Eyam Moor

Every year the Peak District Tourist Board organise a two week long walking festival in the Peak District and today was our first walk in the 2011 festival.

 

On a beautiful sunny day we walked from Hathersage, over the stepping stones over the river Derwent where we saw some newly hatched ducklings.  Then up onto Offerton Moor and Smelting Hill, with a wealth of spring flowers to see on the way, including at lower levels bluebells, wood anemones, celandine, and wild primroses.  As we got higher onto the moorland, the bilberries were in flower along with cowberries and of course gorse which flowers almost all year round (The old saying is that when gorse is in flower, kissing is in fashion!) 

 

Plenty of bird life too, with Red Grouse, Kestrels, Wheat Ears, and Skylarks up on the moors. 

 

We returned to Hathersage over Eyam Moor.  A wonderful day!