2011-09-09 53 -1
| Fri 9 Sep 2011 in 53,-1: 53.1455768, -1.5876481 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox |
Location
Off Oaker Lane, Oaker, between Matlock and Darley Bridge.
Participants
Plans
I had been slacking off over the previous week, in both hashing and documenting the hashes. I decided I must rectify one or the other. The easiest thing was to go hashing. Getting all the necessary pictures (and some reports I'd still to finish uploading) would wait and instead I'd leave work a bit earlier than usual, on this day, exit Sheffield along Abbeydale Road, head towards Matlock and attempt this hash, which appears on the map to be very close to a footpath under some trees. (Google's Streetview car did not go up Oaker Lane, marked as having "No turning space" up the cul-de-sac that it is, so the electronic reconnaisance was a bit less than hoped for.)
Expedition
In the event, events conspired to prevent departure until after 6PM, with an estimated travel time of just over an hour (not knowing how much that would account for late-commute traffic conditions) and a preference to return to northern Sheffield for 8PM (perhaps 8:30), I thought... why the hell not!
By the time I was passing through Bakewell and joinging the A6 (not the way I should have gone, but it was force of habit to turn up onto the "13 Bends" road, even though the straight A6012 route past Chatsworth would have been the quickest route), the car lights were on. Still, the Game Was On, regardless.
At Darley Dale, a right turn was taken to Darley Bridge, crossing a traditionally-gated railway crossing, before being momentarily distracted by Oaker Road (signed as "gated") which would have sent me the wrong way round the hill. And probably also meant having to open gates. :)
Pulling back out of the road-end, a short distance further was Kirby Lane, a narrow road rising over the side of Oaker Hill. Care was specially taken not to find myself bumping into opposing traffic (there was none, although someone turned into the road once I'd emerged from the other end).
Reaching Oaker itself, I took to heart the "No turning space" advice and parked up at the end at shortly after half past seven. A couple of locals were crossing the road and knocking on each other's doors, fulfilling some social function or another or returning such expeditions of their own, but a strange guy unpacking a tripod (to be somewhat useful for photos in the near darkness) and other equipment from his car elicited no actual curiosity.
A short way up the lane, a cat observed my progress with interest, although decided to bolt for it after too long setting up a for a good photo. (Myself, setting up that is. The cat had no camera equipment on it, that I could see.) At the upper reaches of the lane, the final stretch proclaimed it to be a private drive (no turning!) but the footpath plainly continued further up it, as confirmed by footpath-style arrows reflecting dimly ahead. On the right were the trees within which the geohash point was located, a short hop over a fence into a field not apparently inhabited by livestock. (In the background, the dusky lowing of cattle was prevalent, but mostly from across the valley.)
Just after a farm age and stile for the footpath, the GPS-less approach was made to the estimated point by traversing and obviously used fence-crossing point. Photos were attempted to be taken at the spot, but the canopy's shade from the very much near-nighttime light made no photo come out right, so the main proof photo was accomplished (still needing steadying by the tripod) from the path itself. Perhaps not the best evidence, but I know I made it, and am counting it as such.
Returning home, I stopped off at the Darley Dale Fish Bar for some sustenance, and then took the Chattsworth road back (as I should have on the way), carefully avoiding the sheep roaming across the unfenced road in the dark. Into and through Sheffield with very little difficulty, now, my return to the northern end of the city was effected by just after 9PM. So not quite to schedule, there, but the trip was still worth it.
Tracklog
Nope, no log.
Photos
TBA
Achievements
TBA, pretty standard.
