Tue 13th July Manchester

We set off for Hartinghton YHA on an overcast day with occasional drizzle towards the end. We took the A6 from Stockport to New Mills then the canal to Whaley Bridge including the original horse tunnel under the canal where we changed branch. We then followed the A5004 to Buxton this was a long but moderate grade climb to over 400m, but compared the original route which I did the previous year I was able to cycle this route.

Walked around Buxton and had pub lunch Giant Yorkshire pudding filled with roast beef dinner and washed down with a pint of Marston Pedigree. We the set of for a climb on the A515, note not the programmed Route 68 which I had done, or it done me, the previous year.

After about 5 slow miles we turned off the A515 down a track and onto Tissington Trail, as disused railway line connecting Ashbourne to canal systems near New Mills and Manchester can infrastructure, which had been converted to walk/cycle way, bliss at last flat hard surface protected hedges and cuttings. We soon arrived at a cycle hire place near our destination for hot chocolate and then a our turning for Hartinghton after a blood curdling descent on a winding road holding onto the brakes we arrived into the village where we had to get off and push our bikes up vertical steep hill to the Youth Hostel.

The Youth Hostel was once a nunnery going back to 1200, owned afterwards by the same family for 600 years and saved by the YHA. It is a picturesque collage of stone building together with farm yard animal including pigmy goats. We booked in, had a hot shower, went washroom to put washing machine on. This place even included a restaurant, excellent non foaming locally made real ale on tap and with the rain pouring outside there was little desire to explore the village. Having settled for 4 pints, hot goats cheese starter, proper beef pie made in tray and an array of local cheeses I was heading for bed by 9:30pm after hanging the wet clothes in the drying room. The minor downside we had to wait for dinner as there was a large party of school children from Northern Ireland for a visit to Alton Towers.