Hi All,
Just a quick warning that if you park in the normal layby opposite the end of the track up to Masson Lees you risk getting your car vandalised.
A couple of us had wing-mirrors smashed yesterday. Whilst this was done in an attempt at 'plausible deniability' ("well if you park there, you risk getting your mirrors hit by passing cars, mate") we have solid evidence that it was deliberate. Without wanting to say too much publicly whilst in the process of following this up, it seems that the landowners have got fed up with people parking there and this is the end result.
'No parking' signs had been put up at this layby but I did not see these until getting back to the car (I just pulled up, jumped out, and went climbing as normal without really looking around). I guess there is some debate about the legality of the signs and the legality of the parking but, whatever the arguments, I struggle to see any justification for criminal damage.
The parking in the layby yesterday (as with every other visit over the last few years) was in no way inconsiderate or a problem for farm traffic moving between the road and the farm track. If a vehicle has been able to navigate the road to the track (in either direction) it will easily be able to enter/leave the track -even if the layby is totally full of cars. I work in the agricultural sector, so am sympathetic to farmers getting access restricted by carelessly parked cars, but also know that there are no farm vehicles, machinery or implements that would be rendered unable to get in/out of that track by cars parked sensibly in the layby. I suspect that there are other reasons that the landowners are trying to discourage parking here.
Parking elsewhere on the road would actually be problematic -the only alternatives in either direction are necessary passing places so parking in these WOULD be inconsiderate. So the big layby remains the best place to park (and as stated above gives no access problem for the farm) unless we start walking up from Matlock.
Anyway, sorry for the long post.
TLDR: Be aware that parking in the normal spot (despite not being inconsiderate or a problem for anyone!) is likely to get your car vandalised.
Masson Lees Quarry