On Thistle Hill

To escape the midges and likeminded flying pests the best plan is to gain height and find some breeze. So through the gate and up to the top of Thistle Hill in the pastures. It's the one place on Blacka where you can glimpse landscapes to the west.






No signs yet of any of the more interesting fungi, though six determined seekers were up here a few days ago in driving rain hoping to find the Liberty Cap (before embarking on their trip). Only the young have that kind of obsessive ability to ignore the weather in pursuit of minor pleasures.

The highland cattle are unable to ignore people. Sitting on a stone for a few minutes and then looking round, we find they've gathered to find out what we have to offer.

Looking down we see a man walking through the fields with two dogs.

The dogs are off the lead but behaving well. Still it's not recommended to have dogs off lead among livestock and there are signs to that effect. Also the man appears to have brought his vehicle past the Stony Ridge car park all along the track to the pasture gate.

Returning through the gate we find out that the unknown dog walker is in fact a Peak Park warden.

It's unusual to see one of the conservation police out here so early in the morning but interesting to know that they also walk their dogs here. Dog walking has figured in some of the exchanges and controversies with the wildlife trust in recent years. At one time about five years ago they were about to impose (or try to impose) restrictions on people walking their dogs here. They later denied this when they discovered the depth of feeling among local users of Blacka. But it has been an ongoing theme in relations between locals and SWT that we have never been able to trust their word concerning their intentions, only finding out later that the story we had initially been told was somewhat wide of the mark. The recent release of papers including minutes of meetings following a freedom of information request, makes clear that they had fully intended to restrict the previous freedoms of local dog walkers. It was only after a determined campaign in 2005 against the changes to the Graves Covenant and opposing an extension of grazing that they changed their mind. We can feel sure that the original intention will resurface if we are not vigilant in years to come.