Weekend in Castleton

Great weekend away with Sheffield City Morris and hangers on (including us). Stayed in the Rotary Club Centre in Castleton. A bit basic - bunkbeds and shared showers, but perfectly good enough for a walking weekend.

 Arrived on Friday evening, straight off train from Edinburgh from UCISA conference, hoping everything I needed was in the case I'd had to pack nearly a week before. Some home cooked food awaited us, cooked by the volunteer warden, Jeremy, who spent the weekend looking after all 40 odd of us. Then it was down to the traditional entertainment - a proper ceilidh with some songs, tunes, dancing, and even a monologue or two. Nearly everyone took a turn at doing something, even if it was only helping to get rid of the two barrels of beer provided! A late night in the bunks, and then an early rise, but a good cooked breakfast courtesy of Jeremy again.

The next day we had the choice of four different walks - given where we were all of them included a lot of "up". I prefer to get all of my climbing done at the beginning of the walk, and I don't like going up more than once, so we chose the walk which only had one climb, at the beginning. From the centre, up to Hollins Cross, along the Ridge Walk to the top of MamTor, and on to Cave Dale. 

A stiff climb, but well worth it for the views at the top. Down into Castleton one side, and Edale the other. You get a good view of Mam Tor (the Shivering Mountain), and the collapsed road. In 1979 the council gave up the battle of maintaining and keeping open the A625 road to Chapel en le Frith after numerous landslides.

It was very windy and cold on the top, but we managed to eat our packed lunch sheltering in a hollow behind a wall. Cave Dale was a bit slippy so we made a bit of a detour into Castleton, but some great views of Peveril Castle.

 Then to The George for a well earned pint, and time for a walk round Castleton, and some retail therapy. I bought a pink fleecy headband with fake diamonds. Just the thing for cold ears!

Back to the centre, and a short rest, and then before dinner a demonstration morris dance, learned that afternoon by some lads on a stag weekend with us.   A good meal of meat and potato pie and crumble (not much good for my diet, but I coped!), and then another ceilidh.  This time we had a performance by those members of the Sheffield Folk Chorale who were with us, and a monologue about looking after a certain part of your anatomy! More dancing, including the obligatory Strip the Willow, and we sang The wedding Song to the soon-to-be bridegroom.

Another late night, and another early morning with bacon and egg for breakfast. As we had to be out of the centre by 11, and leave it clean, there was a flurry of activity from cleaning the loos to mopping the main hall floor whcih 3 of us tackled. Then we had to speed back to Sheffield as Yorkshire Chandelier (my dance team) were performing at Nether Edge farmers' market.