Peak Condition

Saturday 22nd May: It was Destination Derbyshire for a family ride out to the picturesque village of Ashover, situated between Matlock and Chesterfield. The weather was simply glorious, providing a fine backdrop for a relaxed walk followed by a thirstquenching pint...

I've always been a fan of the Peak District thanks to previous visits to places such as Ashbourne, Bakewell and Buxton - the combination of craggy scenery and charming market towns is hard to beat. Despite this, I'd never heard of Ashover before and would probably have ignored it if I saw it on a map, so calling by here was an unexpected and delightful treat. The village is full of charm and character with buildings and a surrounding landscape that neatly encapsulate what the Peak District has to offer.

Having parked up, we have an initial mooch around. The Black Swan pub immediately catches my eye, a tall and elegant stone building bathed in sunlight, it looked most inviting. Round the corner are a couple of local stores including a greengrocers and a traditional post office, whilst the 63 bus came through on its way to Chesterfield. After a picnic lunch there is more to explore, including the Crispin, a smaller cottage type inn with Civil War connections situated next to the church. This was a picture postcard scene, with the church itself (All Saints) being a grand landmark and a classic photo target in its own right. Down the bottom of a little hill is the Old Poets Corner pub, but more about that later.

The surrounding area is good walking country and we'd picked out a gentle stroll starting and finishing at the Poets. Setting out, we head across the showfields and round the back of the cricket pavillion before negotiating a series of squeeze stiles (breathe in and be brave). A bluebell woodland then awaits us, the scene given a rather magical quality as the light streams in through the branches. There are views of an old quarry complete with a bright blue pool, then we pass a farm to emerge onto a path flanking the River Amber. The river is barely a trickle here but has a soothing presence as the day gets hotter, whilst the perfume of wild garlic hangs heavy in the air. The path brings us out onto a country lane leading back into the village for a well deserved pint.

So then, the Old Poets Corner. The pub has gained an excellent reputation as the home of the Ashover Brewery and was voted the Chesterfield and District CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2009. Its easy to see why the pub (and the beer) is so popular as they make a lot of effort to build up the ambience and keep everything in good condition. Dad and I tried the Light Rale brew, a paleish bitter that proved nice and refreshing after our exertions. The pub made a good impression and I would recommend it - there seems to be an extensive home-cooked menu with sausages a particular speciality, although I wasn't so keen on finding promotional posters and leaflets everywhere (even on the walls in the toilet) as if every available marketing opportunity had to be exploited.

Pint quaffed it was back to the car for a leisurely ride home, and a smashing excursion was over all too quickly. Once again the Peak District made quite an impression on me, offering somewhere a bit different from my usual catchment area and proving that it's always good to broaden your exploration horizons...