Day 40 – Buxton to Whaley Bridge (Backwards) – 8½ miles

My bad timing

Today was a forced rest day – forced because the hotels have a two-night minimum for a Saturday stay due to the Buxton festival. My next overnight will be on Monday in Glossop, so I decided that today I should walk approximately halfway to Glossop with a light pack, leaving most of the weight here at my Buxton hotel. Logistically, it made sense to cover the route backwards, so I took a train from Buxton to Whaley Bridge, and walked back to Buxton from there. The train ride took 17 minutes; the walk, four hours.

The day started out warm, with a slight overcast. As would be expected on a pleasant Sunday, many people were outdoors. Mountain bikers were the most numerous on the dual-purpose trail, and the only walkers I encountered today were families with children. As I passed a car park, two small children were sitting on a ground cover with their parents, eating a snack. “Have you been walking?” I asked. “Yes,” replied one of the children. “And my little legs are very tired.”



Flowing from pasture to...

 The route passed through cow pastures, woods, over creeks and around a reservoir. Now let’s see – the cows are in high pastures, from which the water flows downhill through the woods and into the reservoir, from where it’s piped into the city’s water mains, and through the faucets into the hotel sinks.




...reservoir






All this time I thought the brown water in the basin was from my socks.

The views from on high were typically lovely, except for the dark clouds in the distance. I encountered a few sprinkles just as I entered Buxton.  As I sit here writing this report, townspeople have unfurled their umbrellas.

Tomorrow I’ll take the train back to Whaley Bridge, and then continue walking to Glossop – another easy 8 mile day. I’m beginning to think that if I extend my stay until November, every day can be an 8-mile day. But I doubt George and Ann will put up with me for two weeks.



© 2011 Ken Klug