Cromford Canal — a walk in Derbyshire

A walk along Cromford Canal.

Winter has gone and spring has arrived but it is obvious that everything is behind within the natural world. Even so on our short break in Derbyshire (celebrating out 57th wedding anniversary) we found great delight in taking short walks, one of which was by the Cromford Canal.
Cromford is well known for its cotton manufacturing history (Sir Richard Arkwright) and indeed a mill museum is there to inform interested visitors. Mill buildings stand as strong-looking as ever, as indeed are the large Masson mills on the nearby River Derwent (along with the interesting museum there is also a retail outlet too). The original Masson mill water turbines still operate and generate electricity.
Close by is Sir Richard Arkwright’s mansion, Willersly Castle – now a Christian-based hotel open to all.
At the start of our walk we met a photographer waiting to snap a friendly vole. I admire these photographers who wait many hours to get their pictures. We did not see a great deal of water life, certainly not as much as we usually do but maybe they were further away. Even so, it was a pleasant walk. A train rushing on the lines below the canal, and the stink of a nearby sewage disposal works, did little to disturb our tranquil mood.

(The ducks in the photograph are out of focus but I love the 'Impressionist' feel about the picture)

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Rainbows over Derbyshire

November when it's raining is not a particularly good time to be walking in Derbyshire, but WOW what rainbows we managed to capture. I guess when things are dark and drab, looking for a rainbow is not a bad thing to do.
Last Saturday in Ulverston a trail of little lights (candles in jars covered with sculptured pots) made its way through woods at the Gill, Ulverston. SPOOKY! Lovely for the kids on Halloween. But we were off to Derbyshire, hoping for a bit of walking. We dodged a few showers in Chatsworth woods but that was the only walk we managed during our short birthday break. But visiting Cromford near Matlock, magnificent rainbows appeared stretched over the valley in full half-circles.
There is something about a rainbow that gladdens the heart...
As the old hymn goes —
'I trace a rainbow through the rain
and find the promise is not vane
that life shall endless be...

You don't have to be particularly religious to see beauty in nature, or to appreciate the imagery of light cutting through the darkness. Dark clouds will pass - somewhere the sun is shining. When I feel down, I find rainbows uplifting.