10,000 paces through Duffield, Derbyshire

And the sun shone over wet Derbyshire fields. As usual, I'm at my brother's for Christmas; the persistent rainfall has made country walks impossible without wellington boots, so I'm keeping to the pavements of Duffield. A picturesque village, 'picturesque' being something that in general Polish villages are not. Maybe it's the geography - all that flatness. Below: the view from the top floor bedroom window looks tempting - but those fields are squelchingly sodden. Between the rooftops in the foreground and the distant ridge runs the River Derwent. Met Office flood warnings are in force.

Up the hill, away from the swollen river. Houses made of traditional materials; stone walls, local brick and timber, houses that have in many cases withstood centuries rather than decades.

The main street in Duffield is the A6, a long road linking Luton to Carlisle. The stretch between Derby and the Peak District is fairly busy. This stretch, limited to 30mph as it passes through the village, is punctuated by many pedestrian crossings.

Duffield's railway station had grand plans to be the junction of the Midland Railway, with one line running north-west all the way to Manchester and Liverpool, diverging here from the existing main line to Sheffield and the north. But the planned route failed to materialise; a line was built in that direction, but it terminated in Wirksworth just 9 miles (14km) away. The line survives as a heritage railway. Duffield being the eastern terminus connecting to mainline services to Derby and Matlock. The rolling stock (which features Britain's largest collection of classic diesel railcars) is stabled at Wirksworth. Below: the recently rebuilt station building at Duffield

A pastoral scene of idyllic village life in rural England, with little to set this corner visually apart from how it would have looked 150 years ago.

Below: the junction of Duck Island, Crown Street and Tamworth Street. Note the profusion of TV aerials. Will these symbols the the 20th century still be a visible feature of our rooflines in 20 years' time?

This time four years ago:
Sizewell B from 20,000ft

This time six years ago:
The start of the annual pilgrimage

This time eight years ago:
We flew into Manchester that year...

This time nine years ago:

Christmas Eve in England

This time ten years ago:
Washing the snow away

This time 11 years ago:

Traffic at 38,000 ft