
a stone circle and Robin Hoods Stride. I clambered
to the summit to take advantage of the great views
including Chatsworth. I descended down to the main
road then followed the road for a few metres to a
stile on the right near a milestone. The ground on
the other side of the stile was very muddy and boggy.
I had to pick my way around the muddy area through
brambles etc. The path was also steep and very slippery.
Eventually the path levels out and the path becomes
more stony and less muddy. I carried on to the village
of Birchover and my car. After changing out of my
boots etc I had a well earned pint of Leatherbritchers
in the Druids Inn. |
