Dimmingsdale

Last week was half term and I had the pleasure of going out for a walk in the company of a friend with whom I've not walked before. On her recommendation, we headed for a place called Dimmingsdale, which is just down the road from Alton Towers in Staffordshire. That sounds a bit noisy, but actually, the whole walk was incredibly quiet and peaceful; not to mention beautiful!

Although not a particularly large area, Dimmingsdale forms part of the Churnet Valley which cuts its way through the Staffordshire Moorlands. It is a mixture of broadleaf trees and Scots pine with a variety of other woodland plants and wildlife. We also saw quite a range of water birds on the lakes and, of course, this is the time of year when the rhodedendrons are in bloom, so we were treated to a show of their flowers.

Our walk was not especially long (around four and a half miles), but it was varied and had a few shortish climbs, taking us to good viewpoints. The photo does not show an especially distant view, but it was one of the first and I was very pleased with the balance of the shot.

At this point, we were heading down to the lake shown, before following the valley and then climbing up and out of the woods into the hilltop fields, where the views were more distant and the sun was hot!

More to follow :)