Today's walk started in Melbourne,a village dating back to the Doomsday Book and birthplace of Thomas Cook (see inset) ...
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| Rod fills us in |
... and over a rather gloomy River Trent ...
... to the Trent and Mersey Canal, where we had to share the route with those pesky cyclists.
The towpath is excellent all the way back to Shardlow and then onto Nottingham but soon deteriorates beyond Swarkestone Lock towards Burton, surely a lost opportunity for a long distance cycle route along the Trent Valley.
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| Coffee at Swarkestone Lock |
Then we followed the Trent downstream to cross Swarkstone Bridge, formerly the only bridge between Burton and Nottingham.
This 13th century bridge and causeway is still the longest inland bridge in England and used to be the main route between Derby and Coventry. Its other claim to fame is that in 1745 it was the southernmost point of Bonny Prince
Charlie's advance on London in his attempt to claim the British
throne.
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| Some of the seventeen arches of this one-mile bridge and causeway |
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| Lunchtime - St Michael's Church, Stanton-by-Bridge |
Then uphill and away from the river valley with sweeping views of the distant hills of the Peak District ...
...until we encountered the Keuper sandstone escarpment near Ingleby close to the famous Anchor Church caves just round the corner.
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| Rock feature close to the Anchor Church caves |
Then it was a simple stroll across fields ...
... and woods ...
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| Robin Wood near Ticknall |
... and back to Melbourne, 12 miles in all.
