Glossop And Buxton

On Friday we are off on our travels and we head up to glorious Glossop stopping on the way at the Bird Café near Hathersage for a coffee. Sadly, the Bird Café has neither birds nor dogs. So, we sit outside.

We then check into the Bulls Head in Glossop where we are for two nights. We eat that evening in the Bulls Head but in the morning, we are in their sister pub the Queens Head for breakfast. Although we don’t have breakfast, just a coffee, because obviously we are off to Parkrun which is literally across the road. This is such good planning. 

Glossop Parkrun is interesting. Narrow, muddy, rocky, rooty, three laps and to top it all it’s raining. All my favourite things. Not. Maybe not the Lad’s favourite things either especially after he falls in the lake and to the horror of the other runners. Seems it was much deeper than he was expecting. 

We head back to our accommodation for a shower leaving our wet dog in the car. Then we walk down to a café called the Two Hares for a late breakfast. After which we go for a walk around the town, obviously taking in a book shop and a pint at Distant Hills which is out in the back streets. This was formerly the tap room for the Howard Town Brewery which got new owners in 2021 who renamed it renamed Distant Hills Brewery but then closed the brewery entirely last year. It used to brew its own beer but no longer does. They still have their own beers but no one is letting on where they are now brewed. 

In the evening, we walk down to a micro pub called Bar 2 in town but it is full, so we end up back at the Queens for a few pints of Holts then a really excellent curry upstairs at the Queens Spice. 

On Sunday we have breakfast at the Queens while I try and bag some Glastonbury tickets but obviously fail yet again. Then we check out and head to Hayfield for walk up Lantern Pike. We get mixed up in, and maybe confused with, the folk doing the 43km Dark Peak Ultra Marathon but we don’t join in. Near the end of our walk, we stop at the Sett Valley Cafe in Birch Vale then we walk the Sett Valley trail back to the car. 

Then its onwards to Buxton and the very posh Palace Hotel with a disgustingly muddy dog. I’m amazed they let us stay. In the evening we’re in the Red Willow pub where more is clearly 'less'. I’m on the Smoke-less Porter, L’s on the God-less Lager. Every beer is something… less and they’re all very nice. 

We arrive back at the hotel for a Sunday Roast slightly half cut where they have the local Buxton beers in cans. I have the Stout. 

In the morning after a hotel breakfast, we walk the 10-mile Goyt Valley Trail to Errwood Reservoir and back. We resist the lure of the beer and just have coffee in Lumens Bar and Cafe. Then it’s back to the hotel to drop yet more grit on the duvet. Later we give in to lure of the beer and spend a boozy night in the Buxton Tap. When we come out its snowing quite heavily as we head back to hotel for the hot buffet they’re offering for an evening meal. 

We decide not to do an early morning run on Tuesday lest we slip and break something. Instead we visit the Peak Bookshop and then go for coffee in Castleton before heading home where a jumping course with five tunnels at dog training awaits the Lad and I. While L is off to at book talk with Kate Mosse. No not that one.

 (Tuesday 19^th November)