A trip down memory lane...
There's always that 1 Adventure you have that is truly engrained in your memory, somewhere that really left an imprint and makes you smile as you reminisce. Whether that be because of the people you were with or the things that you did, it could be a spot in the countryside close to your childhood home where you and friends camped out for the first time. Or that bar or Cafe somewhere that you and your partner decided to finally get married or start a small family of your own.
Either way, we all have one and damn is it good!
My Adventure...
For me, that's exact place is Padley Gorge, a trail found near Hathersage in the great Peak District surrounded by glorious rolling hills, picturesque views and small villages full of welcoming taverns and heart warming food.
Okay I might be a little bias, but damn is it a lovely place to go.
It started when I was young, honestly can't tell you an age so I am going to have to make it up and say I was 7. With this specific space being only 30 minutes drive (ish) from my childhood home my late dad would bring me here at the first sight of any sort of sunlight coming through the Yorkshire clouds.
We would get up reasonably early, pack a bag full of sandwiches and treats and head out in his Maroon coloured Ford Mondeo. As the name suggests, Padley Gorge is a gorge of running water flowing from the hilltops through rocks and muck, I can't tell you where it ends but I can tell you that just close to a pub called the Fox House is where we would set up our camp, parking on a side road we would grab our things from the boot and onto the grassy verge by the stream.
Often we would cross the stream heading to the other side and back up the side of the hills to see the views do some rock climbing and generally have some fun. My most precious memories however belong in that stream, me and dad would be there shin deep in the water picking out rocks and pilling them making a dam and before we knew it the water would be up to our thighs. Looking back now as a "7 year old" I imagine this wasn't too deep to be honest but back then it was deeper than the Mariana Trench in my mind. Even though I didn't know that the Mariana Trench existed at that time but I am trying to paint a picture for you.
To close out the day we would always head to the ice cream truck parked just outside the gate, get a 99 and watch the world go by as I got most of it along with the sauce and sprinkles around my face. Then with sticky fingers we would be in the car and I would nap all the way home. Dam building is hard work and the best recovery is simply to rest so until the next time the sun breaks through those clouds and little did I know that these moments would be some of my fondest memories.
Since then...
YEARS have passed now but I still vividly recall a lot of the antics me and dad would get up to, the scrambling and hiking, the picnics and the dam building. So much so that I actually want to share them with not only the people closest to me but also you all reading this now in hopes to create more memories.
Years after my dad passed I returned to Padley Gorge with my Mum and one of my older Brothers where this time once again we went dam building, this time being a bit taller and still getting it to our thighs we had such a great laugh and still chuckle to this day about it.
One on the first dates me and my (now wife) went on actually was a walk and a picnic here we took one of my mums old pet dogs who against orders we let off her lead to explore as she wished, she never went far and from our knowledge absolutely loved it. We took our packed lunch and finished off with a cheeky Ice Cream! (To all you dog owners screaming at me right now, I know this isn't best practice but this dog was in her last years and to hell with that it was a warm day and she was loved.)
Me and a friend spent a few hours here one sunny day when we both had the day and time to spare and he said to me how he hadn't done the dam building before but what an experience it was and something he will be doing in the future for sure.
Recently me and my wife have now brought our own pooch Enzo (probably seen on social media) on a short one here, he is a water baby much like his human dad and once again seemed to really love being here. He loved the stream to play in and the open fields to run, bound and smell. Even came across his first sheep poop.... I will not go into more detail on that part.
To keep a short story long...
Before I started writing this I had every intention of this being a "come and see this beautiful place" sort of blog, but what it has actually turned into is me sharing my memories here and going down a little rabbit hole of emotion, love and history.
Judging by the traffic both foot and vehicle this area seems a very popular place to visit and rightly so, recently I walked further down stream with friends and found new places to and some rather beautiful sights too proving that there is more to this area than what I even know of with years of visits.
I don't think I will EVER stop visiting Padley Gorge, whether it be with Enzo (pooch) or in the future with my own little family and starting to create their memories, or even just showing a friends children the joys I felt when I was their age.
To conclude...
As it turns out, I actually have a rather large emotional attachment to this area that I didn't even realise I had, I knew it was important, but I didn't realise just how important it was.
Because of this, I think it's important to realise how much we actually need to Adventure. Not necessarily the big mountaineering, push yourself and test your limits sort of Adventure but just making memories and enjoying the time we spend with the people and loved ones (including pets) we have around us.
If you are questioning whether it is worthwhile setting an alarm on Saturday because its dry, getting a packed lunch in a rucksack and putting on your walking shoes. I hope this story has taught you that it is more than worth it, what might be a slight pain in the backside to pack the bag, get the kids ready and fight to get outside could end up being one of their most favourite memories and somewhere they one day take their own children or you all go, as generations of the family gather to continue making more memories.
It sounds extreme, but is it?
If you want to create a memory like this simply head to:
National Trust - Granby Discovery Barn
On Google Maps