Peak District (Buxton and Manchester)

We arrived late at Manchester Airport from Dublin: first of all only one runway was in use so we circled for about 30 mins until we could land. Then we had another long wait on the ground for our luggage to arrive off the plane – about 40 mins. This was the only time in our whole trip where we had people waiting at the airport to pick us up. But they waited. We were taken to our Guesthouse (Sevenways in Buxton), freshened up and walked to their home for dinner. Lots of chin wag!!
The next morning we awoke to yet another brilliantly fine day – warm but a bit hazy from the evaporation of winter wet. We were taken into the Peak District where we climbed to the top of Mam Tor (Mother Hill) in the Peak District passing a number of hang gliding enthusiasts who were up catching the wind. Great views from the Mam Tor Ridge over the Hope Valley and towards Edale and the Pennine Way and a few drops of rain (we could almost count them.) A leisurely stroll down the flanks of the ridge took us into Castleton where we stopped for a bite to eat. We climbed again out of Castleton over the remains of an earthquake slump from the late 1970s, before driving back to Buxton via Winnats Pass and down its 1 in 4 gradient. The walk itself was about three hours and the day about five and it afforded some spectacular views through the valleys and ridges that characterise the Peak District National Park. Back to a beautiful salmon dinner and more very pleasant company.
The next morning as usual it seems dawned fine and we headed for the train station to go to Manchester. Uh oh!! Some spots of rain necessitated the use of the almost redundant umbrella. But although the umbrella got wet we didn’t need it again and we chugged towards Manchester on the ‘rubber-band train’. (It seemed to wind up for lift off as it departed each station and then cruised almost effortlessly downward towards the next station – Buxton is much higher than Manchester above sea level. But an hour later we arrived in Manchester made a convoluted beeline to the Information Centre and headed off with a singular mission: to cram all we could into a day in Manchester. First port of call, the Old Town Hall (closed to the public because a wedding was taking place) and behind it Albert Square where the RAF was holding a recruitment/awareness drive and I got to have a ride in the Red Arrows flight simulator. Next on the agenda was the Canal area (via an anti-Scientology street demonstration) a part of inner core Manchester once home to dilapidated warehouses but now undergoing redevelopment (we were intrigued by a canal barge that was being negotiated through the locking system); from the canals to the Museum of Science and Industry where we focused on Manchester’s past – some interesting tales both sad and true from its destruction by German bombing raids in WW2 to its Peterloo Massacre in 1819 when 8 people were killed by blade swashing horse riders. From the Museum we wandered back to the city centre visitng the really interesting John Rylands Library in Deansgate (a purpose built library built in the Gothic style to resemble a church) where we saw a very old (like 600BC) title deed of sale of a house from one lady to another and fragments of early Gospel writing. From the Library we visited the Manchester Art Gallery focussing again on Mancurian art but coming across a Constable in the process. Very much captivated by the impressionist images of Manchester captured by an artist called Valette. We walked too to the Manchester Eye (a frenzied and somewhat smaller version of the London Eye) but didn’t venture on; we walked around the Manchester Cathedral (but couldn’t go in as it was closed) and past the Urbis (a modern glass building); from the Urbis we squeezed between gathering crowds all out enjoying the ‘unusually warm sunny weather’ to Picadilly Square where kids (older and younger) took on the water fountains and from there back to Picadilly Station for the train back to Buxton. We arrived about 6.45pm and went to the Railway for a typical English Pub Meal with a Greene King Warm beer. Bring on the cooler Kiwi beers!!
Next day - fine again and warmer. A wander round the streets of Buxton and a Mass at St Anne’s on Terrace Road preceded a long and leisurely lunch and afternoon tea. We were going to walk to Solomon’s Folly (a tower built in the late 1800s on the top of a ridge in the nearby Buxton Park) but we never made it. The company and small talk kept us from the walk but how wonderful was the afternoon which passed at a much slower, more congenial and relaxing pace. But we did manage to squeeze in visits to the Buxton Art Gallery and Museum and a walk through Pavillion Gardens past the Opera House and the University Dome beside the Palace Hotel.
The following day we managed a pleasant walk to Solomon’s Folly from which we were able to get hazy views across the valley with Buxton nestled amongst the trees. And apart from the rush to catch the train from Buxton to Stockport to London Euston that was it. Surely it rains up here – but then we knew that: everything was green and there was a haze from evaporation.