Looking over Hoe Grange

As many of you will be aware, last Saturday was my first long dayride of the year – a bit of a tradition in spring, and something I intend to do more of this year.

I set out in the early morning, up through Lichfield, Tutbury and Brailsford to Cromford, then up the High Peak Trail to Parsley Hay, back down the Tissington Trail to Ashbourne, through Mappleton and Blore to Ilam, then up through Throwley and over the Weaver Hills to Ellastone.

I returned home via Rocester, Uttoxeter, Rugeley and Longdon, after a decent ride of 121 miles.

It was a ride in decent weather, warm with little wind; overcast in the morning, but the day ended in bright sunshine. All in all, great cycling.

The spring is beautiful this year, and the wildflowers profuse. If you can, get up there while the season is still on her throne.

For more of this sort of thing, please check out my 365daysofbiking journal…

I adore the wind farm at Longcliffe: elegant, beautiful, assured

Ilam schoolhouse

Good to see the odd clump of red cowslips still surviving near Calton

The cowslips are more profuse than ever I’ve seen before

Appleton Church; a curious ecclesiastical gem

How green was your Manifold Valley?

Red campion is having a very good year

Reap the wild wind at Longcliffe

I’ve never seen many folk on the Weavers

Cresting The Walk on top of the Weaver Hills

Lots of spring lambs around

The Oaks at Ilam look superb at the moment

Bottomhouse

Wild Garlic just off the Cromford Canal

A pause in the climb to Throwley

Wild garlic glade at Cromford

Bottomhouse

Up on the Weaver Hills

Looking over Hoe Grange

Parsley Hay: aleays a good spot for cycling chat

Gotham

Overlooking the Manifold Valley at Rushley

Cromford Canal, the world’s longest duckpond

The ruins of Throwley Hall

Tenacity on the Hopton Incline

Climbing from Rashly out of the Manifold Valley

Bottomhouse

The cows on top of The Walk were interested in my presence, but not enough to move

The northern tip of Milldale

The Walk

Welsh poppies at Gotham (Thanks, Susan!)

Marsh orchids near Hartington

This bull watched me carefully at Throwley

Calton: harsh country in winter