The Derwent was in angry mood as we came down from the flank of Bamford Edge the other day. No glimmer of sunshine, no ladder-like sunbeams raked the sullen cloud curtain: even so, the riotous colours of the riverside trees took our breath away. The deep canopy of beech and ash overhanging the lower part of Lees-side Road (the steepest public road in the Peak District) threw heavy shades from its dull bronze-and-gold overhangs as we came down to the village. A few minutes later we came to the river's edge at the great textile mill built by Christopher Kirk in 1780 and destroyed by fire 11 years later. It was rebuilt and continued in use until comparatively recently The straight weir still directs some of the Derwent under the building that no longer resounds to the clack of spinning frame The great stone edifice now reclines in the comparative silence of luxury apartments.

The river was certainly high; it defied our attempts to get over the stepping stones below the weir, so we detoured downstream, to cross by the bridge leading to the former headquarters of the Derwent Valley Water Board. Here, beside the dark gritstone facade of this former administrative building reached the abandoned track of the railway built to deliver one and a quarter million tons of stone for the construction of Howden and Derwent Dams between 1901 and 1916. When the job was finished the track was lifted and taken to the Western Front to help with troop movements for a couple of years. Nowadays the trackbed makes a useful footpath along the eastern foot of Win Hill.

As we traversed Thornhill Carrs, high above Yorkshire Bridge, a break in the cloud canopy heralded improving weather; and by the time we crossed Win Hill Pike only streaky vapours hid the sun. Suddenly they, too, blew away and we spent the rest of the day in glorious autumn sunshine. Up here on the summit of this popular Peakland hill there's a tremendous view towards the north, straight up Derwent Dale. Down below is the newly refurbished Ashopton Viaduct spanning one of the arms of Ladybower Reservoir. The refurbishment of this bridge (and its shorter brother spanning Ladybower Cough) has recently been shortlised in the British Construction Industry Awards 2000. Beyond that the reservoir arm would up the dale, fringed with the green and gold and bronze of mixed plantations. Derwent Edge lifted clear as a bell beyond them, to the cloudless sky.