October, and the summer finally came to an end with the first two named storms of the year. After all the months of baking weather it came as a bit of a shock to have to pack for the wet. Storm Austen hit the UK late on the Thursday night, which wasn’t great timing for those of us heading north to the Peak District on Friday. We had to battle through heavy rain and strong winds to get to Ravenstor hostel. Our reward (apart from a friendly beer on arrival) was a window in the weather for a splendid Saturday walk west from the hostel along Millers Dale and the fabulous River Wye. This is a walk we’ve done before, but in the slithery conditions following the storm it proved quite challenging to keep your footing. Polished limestone covered with a slick layer of mud!
In Cheedale we found what looked a bit like an unexploded bomb, but turned out to be the remains of a hydraulic ram water pump (yes, we did have to look that up). A relic of the dale’s industrial past, this once pumped water from the river up hill using only hydraulic power. This was just before negotiating an overhanging cliff using the famous Cheedale stepping stones - fortunately without incident. From the sheltered depths of the incised dale, it was now time to climb out through the wooded sides and onto the former rail bed of the Monsal Trail. The bright skies at the top of the valley were short-lived as we made our way back east through Chee Tor tunnel.
By the time we got to the old Millers Dale Station our stomachs were rumbling, so we made use of the goods shed for a picnic lunch. Although sheltered it was still pretty nippy, so one-by-one we were lured into the warm embrace of a milky coffee in the Refreshment Room café. Sufficiently warmed up, we once again ventured out and struggled a few hundred yards to the Anglers Rest for some additional invigoration before the final damp haul back to the hostel.
We left our soggy waterproofs creating a fragrant fug in the drying room and sat down to a delicious Thai curry as the wind started to rise outside. Storm Boleo was on its way, but we were snug and cosy tucked up in the hostel.
Not to be out-done, our Sunday walk achieved an even higher tea shop count. One thing of note was that we were able to incorporate a crossing of the recently repaired Cressbrook Mill footbridge. Although officially closed in 2020 we did manage a couple of unauthorized crossings before the reopening in December 2024, so it was nice not to have to shin round the barriers.
A fab weekend with plenty of cake and beer. What else could you want!
Ali
The Butter Fairy
Sunday morning dawned and Cress reluctantly peeled herself out of bed, already bracing for the sacred ritual of sandwich-making. A smooth-running day demanded a mountain of hand‑crafted sandwiches, and she knew exactly what awaited her: an hour of steady buttering and a kitchen full of crumbs.
But when she wandered in, still half-asleep, she stopped in her tracks. The loaves were lined up neatly… the knives were clean… and every slice was already perfectly buttered. Overnight, a miracle had occurred.
The Butter Fairy had visited.
Instead of the usual marathon of spreading, all that remained was the filling— a job halved, spirits lifted, and breakfast suddenly looking far more promising.
It took a little detective work to uncover the identity of the mysterious nocturnal butterer. But eventually the truth emerged.
Thank you, Chris—our very own insomniac kitchen elf!