Snowy Matlock and Bakewell

We walked through the snow to the nearby town of Matlock. The cottages looked so pretty in the snow.

Snow at Matlock

Snow at Matlock

We took a bus to the town of Bakewell, home of the Bakewell tart and pudding. A market was in full-swing in the square, despite the snow.

Bakewell

The town’s architecture was quaint, with no power lines in sight. It was like being in a period drama.

Bakewell

But the weather got to us, and soon we were in a tearoom, drinking tea and eating the famous pudding. Incidently, the tart and pudding don’t really resemble each other at all, aside from the smattering of jam at the bottom of the case. The tart has a short pastry crust and an almond filling, while the pudding had a puff crust and a custard filling.

Snowy Derwent River

From our window, everything was white – the front yard, the stone fence, the footpath, the park…

Snow at Matlock

I went out straight away to explore. Luckily the fresh snow wasn’t slippery, yet. The B&B and the hillside behind looked like a classic Christmas scene.

Snow at Matlock

The River Derwent flowed in the gully below. On a summer’s day, it would be a nice place to sit, but not on a frozen, snowy day.

Snow at Matlock

Still, there were many details to savour – snow on the branches and trunks, for example.

Snow at Matlock

Snow on the leaves and ground cover.

Snow at Matlock

It was all so fascinating for me, even if it was freezing cold, so it won’t surprise you that I have plenty more snow scenes to share.

Snow at Matlock

Matlock Bath… and a Morning Surprise

We stayed at The Cables B&B, with homely cottage rooms, great breakfasts, and even greater dinners. It is half-way between the towns of Matlock Bath and Matlock. Matlock Bath is a tourist town that was quite forlorn out of season, while Matlock is a working town.

The Cables B&B

The B&B sits under High Tor, a granite cliff that towers over the river Derwent. This was our view in the afternoon upon arriving.

The Cables B&B

But we got a shock the next morning… snow!

Snow at Matlock

More snowy adventures soon.

Across the Pennines

We are heading now to the north of England, where it was distinctly colder than the south! After visiting some relatives in Lancashire, we took the train across the Pennines, the ridge of hills and mountains between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Train ride across the Pennines

The ride took us from the old Lancashire town of Accrington, to the Yorkshire city of Leeds. Along the way, we passed through many villages.

Train ride across the Pennines

Many were built from local stone and dated back to the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century, when many were mill towns.

Train ride across the Pennines

And we passed many pastures, moors, and snow-covered hill-tops. Spring-time snow, that’s a novelty for a Sydney-sider!