The Derbyshire Dales For photographs scroll down to bottom
November 2010
with Paul Heppleston and Tina Barton
"Take risks" - great advice for life - so we did, by running a 6-day trip to the Peak District dales to catch the autumn colours. We had a cosy place to stay near Alsop-en-le-dale which gave us space and warmth and enough rooms for us all (bathrooms too!) - and walks right from our doorstep. We couldn't ask for more. In fact there was very little rain at all that week and we did the classic dales walks as well as some of the forgotten ones....Dovedale, Wolfscote dale, Hall dale, Lathkill dale....and they didn't all require walking uphill! We also explored a lovely almost-unknown Cistercian monastery at Croxden; the peak (excuse pun) was walking along The Roaches, a volcanic linear outcrop in eastern Staffordshire.
Hardly any of the walks were more than 4 miles so we could enjoy the views (plenty) and the space (plenty) and the companionship (plenty).
And when you think about it, that's exactly how God works - giving us space, companions - and a mirror to look through in order to see Him - the countryside and the beauty of the natural world.