On Sunday 23rd October Will and I drove to a campsite just outside of Bakewell, Derbyshire, in the Peak District to meet up with Nicola. It was half-term for UK schools so Nic had the week off. Her dad had recently bought a campervan which Nicola was allowed to borrow for a few days.
The campsite was lovely, walking distance to Bakewell, and an even shorter walk to a small little village called Ashford in the Water.
The campervan was very flash with plenty of room for the three of us. At the press of a button the table above lowers to make a platform on which you rearrange the seating cushions to make a double bed where Will and I slept. Another button lowers the platform you can see at the very top in the pic above to make a second double bunk. It was a very clever set-up, and surprisingly comfortable. The camper was fully self-contained with toilet and shower, but we used the campsite facilities instead which were excellent.
On Monday Will dropped Nic and I off at a starting point for a walk, then found himself a nice cosy old-fashioned coffee shop in Bakewell to do some work. Nicola and I had a very nice walk, although I did discover that I'm actually quite scared of large cattle with horns! We had to walk through several paddocks with them in and it was a bit unnerving...
We had an excellent meal that evening at one of the two pubs in Ashford. It's always a good sign when there are several things on the menu you want to eat and it is tough deciding! I do miss these UK country pubs, especially after a good walk in the countryside. Good food, a roaring fire, friendly locals, and a selection of beers and ales on tap, what's not to like??!
Will left on Tuesday morning to drive up to Newcastle where he was spending a couple of days for work, including giving a presentation at Newcastle University. That day Nic and I took on Mam Tor, one of the iconic peaks in the area.
We had a lovely day up on the hills, enjoying spectacular views of the surrounding area.
We stayed in for dinner that night, enjoying a very tasty tapas-style feast, while also making sure we re-hydrated after our big day of walking (I'm sure wine counts...).
On Wednesday Nicola and I spent a full day at
Chatsworth House, a very impressive stately home about 5km from Bakewell.
The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire still live in the property, which must be a bit like living in a goldfish bowl at times... The study below is one of the rooms they still regularly use.
Here are a few more pics from inside.
Whilst the house itself was impressive, it was the grounds that I really enjoyed. The estate was amazing, particularly at that time of the year with all the Autumn colour.
I've seen a few of these reflective sculptures in my travels this year and I really like them. Art that is designed to be interacted with gets my tick of approval.
When the fountain was first built in the 1800s it was the tallest in the UK. It still remains one of the highest gravity-fed fountains in the world.
I did get a bit of kitchen garden envy... Our chooks would go mad for all of that silverbeet!
We spent longer exploring the grounds than we had inside. I think I need to up my game and take some posing tips from Nicola!
Here are some more pics of the grounds, including the maze (which was surprisingly difficult!) and the stables block.
We had an amazing day out at Chatsworth. We were there until closing, and could have stayed even longer. I'd highly recommend it if anyone happens to find themselves in the area...
On Thursday we spent a bit of time in the morning exploring Bakewell as we had spent very little time actually in the town. We also bought our obligatory Bakewell puddings and Bakewell tarts. It is a very picturesque little town.
Then, it was back to the campsite to pack up the campervan and hit the road, heading for York where we were meeting up with Will.
