Roots, Leek

Tree Roots

Tree roots in the Waste Wild Play area, Leek.
(Panasonic Lumix TZ10)

Cheddleton Flint Mill

Cheddleton Flint Mill

The flint mill at Cheddleton is a rare example of a watermill used for grinding flint for the pottery industry. The mill is next to the Caldon Canal and has its own wharf. Flint would have been delivered for milling by canal and the ground, calcined flint shipped from there to the five towns of the Potteries where it was an important raw material for fine earthenware. There are two water mills on the site, one originally built to grind corn (in the 13th century) and later converted for grinding flint. The other built in the late 18th century for the specific purpose of flint grinding. The flint mill is a Grade II* listed building.
(Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 10-24mm @ 19mm, 1/125s @ f/7.1)

Hartington Signal Box, Tissington Trail

Hartington Signal Box

The Tissington Trail is the track bed of the LNWR Buxton to Ashbourne line which was closed in the 1960s. It was reopened as a 13 mile long cycling and walking trail in 1971. It is very popular with visitors to the Peak District and joins with the High Peak Trail, another converted railway line. Many examples of the railway architecture have been preserved along the line. Hartington Signal Box still has all the signal levers intact.
(Panasonic Lumix TZ10)

Tegg's Nose, Misty View

Misty View from Tegg's Nose Country Park

Back in the late 70s we lived in Macclesfield and Tegg's Nose Country Park in Cheshire was a favourite haunt. We visited again today and it has not lost its appeal. Low cloud hung over some of the hills giving a slightly magical feel to the place.
(Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 10-24mm @ 16.0mm, 1/80s @ f/7.1)

Cherryeye Bridge, Caldon Canal

Cherryeye Bridge on the Caldon Canal

The attractive canal bridge is unusual in that it is arched rather than rounded at the top. The bridge is an "accommodation" bridge (i.e. an access bridge) and carries a farm lane across the Caldon Canal between Consall Forge and Froghall Wharf.
(Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 10-24mm @ 24mm, 1/160s @ f/7.1)

Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope

Jodrell Bank Lovell Telescope

The radio telescope at Manchester University's Jodrell bank site has stood majestically over the East Cheshire plain for more than 50 years. It's 2050 foot diameter dish is still in use and contributing to our understanding of the universe. When built in 1957, it was the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world (it is now the 3rd largest). It was being re-pointed at a different location in the sky as I took this photo today. For the photographers, its focal length is 22,900mm @ f/0.30!
(Panasonic Lumix TZ10)

Weathered Rocks, The Roaches

Weathered Gritstone

The weathered gritstone on the Roaches makes a natural sculpture. Yes, Button's got into the photo again!
(Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 10-24mm @ ???mm, 1/???s @ f/???)

Tittesworth Reservoir

Titteswort Reservoir from The Roaches

Tittesworth Reservoir is the main water supply for the town of Leek. The present dam was built in 1963 and replaced a much smaller Victorian dam when the reservoir was used only to regulate the flow of water on the River Churnet for the town's textile industries. This view was taken from The Roaches, a gritstone edge which is just inside the Peak District National Park.
(Canon EOS 60D, Sigma 17-70mm @ 40mm, 1/1250s @ f/6.3)

Bird in Hand pub, Leek

The Bird in Hand

This attractive building on the Market Square in Leek is the Bird in Hand pub. I'm not sure how old the building is. The twisted chimneys look Tudor but the half-timbered "Magpie" effect is more likely to be Victorian. The pub itself has 2 small bars and, when we visited, was very quiet.
(Panasonic Lumix TZ10)

Doxey Pool

Doxey Pool on The Roaches

Doxey Pool, near the top of The Roaches, is one of the highest bodies of standing water in the Peak District. It is associated with a number of legends. It is reputed to be "bottomless" and is haunted by a monster "Jenny Green-teeth" that will drag anyone that ventures into the waters deep into its murky depths, never to be seen again. It was mostly ice-covered when we reached it on our walk today. Button paddled in it and didn't seem perturbed!
(Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 10-24mm @ 10mm, 1/320s @ f/6.3)

Sunset over The Roaches

Sunset over The Roaches

Looking from the Buxton road towards the Cheshire Plain late afternoon on a bright but cold day.
(Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 10-24mm @ 24.0mm, 1/200s @ f/6.3)

Green Man

Green Man sculpture in Waste Park, Leek

On a rather wet morning, I took Button for a walk and found this sculpted pillar in a nearby park, Waste Wild Play area. This carved wooden pillar is about 1.3m high. The Green Man is a legendary figure present in many forms in Britain and Europe (and the rest of the world). Thought to be pagan in origin, it is nevertheless often found in carvings in churches. It represents a spirit of nature - perhaps the male equivalent of a "mother earth" figure.
(Panasonic Lumix TZ10)