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Day 30 Uttoxeter to Ashbourne (400 mile marker passed and into our 8th county, Derbyshire)

 

After studying route options yesterday, Garry decided he would walk back towards Ashbourne today rather than Ilam. This means that he will then be able to join the Tissington trail from Ashbourne tomorrow. Thanks for the texts and comments on the blog about the trail.

I dropped Garry in the delightful retail park in Uttoxeter and he headed off up the route with the plan for me to join him from the opposite direction in Rocester. He soon came to a pretty village of Snelston.



Graffiti on the underpass under the A50 and the shooting club near Eaton Hall Farm.
 

His path along the Staffordshire Way was wet underfoot and involved going through a field just north of Uttoxeter, full, yet again, of cows. These inquisitive cows appeared to be playing a game of 'What's the time Mr Wolf', as every time Garry turned round they stopped and froze. Today's useful tactic for keeping them a slight distance behind appeared to be waving a walking pole behind him. 


Once I arrived in Rocester I found somewhere to park (the visitor's car park at JCB Academy was well placed). JCB Academy is a secondary school with specialisms in engineering and business education, was a very busy place with people coming and going.

After parking the car, me and Alfie quickly found the Staffordshire Way just off the Rocester Bridge. As it had not long finished raining, the grass was very wet and weighed down onto the path in places. Alfie and I emerged from the grassy section, rather wet and bedraggled. The Staffordshire way opened out onto some fields with a well marked path and then across a Abbotsholme School sports field. It was quite difficult to follow the track around there as it was not well marked. However, the odd signpost and stiles gave a few clues. One stile today had a lift up flap for Alfie to go through and we needed lifting over another.




After we had walked 2 miles, we met Garry coming the other way. He had wet feet too! We squelched our way back towards Rocester, passing Eaton Hall Farm, which appears to have been taken over by the JCB company.


Once we reached Rocester, we parted ways. Garry heading northwards towards Ashbourne and me in search of 'The sweet treat cafe'. When I found the site of the cafe, it had shut down. However, I did find an interesting building near the church and walked a little way on the Limestone Way.
            


Disappointed with the closure of the cafe, I regained my cake determination, and succeeded in driving a few miles to Denstone Hall farmer's market. Success! Millionaires shortbread!


Meanwhile, Garry had found a village Green in Roston complete with a bench for his lunch.

Satiated with sandwiches, he walked through a field full of head-high wet crops, under an electric fence and then followed the footpath through Ashborne golf course to head back to the Airbnb.

Garry walked 13.7 miles today and has now walked over 400 miles (and into a new county today, Derbsyhire!)


Tomorrow, Garry is definitely walking along the Tissington trail, from Ashbourne heading towards Monyash.






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