It is near the end of the day though there are several hours sunlight left but we have headed back to our little home on the farm to listen to the ‘baaing’ of the sheep, enjoy a cup of tea, rest our weary legs and enjoy some peace and solitude. Today was a Sunday in England so there were lots of people about enjoying the absolutely beautiful day – blue skies, warm temperatures, soft breeze.
After the usual traditional breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, tomato, sausage and corn cakes, we headed north, surrounded by fog, trusting once more in our Satellite Navigator, which once again chose some interesting scenic roads to our destination which was the Ladybower Reservoir on the Derwent River, far north of the Peak District.
There is a large dam here built in the early nineteen hundreds. During the second world war the airforce used this area to practice it’s dam busting techniques as the dam is similar to some in Germany. Apparently Peter Jackson is doing a remake of the movie ‘Dam Busters’ (from a very reliable source – overhearing a conversation of a dam museum guide)…..
We then headed south to take in the historical and scenic site of Peveril Castle, built in the 1100’s used as a seat of authority and for defence purposes. All that remain are the ruins but some artists have drawn what they think the inside of the castle looked like. It reminded me of some of the movie scenes in Lord of the Rings where there is a wall surrounding houses and a tower. To get to the Castle requires an energetic walk up a steep hill but the view of the valley and the pretty village below make it worth the effort. 
However I came away feeling glad I was born in the 20th century, life was tough back then. It was a very scenic spot but we had to share it with lots of people so after a long walk back to the car (these Brits don’t know how to provide carparking!!) we were glad to be chooffing off again in our cute little Renault hoping to find a quieter spot.
We even drove past Rivendale, Bagshot & Biggins .. is this LOTR country??
We found it in Abor Low which is another prehistoric circle of stones, much larger then the ones we saw yesterday, but lying down (perhaps pushed over by some superstitious farmer many years ago) but nevertheless a special place – a strange feeling to be touching something that had meaning for people who lived thousands of years ago. We did have to share it, but only with a handful of people and also some sheep, great views again of surrounding farms.
We continued further south to Dovedale which again provided spectacular scenery with the sky covered in hang gliders.
Another very enjoyable day, how long can this perfect weather last?!
