L2L Day 39 BoT to Ashbourne - 9 miles

Today was MRI day - arranged at Derby hospital, to hopefully find out what's going on with my knee.

On my way to breakfast I had to step over two robotic vacuum cleaners. My second conscious encounter with robots in two weeks. Watch out!!! They're coming to get us.....!!!

While in Burton, I'd intended to visit the Branston Pickle factory but apparently they've moved production to Suffolk.  And the Bass visitor centre was closed today so what to do????

I took an early train, enjoyed the comfortable seat for 13 minutes and went to spend the morning in Derby city centre in the sunshine.

What a different cup of tea?

 After the start of yesterday's walk through acres of dispiriting new housing estates around Ashby, today was very different.



Mixed-use residential and retail where it felt quite European, things had been thought through and at last the car had been tamed. Maybe it has a lot to do with the trees but Well done! Lovell Homes.

Derby Cathedral quarter is definitely worth a revisit. I sat outside The European 


to sketch the Cathedral


The 17thC interior was very different from what I was expecting. Very light and restrained. 




There's a chapel devoted to Bess of Hardwick 


who through four marriages became the richest woman in England and owned Hardwick Hall and Chatswoth.

The stained-glass windows at the end of both aisles are by Ceri Richards.


There was screeching from the tower throughout - initially I could have mistaken it for a seagull but apparently it was a peregrin falcon.


Why is there a statue devoted to Bonnie Prince Charlie in the middle of Derby?

My MRI was booked for 1330 which was handled very efficiently and charmingly by the staff at the Radiology department. No sooner was that over I headed back to Derby bus station and caught another bus to Brailsford from where I picked up the Centenary Way.



What lovely countryside and with the well signposted route and after the last few days, no cattle or assertive sheep to negotiate, progress was steady.

At about 4, I stopped off at The Saracens Head in Shirley 


to recharge the phone and a glass of 'Landlord'. Smells from the kitchen were very tempting.

Then on to the Bonnie Prince Charlie Way.


A lovely walk where I fell into step with Paula and Oscar. 


Paula served with the UK and then UN forces in the Balkans before realising that retirement was approaching and now amonsgst her other roles including ProVC at Derby University is a senior adviser to the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Oscar meanwhile, was in his element.

After negotiating a caravan site and the random layout of a housing estate the route descended steeply into Ashbourne.

How frustrating about the house. What are the problems? I can imagine that having to change Aalisbury accommodation has also been really disruptive. It sounds as though the job is still going at full speed. Are you still enjoying it and having a chance to stand back?

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