With Nellie much recovered from her leg operation, I decided we both needed a walk with a difference. There was to be no field and stile hike for this issue. Instead, I introduced Nellie to a new experience and watched as she thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so lovely to have my enthusiastic little canine sidekick beside me again. I’m so proud of her getting through the last four months of pain and boredom.
Having parked up in Matlock, we walked to the railway station and I bought a ticket to Matlock Bath which cost just 85p after a discount for using my senior rail card. What a bargain! A lovely new train arrived and we got on board. Nellie was a bit nervous but I’d bought some pieces of pork pie as bribery and packed some kitchen roll in case of any nervous ‘leaks’. I needn’t have worried though because she really seemed happy. Nellie’s eagle eyes watched the world outside whizz by until darkened by a tunnel. The only thing that freaked her out was the loud female voice over the tannoy speaker advising passengers of all the stops on the route to Nottingham. Our carriage was almost empty apart from us and she just couldn’t work out where the voice was coming from.
Two minutes down the line and we alighted at Matlock Bath where I discovered the trackside path I used in the past has been closed, the route to the lower cable car terminus now being down towards the river.
The Heights of Abraham has been a popular gondola lift of about 1/3rd of a mile since 1984, although the cable cars were upgraded and made larger some twenty years ago. It is just one of Derbyshire’s many tourist attractions and also loved by many locals as well. Although dog friendly, I decided against a ride up to Prospect Tower as this could well have been an excitement overload for Nellie. Instead we headed up the path to the entrance of High Tor Grounds.
We slowly ascended one of the woodland paths, taking each step and incline with care, and allowing time to admire fabulous scenes around us of trees draped in their best autumn colours and fallen leaves lying in scrunched up heaps, eagerly awaiting a good kicking.
I didn’t take Nellie right to the summit and edge of High Tor, instead following a wide path to the mast that I knew was not as challenging. There were chasms and old mine shafts capped with metal grills all over the place as this area was extensively worked for lead ore, dating back to Roman times.
We then descended, with views of Matlock Bank before us, emerging onto Church Street close to St Giles, sited at the oldest part of Matlock. A house of worship is known to have existed here from at least 1150.
After a very slow descent of cobbles down Stoney Way we were back to level ground at Knowleston Place, a picturesque backwater dominated by a terrace of four fabulous early Victorian houses. Opposite are gardens and the start of Lovers Walk path. Just before the entrance to Hall Leys Park are a couple of Matlock’s earliest houses alongside a brand new house that is being erected where I remember Denzil Smith’s garage used to be.
It was market day, so after a zig-zag walk past the boating lake, bandstand and café, Nellie and I headed to the cluster of lovely stalls. Some were purposefully decorated with autumn colours or had a Halloween theme. Nellie thoroughly enjoyed having a good nosey, walking through pockets of marketgoers and pedestrians in the centre of town, saying hello to other dogs and peeping inside shops. The change of scenery and fun of doing something different took its toll. Nellie was worn out when we got home and slept on the sofa for hours. Meanwhile, I did a bit more work on our book which I hope to have out in the spring.
Sally Mosley
FOOTNOTE BY NELLIE: You’ll never guess what I’ve done? If you’ve already read mum’s walk blog you will know that I’ve been on a train. I was really brave and sat as still as I could. Mum was relieved I didn’t do a nervous tiddle because it was a new train with nice carpet down the aisles. Once the doors shut there was no getting off but mum had found the shortest journey possible for my first ride and it was time to get off before I’d even got comfy. Now that I know it’s not scary on trains we can go further. Mum says she’s going to try out a bus next because she wants us to go green. I’m a bit confused by that though because I don’t think she would like it if I threw up everywhere?! Mum also says we are going to improve our carbon footprints but I’ve looked at my paws and they don’t seem that mucky?! And she thinks I’m the bonkers one! Little sniggers, Nellie xx
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