Leader: John Somerville

Ten of us met in Litton village at 10am on a bright sunny day. Two cars were driven to the end of Cressbrook Dale where one was left before returning to Litton village. As we walked along the lanes to the start of Tansley Dale we met Rue-leaved saxifrage on the walls and discussed the differences between Rough Meadow-grass and Smooth Meadow-grass. Then over a tall stile, across a small field and we were into Tansley Dale.

Wild flowers were everywhere. In the first 50 yards we had seen Meadow Saxifrage, Mouse-eared Hawkweed, Kidney Vetch, Fairy Flax, Salad burnet, Wild Thyme, Common Milkwort, and Limestone Bedstraw. A bit further and we were seeing Rock-rose, Dropwort, Early Purple and Common Spotted Orchids, Thyme-leaved Sandwort, Field and Small Scabious, Hairy Rock-cress, Perennial Cornflower and Downy Oat-grass. Further down Tansley Dale we met a patch of Crow Garlic and an area of Brittle Bladder-fern. Large patches of Spring Sandwort were seen around the tailings of the old lead mines.

Reaching the bottom of Tansley Dale we passed through a small gate and entered Cressbrook Dale. A lush patch was full of Silverweed and a few plants of Water for-get-me-not. We sat on a grassy bank for lunch and then continued our walk. The first plants were Sheep’s Fescue, Goldilocks Buttercup, Shining Cranesbill and some more Rue-leaved Saxifrage. Then up a steep bank to one of the star attractions, a large area of Globeflower. The flowers started at only 25 yards above the path yet few people have recognized them thinking that the yellow flowers were probably Meadow Buttercup.

We descended back to the path and continued into Cressbrook Dale. We were now walking under the trees with a limestone face on our left. A gap in the trees had allowed Harebells to grow on the limestone rock face. Along the path we found False Brome, Hairy Brome, Greater Burnet-saxifrage, Broad-leaved Helleborine, Wood Sedge, Woodruff, Nettle-leaved Bellflower and Midland Hawthorn. Then it was up a path that led us out of the trees to a grassy bank where we found Stone Bramble, Lesser meadow-rue, Common Twayblade and Mountain Melick. We enjoyed a 20 minute rest sitting on this bank in the sun and then it was time to go. Ready to go but three of our group were missing. A quick search found them keeping cool by sitting in the shade of some Hazel bushes.

The final leg of our walk led us past the cottages in Cressbrook Dale and up the track to the road. Half of our group had missed the Sanicle which was among the last plants found in Cressbrook Dale. Now we reached the road where one of our cars had been parked earlier and this was used to ferry all the car drivers back to Litton village. Then back to pick up our entire group before returning again to Litton village. It was 3.40pm and the shop was still open so we finished the day by sitting around a table outside the shop enjoying coffees, teas and ice cream.

Small cattle fields	Lead spoil heaps in a field	Walking to Tansley Dale	Tansley Dale	Stopped to check out a plant

Salad Burnet	Spring Sandwort	Hairy Rock-cress	Globe Flower	Bloody Cranesbill

Brittle Bladder Fern	Bug	Melica nutans	Stone Bramble

Pictures by Peter Gateley