Despite the ongoing lurgy

and a visit to the local medical emergency clinic, we have managed a couple of local walks already.

The first was on Sunday in quite sunny weather. We walked along the Goyt Way, taking the circular route starting beside the Co-Op and ending on the towpath opposite New Mills Marina. A cut-through led us quickly back to Church Road and the Co-op Car Park. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera so the pics in this post were taken the following day when the weather wasn't so kind.

Goytside Farm lamb

Ron was wonderful on Sunday. As we crossed the lane behind Goytside farm, we passed two fields full of livestock. One contained llamas and the other a flock of thick coated sheep. Ron was quiet and well-behaved and more intent on investigating the edges of the lane. The sheep and llamas belonged to Goytside Farm. The price of their lamb direct to the public is a fraction of that  in the supermarkets nowadays. If it weren't for the pressure that transporting a frozen half-lamb home would give us, we would have bought one from the farm.

Goytside Meadows Nature Reserve

It was when we crossed the Goytside Meadows Nature Reserve that Ron's training really paid off. There was a herd of friesians grazing and the path went right between a couple of them. Once again, Ron was quiet and showed no intention of barking or chasing as he had done when he first came to us as an 8 month old. I breathed a sigh of relief - I hadn't been keen to run for the nearest climbable tree if either cow had taken offence at Ron and attacked us.

Peak Forest Canal

New Mills moorings

Monday's walk was along the towpath of the Peak Forest Canal. Both MWNN and I felt the



 





'call of the narrowboat' as we passed two marinas and a couple of narrowboats 'on the move' during our one and a half hour walk from New Mills Marina to Furness Vale Marina and back.

New Mills from the canal towpath

There were some lovely views of the Town from the towpath, showing the railway viaduct crossing the river valley below the canal. The main road (A6) runs alongside the opposite bank (marina side). I find it fascinating to think that the canal pre-dated the railway by a considerable number of decades. The topology of the town dictated the development of the transport  infrastructure .

Hebridean sheep, Furness Vale

 There were also some glimpses of the livestock kept by local farmers in the Goyt  valley. Hebridean sheep were in evidence beside the canal as were some Large Black pigs beside the wharf at Furness Vale.

Millenium Walkway

New Mills is a very interesting town. Fingers crossed for more good weather so that we can explore the local walks fully, including the remarkable Millenium Walkway through the Torrs gorge.