Nottingham and York

Next on my way north I headed to Nottingham, but not before checking out at least one of the famous Elizabethan estates that were in the area. I went to the Burghley Estate and had lunch in the park there, but was pressed for time, and did not take the tour of the house or “garden of surprises” that had a collection of oddities. I would compare this to the Builtmore house, but this is still used as a private residence.

This detour put me out of the way a bit, but I was still able to hit Nottingham in one day, and spent one day there as well. Nottingham did not disappoint with Robin Hood references, street names, “the arrow” bus service, among others. The rest of the city was rather disappointing. The area I stayed in was rather run down, with “checks cashed,” cheap supermarkets, and a casino being key landmarks. The city center was a bit better, but still seemed to be rough around the edges. Nottingham castle was destroyed after political revolt in the 18^th century, and the tour simply showed what once was. A smaller museum stands in the center of the castle park, but has more on WW1 and world history then separating Robin Hood fact from fiction.

What I did not know was the industrialism, specifically lace manufacturing that took place in the city. There is also an elaborate network of underground tunnels that I toured

briefly. I also patronized some of the historic pubs, such as “Ye ole trip to Jerusalem,” founded 1189 A.D. Still, I felt that one day was enough, and I headed north the next day. I wanted to go to Sherwood forest, but decided to head straight into the Peaks District, which is a protected natural area in the UK.

The peaks district didn't hold much to the Alps, but did did have long series of steep rolling hills that were fairly exhausting. I found that tucking down works well to conserve momentum through the valleys and start up the hills on the other side. The rolling countryside gave way to grassy ridges as my elevation slowly ticked up. The landscape was dotted with cattle and sheep, that were actually pretty adorable. There were quintessential stone walls, stone buildings, and single lane stone bridges through the center of small villages. The weather was great, and this had been some of the most pleasurable riding so far.

Part of the trip was on a converted railway line, which made things somewhat easier. I had trouble finding the path, and after some frustration, realized the path was below me in a reused railway tunnel. Little navigational tricks like this continue to crop up, but most of the time work out fairly well.

I camped on farm in Buxton, which was a bit smelly with freshly fertilized fields, but otherwise peaceful and quiet. I stayed another night in at a bed and breakfast in Hadfield before heading through the north side of the Peaks Park, which was supposed to be the most challenging. Here the bike trails were overgrown, miss marked, and difficult to follow, so ended up on some pretty busy roadways. I tried to snap a few photos of the nice countryside between the guardrails and passing trucks, bit didn't stay long. The GPS came in handy once again, showing alternative routes on suitable roads and bike paths that brought me right into downtown York.

I felt like I should see York, at least to see if the original is any better then the remake. York is actually a cool little city with a ton of history that stretches back to Roman empire when it was the “Capital of the North.” The history extends through middle ages, the Vikings raids, the Renaissance, the industrial era where chocolate was a key trade, and York was also significant railway hub. It rained the entire day, which I didn't mind in the museums and the bike in covered storage. I actually timed the forecast well for once :) I bought an umbrella and was able to tour the narrow streets lined crooked timber frame buildings selling modern goods. This felt like an old city more then London did. I was able to see York Minster, get a few cask ales from the local brewer, and get a Yorkshire pudding for dinner. My only complaint is the hostel, which although centrally located, has loud music until late with a modern bar and patio below. It is quite a sight to watch dunk girls stammer around cobblestone streets in high heels.

I honestly have no idea where I'm heading tomorrow. Newcastle is my next stop, but seems to far to make in one day, so perhaps I'll try for a campsite at some midpoint. Stay tuned.