Toad's Day

Our walk today was one in which lambs took a back seat to TOADS! Starting from Hayfield, we stocked up with Eccles Cakes and headed off for the Snake Path. This picture was taken just as we were about to join the path (looking back towards Hayfield village)

Snake Path is apparently a famous right of way, dedicated in 1897; we passed through a number of kissing-gates until we reached the National Trust's High Peak estate; here the plateau of Kinder Scout filled the skyline in the open view that lay ahead.

Turning left off Snake Path we headed down through heather and bilberry on the fringe of Middle Moor. This turned into braken and rhododendrons as we approached the wall surrounding the grounds of Park Hall. Through a gate in the wall we swung left down to Little Hayfield; acroos the A624 and down to an old mill which has been tastefully converted into residential use. It was here that, a sign to warn mororists, Toads were first brought to our attention.

It was now time to climb again! Across two bridges, up a stone causey, then, climbing more sharpley, on to an ivy-covered house. Two stiles and an easier climb along a sunken track by a dry stone wall.

We never did see the apparentl unusual finger-post marking a six-way footpath junction but we cut south across rough pasture, inhabited by Highland Cattle and onwards and upwards to the summit of Lantern Pike.

Again this is National Trust Land. We headed, downhil now, south towards a drystone wall which we followed to the left and through a gate onto a farm track.

Sheep, the worse for wear, loosing their fleece were in feilds to either side of the path as we headed towards a minor road.

At the road we turned right and immediately left by a sign to Hegginbottom Farm. On this track, just after the sharp left at a hairpin, the first Toad was encountered. Chris was very worried about the "toad drying out" in the heat of the day.

She was all for carrying her to water or the shade; she didn't and we continued on our way, over a wall-stile on the right, before the farm buildings, and through two narrow squeeze-stiles.

Toad Two! much nearer the River Sett ahead and the reservior beyond; Chris was even more convinced that the previous toad, and possibly this one, should have been helped on their way to breed in either the river or reservoir.

We arrived, and crossed by bridge, the River Sett. No sign of toads but an orange-tip butterfly grabbed our attention; the path then negotiates the western end of the reservoir, containing a distinctive round island. This path was covered with toads! Chris and I had to take great care where we placed our feet; some females were carrying males on their back as they neared the water.

The path rose to a former railway, now known as the Sett Valley Trail. We stopped and had our Eccles Cakes before heading back along the Trail to the carpark.

The walk can be seen at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=841861 and if you click on the hyperlink small next to the word elevation, you will see a profile of the walk as well. It may only have been 4.8667 miles but we also had two steep climbs.

Back home now and it is time to get ready for San Francisco. Chris is packing and I thought I'd better do the blog before I forgot what we did. Looking forward to seeing the San Franciscans tomorrow! Watch this space...

technorati tags:Hayfield, Lantern Pike, Snake Path, River Sett, Toads

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