The Peak District, rain in Leek and Rudyard

In early July, before the weather had turned hot, we had a weekend in Derbyshire, staying with Mairi and Lizzie in Mickleover. We had planned a beer festival in Burton on the Saturday night and climbing in the Roaches as a daytime diversion. My son Hugh also travelled up from Winchester to join us, excited by the prospect of beer and ropes.
We started out optimistically on Saturday morning, heading for some rocks, but the dull weather turned into drizzle and then rain. We stopped in Leek for coffee and ventured to the market where we saw the town crier walking around, but not crying. Mairi and Lizzy can be seen, just past the enormous drawers and 'firm control', in the indoor market.






Close to Leek is the small village of Rudyard. it is built around a Victorian reservoir and apparently at the turn of the century was a major tourist attraction, with literally thousands coming from Derby and the Potteries to enjoy a swim. The water was not very appealing when we were there. If the name of Rudyard is familiar, it is that Kipling was named after the village. His parents, who had lived close by were so enamoured of the place that when their son was born in far away India they named him after this remote English resort.
Swimming is now forbidden and the public is entertained by a narrow gauge railway which steams up and down next to the water. We took the dogs for a walk and then adjourned to the railway buffet where pricing was easy as everything was a pound.













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