Tideswell is a
pretty Derbyshire village that I remember visiting as a young man when I
studied at Sheffield nearby, a lifetime ago.
Alas today I felt
no inclination to linger, feeling driven to reach Castleton and Edale, the
start of my Pennine Way walk last year.
Tideswell nevertheless
delayed me with a few discoveries such as the fossils in the floor tiles in the
church. I suspect people often think me overly pious as I walk head bowed in
churches, actually looking for fossils in the marble flooring tiles.
I struck off along
the Pennine Bridleway to Castleton where I lingered to gaze on the Peverill Castle,
a place I’d visited many times decades before (and then free of charge as I remember!)
then through Castleton and onto the last ascent of Stage 2 of my journey.
I finally
reached the ridge above Castleton then down to Edale and the Ramblers Inn in
Edale where I decided to celebrate walking over 750 kms (almost 500 miles) from
Lands End with a half pint of ‘Grays Best.’
In Sheffield I
was greeted by Pete Wildbore, a friend since our time together in Sheffield
University Entertainments Committee and various excursions to France Spain and various
curry houses.
