Sheffield Weekend - 27 - 29th January

Sheffield Weekend

Daniel, Liz and I were going to Sheffield for the weekend to visit Nathan and Sarah.  I had been up a few times but for Dan and Liz it was the first time to this house.

They picked me up after work on Friday 27th and we drove directly to Meadow Hall  in Sheffield where we met my granddaughter Rhiannon, who was working on the late shift in Zara. We went for a short break in Wagamama with her, where I tried their food for the first time.  Very Interesting.

When Rhiannon had to go back in to work we headed off to the Premier Inn to drop off Dan & Liz's bags and then went straight to Nathan & Sarah's in Grenoside, where they lived just on the outskirts of Sheffield.

After catching up for a while with Nathan, Sarah, Keely and James, we went up the road to The Norfolk Arms, a fine old pub selling traditional Yorkshire beers. I sampled a couple, the Barnsley Bitter being the pick and we all had a good evening before going back to the house for a Chilli and a chat.

The Norfolk Arms

Real ales on tap

I was staying with Nathan & Sarah, so after Dan & Liz had returned to their hotel we called it a night too.

The following morning, Saturday,  we had a nice  breakfast together before Sarah took the dogs for a walk in the fields opposite.  It was a terrible wet morning so I decided not to go with her, but stay in the house and watch from a distance.

View from the conservatory over the fields

Sarah and the dogs on the other side of the field

Back home after the walk

After Dan and Liz arrived we went for a drive into the Derbyshire Peak District and after a while we arrived at the Ladybower Reservois. A beautiful place with a harrowing history.

Ladybower Reservoir

Me at the Reservoir with the Ashopton Viaduct in the background

Ladybower was built between 1935 and 1943 by the Derwen Valley Water Board to supplement the other two local reservoirs, Howden and Derwent, in supplying the water needs of the East Midlands. It took a further two years to fill and did not reach capacity until 1945.

The building of the reservoir resulted in the 'drowning' of the villages of Ashopton and Derwent (including Derwent Woodlands church and Derwent Hall). Ashopton stood roughly where the road to the Snake Pass met the Snake valley. The buildings in Ashopton were demolished before the reservoir was filled, but much of the structure of Derwent village was still visible during a dry summer some 14 years later. The narrow stone Packhorse Bridge over the Derwent was removed and rebuilt at the head of the Howden reservoir. The clock tower of the church had been left standing and the upper part of it was visible above the water level until 1947, when it was seen as a hazard and demolished with explosives on 15 December

The Ashopton Viaduct before and after the flooding of the valley.

An archive photograph of the Derwent church tower about one year after the water started to fill the dam.

The weather took a turn for the worse and after pausing here for a while we decided to visit the Strines Inn for a drink before heading back home to Grenoside.

The Strines Inn

Despite being within Sheffield's border, The Strines Inn could be a world away. Nestled amongst breathtaking moorland scenery, it is one of many local landmarks within the Peak District National Park. 

The Strines Inn is a Grade II listed building which historically has its roots in the 13th century. The Worrall family built a manor house here in 1275 though this was rebuilt and enlarged around 1560. The Inn is situated on the Mortimer Road, which was a Turnpike Road between Grindleford and Penistone built by Hans Winthrop Mortimer (Born 1734 - Died 1807), Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury. Finances were secured for the road in 1768 and this is probably why John Morton bought the Worrall family home and opened it as an inn around 1771, which it has remained since. The pub survived but the road itself was not a financial success. Mortimer was eventually bankrupted following lawsuits arising from dealings in his borough and he spent time as a debtor in the Fleet Prison before his eventual death.

Oh, and don't forget the resident ghost!

It is said that the bar area of the Strines is haunted by a grey lady!!!!

THe Entrance to Strines Inn

The main bar with open fire

Plenty of copper pots and pans in the bar area.

After this the rest of the day was spent relaxing back at the house drinking wine and enjoying a great Chinese takeaway. Nobody wanted to go out in the evening and that suited me.

The following morning, Sunday, Dan and liz were coming to breakfast before we were to head back to Wales, so after my shower I packed my bags and sat relaxing with a coffee enjoying the view from the conservatory.

How nice it must be to have this view every morning when they get up.  Of course the weather today made it all the better.  It was a crisp, dry morning with no cloud in the sky.

Dan, Liz and Nathan in the conservatory

After Dan and Liz arrived we had another great breakfast and all too soon it was time to go. we gathered our stuff together and said our goodbyes.  Sad to leave after such a short visit but we'll be back in the Summer when I intend staying longer. If they'll have me.

The journey home was not a good one.  After leaving in idyllic conditions the weather gradually worsened during the journey and we arrived in Newport four hours later in torrential rain.

Ah well.  Welcome home!