Access Impeded

The sealing off of the parking space at Piper House on Hathersage Road is already having a serious impact on the ability to visit Blacka Moor from this side. The other car park below Stony Ridge accommodates only a small number of cars and on mornings like this one is potentially troublesome due to the sloping exit. It only needs one vehicle to be parked inconsiderately across the space instead of facing into the wall and at a stroke only two cars can get in as happened this morning - just when you need some leeway in case of snow and ice being a problem.

My letter to the Head of Transport and Highways has not yet drawn a reply nor even an acknowledgement. It was sent on 12th November.

The farm gate onto the moor is still padlocked. The promise from SWT's reserve manager was that it would be opened on Monday.

Admittedly the frozen ground means that the main problem of mud around the pedestrian gate is temporarily suspended, but it will come back just as quickly.

The trees on the lower slopes of Bole Hill were looking in good shape this morning. How many of them will survive SWT's coming festival of arboricultural vandalism we will discover on Saturday. It may be that the red deer will need to seek out another secure asylum.