On Sunday September 1st we are off out again on our next weekend trip and we are heading out of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire again, back into the alluring hills and valleys of Derbyshire. We will be meeting at 10am at the car park described by John below.
One website describes Lumsdale as:
‘A wooded gorge of outstanding natural beauty with stone ruins, waterwheels, ponds and waterfalls’
Which sounds perfectly idyllic to me!
It sounds like there will be plenty of opportunities for using slow shutter speeds on the waterfalls to get that smooth glowing effect, so be sure to bring your tripods.
The abandoned buildings are old water mills which should be interesting subjects for our photography. Stout footwear is recommended and something to protect your camera from cascading water…it won’t be raining of course!
Here is the location on Google Maps, postcode DE4 5NA:
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&z=15&ll=53.14613,-1.53647&q=53.14613,-1.53647+(Upper+Lumsdale+-+DE4+5NA)
Google maps says it is just over 38 miles from Hanley and will take 1 hour 7 minutes to get there. If anyone wants a lift I’m sure we can all club together and help out so do please ask.
I’m not sure how long we will be there but it looks like there are plenty of places to see nearby if we have time, such as Matlock which is just down the road. I’m sure there will be somewhere for us to get some lunch too. There may even be the pasties that we missed in Eyam!
Thanks to John Garrett for the following information:
Directions from Stoke-on-Trent.
Drive to the A6 in Buxton and head south through Bakewell and Darley Dale to Matlock where, as you enter the town, you come to a roundabout with Sainsburys supermarket off to the right. You will then come to a set of traffic lights. Go straight on the left and you will then come to a set of lights where the A6 goes right to Matlock Bath. Go straight ahead on the A615 heading for Alfreton where you will pass a petrol station on your right.
The road then curves to the left and starts a gentle climb upwards. In about 400 yards you will see a wooden road sign directing you to the left to Lumsdale. The turn is very sharp and you immediately start to go downhill on a narrow lane. Follow this round to your right for about 400 yards then it starts to climb. There is a parking area on your right for about six to eight cars.
From here you can hear the sound of the waterfalls which are just the other side of the low wall that forms the back of the parking area. There is a lot more parking at the top of the hill but you will then have to walk back down along the river bank or on the road. To get to the river side and the six or so waterfalls you must take the footpath through the ruins of the old Arkwrights mine buildings.’
Some useful sites are:
- http://www.arkwrightsociety.org.uk/content/lumsdale
- http://walkinglumsdalewaterfallderbyshire.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/walking-lumsdale-waterfall-derbyshire.html
- http://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/planning-a-building-control/conservation/conservation-areas/lumsdale
- http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g209970-d3491005-Reviews-Lumsdale_Valley-Matlock_Derbyshire_England.html
- http://www.peakdistrictview.com/?page=a_lumsdale
- http://www.matlock.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/lumsdale_leaflet.pdf
