Vale of Belvoir Ramblers: March 2018

Swinstead, Creeton, Edenham and Grimsthorpe, 25th March 2018

What a difference a week makes! Glorious sunshine this Sunday, excellent, dry tracks and a first-rate walk leader (Steve told me to say that). Nineteen on the walk with two visitors from the Worksop Group.

The walk started outside St Mary's Church, Swinstead ...

Steve addresses the troops. Due to Ramblers' new directive, Guidance for the General Data Protection Regulation, we are not allowed to show his face without his written consent (until next week)

... and went south along The Drift close to the East Coast mainline to Creeton for coffee, then on to Edenham for lunch, returning via Grimsthorpe Park.

St Mary's Church, Swinstead

Valley of the West Glen River - tributary of the Welland

West Glen River

Gate repairs - it just came apart in my hands, honest

Agri-Linc, Edenham, suppliers of new and used farm machinery

We tried to get written consent to publish

Elm Terrace, Edenham. Grade 2 listed building, formerly cottages built for
estate workers on the Grimsthorpe Park Estate in the 1890s

Lunch - St Michael's and All Angels Church, Edenham

Spread out, the tree and the group approaching Grimsthorpe Lake

Grimsthorpe Castle - woods and parkland landscaped by Capability Brown in 1722

Return to Swinstead

Great Casterton, 21st March 2018

Twelve ramblers today, including one visitor from the Lincoln group, on Heather's walk from Great Casterton, through Tickencote, towards Empingham along the Rutland Round and back using part of the Hereward Way. Here are some photos from Maggie.

The start outside St Peter's and St Paul's Church, Great Casterton

St Peter's Church, Tickencote

Lunch stop

Old farm machinery

Cromford, Lumsdale, Tansley and Dethick, 17th March 2018

The walk today promised "fantastic views, a wooded gorge, waterfalls and industrial archaeology". Well, the rain put paid to the views on John J's Monday recce, the route modified slightly from the original drawn up by Eileen, but three out of four was pretty good in the circumstances.

The walk (in blue) a bit shorter than the original route (in orange) due to the mud. Still a lot of climbing (500m)

Wet at the start, wetter at the end

But what's a bit of rain when you have the opportunity of braving the amber weather warnings and walking in wind chill temperatures of minus eleven degrees. So, come Sunday, three VBR members (not the same three as Monday) set out from Cromford, 4-wheel drive essential.

Heading up to Starkholmes in the drifts

Riber Castle - local ruin, now flats

Fine example of local stonework in Riber

Lumsdale Valley Scheduled Monument and Conservation area, property of the Arkwright Society

Waterfall from one of the mill ponds in Lumsdale

Bentley Brook in spate on a rainy day

Bentley Brook on a snowy day

Some of the remains of Richard Akrwright's Lumsdale Valley factory which stretched up the valley and utilised the power of water to drive a variety of mills

Lunch in Tansley on the recce

Heading down to Dethick

Thirteenth century, St John the Baptist Parish Church, Dethick

Distant view of Crich Memorial Tower

High Peak Junction

Back along the canal ...

... to Cromford Wharf

Calverton, Woodthorpe and Lambley, 11th March 2018

Fifteen on Sue's walk today from Calverton and over the hills to Woodthorpe and Lambley (just).

The start in Calverton town centre

St Wilfrid's Church, Calverton

Coffee stop near St Swithun's Church, Woodborough

Heavy going - climb from Woodborough

I'm sure Sue went this way!

Signs of Spring at last

And back to Calverton

Denton and the Grantham Canal, 4th March 2018

The walk from Empingham was cancelled today due to the adverse weather conditions (snowdrifts in Rutland) so, instead, ten of us walked from Denton to the reservoir, across fields to Harlaxton Bridge, along the canal to Bridle Bridge, returning along the disused ironstone railway.