44 outandaboutlive.co.ukSeptember 2019
TRAVEL ThePeak District
WE STAYEDAT
ChatsworthPark Caravan and Motorhome Club
Site,Baslow, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1PN
)^0124 6 582226 camc .comAll year
£Two adults, pitch and electric:From £22.90An archaeology open day is in progress at
Castleton’s NationalPark Centre by the car
park. While viewingfinds fr om l ocal digs, I
am persuaded totry one of the ‘games’ on
offer – matching artefacts to eras.
Then, as I’m not sure about driving over
Winnats Pass, we take a walkup the val ley
and over the hill to Blue John Cavern. On
the waywe pass two other ca vern s open t o
the public – Speedwell and Treak Cliff – bu t
Blue John is the only one that al lows dogs
on its un derground tours.
It’s far too hot to leave a dog shut up in
a vehicl e andthis ca nine-friendly policy
results in ourtourguide leadingfive adults,
two children and four dogs down the
steep, slippery steps into semi-darkness.
Fortuna tely, ourfour-l egged friends are all
fit andagile; it wouldn’t be a pl ace to take
old or delicate pooches.
The ca ves havebeen naturally formed by
flowing water,leaving walls and ceiling with
swirling patterns of erosion. Blue John was
discovered here in the 1700sby prospectors
looking forveins of lead. Instead, they
found interesting crystals that they sent
to preciousstone expert s in France. This
attractive rock turned outto be a u nique
mineral, only occurring in Blue John and
Treak Cliff Ca verns. The French simply
named it ‘bleu et jaune’ because of its colour
and this was corrupted locally to ‘Blue John’.Our gu ide leads us ever deeper thro ugh
caver ns, pointing out slimy stalactites and
the fo ssils of crinoids embedded in the
limestone wa lls, until we are standing at the
bottom of a chamber 150fthigh.
Then, of course,we have to clim b all the
steps back up.
The heat hi ts usas we arrive at the
surface andI’m tempted tohead back
underground. At least ourreturn rout e is
downhill and we take a differentpath that
goes beside a stream where Braan can drink.
Dark clouds roll over before we are back
at Stella and we haven’t dr iven far before
the heavens op en in a terrific thunderstorm.
Never mind, ourtime is up and we’re
heading home tomorrow.
This trip hasbeen memorable for the
continental-style temperatures we’ve
experienced and the luminous dawn
light se en when ri sing early. But what has
impressed me most is the landscape.
I will lo ng rememberwalking the Edges,
following paths alo ng the brink of long,
blocky cliffs of millstone grit, with heather
moorland stretching eastwards an d
tremendousviews westwards ov er a maze
of valleys. We’ve only touched onwhat the
Peak District hasto offer andagree we must
return soon, in part to see what it looks
like when the sc ener y is green rather than
scorchedby drought.Top 10 Walks:Peak District:
Rocks & Edgesby Dennis
Kelsall ispublishedby
Northern Eye Books
ISBN978-1-908632-06-7BOOK
ABOVE CLOCKWISEThe
keep ofPeveril Castle;
Castleton village; The River
Derwent flows through
Chatsworth Park