A "Weather Stone" and Dinner with Adrian.

Wednesday 4th June, 2104 still at Bugsworth Basin.
We awoke to gentle rain from a brightish sky. We had planned to stay here for the day and do some exploratory walks in the area. However, the rain was set in for the day so instead we decided to go to Buxton on the train.
We walked the one mile down the towpath to Whaley Bridge where there is a railway station. On the way we passed a cottage with a "weather stone" hanging outside.

The stone was wet - so it must have been raining!
Whaley Bridge and Bugsworth Basin are the twin termini of the Peak Forest Canal. Whereas Bugsworth Basin is huge with multiple lime kilns etc., Whaley Bridge is just a turning point and a transhipment shed, where limestone was transferred from trucks to canal barges.

 The town is thriving and has a typical Peak District look about it. The station had some charming features including a beautiful stained glass panel over the entrance.

The station was even still "manned" with a proper ticket office, where we bought our Senior returns to Buxton for the princely sum of £4.25 each.
The journey was a delight, glorious countryside as the train wound round dales and hills so typical of Derbyshire. The train called at Chapel-en-le-Frith and Dove Holes, two towns that we have often driven through on our way from Huddersfield to Buxton.
We arrived in Buxton shortly before midday and immediately headed to our favourite tea rooms, "Number Six", directly facing the renowned Opera House. We got to know the town fairly well in 2009 when we spent a week here for the annual Gilbert & Sullivan Festival.
Feeling restored by a light lunch, after our long (25 minute!) train journey, we walked through the theatre's beautiful conservatory of tropical plants.

On the far side of the conservatory is a restaurant, where we used to eat most nights before the theatre, and a very nice gift shop, where we acquired a couple of local OS Maps. Despite the rain, we took a walk through the beautiful Pavilion Gardens, which are a delight. We were fascinated by a new feature: a tree stump skillfully carved into animal shapes.

Walking back to MM from Whaley Bridge Station, we found what must be the narrowest footpath ever!

 

Back at the Basin we called in at the little shop by the canal entrance to acquire some information leaflets. The shop is run by volunteers from the "Inland Waterways Protection Society", the restoration group responsible for restoring the Basin. The couple on duty had been involved in the restoration from the beginning in 1968 and were fascinating to talk to. They observed, wryly, that the restoration could not have taken place today as it was almost all done by volunteers and nowadays, Health & Safety would not allow it.
The rain eased off by 5pm when Adrian arrived to join us for dinner. He's been on a course at Penistone for two weeks to qualify to use a new non-destructive test system. Penistone is the only place in the world where this qualification is available and two of the three people on the course with Adrian were from Brisbane, Australia!
After a cup of tea, we all walked round the Basin, pointing out the features of this gem of an industrial heritage site.

We had dinner in the Navigation Inn just a hundred yards from where MM is moored. The Inn's history goes back to the original development of the basin about 1800. Until recently, it was owned by Pat Phoenix of "Coronation Street" fame.
Adrian sampled a pint of "Tiller Girl" ale before dinner! He set off back to his hotel after dinner and said afterwards that the drive back through classic Dales country had been a delight.
Today: No travel.