Vale of Belvoir Ramblers: September 2020

Ravenshead, Blidworth, Papplewick and Newstead Abbey, 27th September 2020

Starting in the Thieves Wood car park, Paul's 11-mile walk took twelve of us along Robin Hood's Way, though Fountain Dale alongside Rainworth Water to the outskirts of Blidworth, towards Papplewick and then north through the grounds of Newstead Abbey and back to the start.

Thieves Wood

From Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar.

The frier took Robin Hood on his back

Deep water he did bestride

And spake neither good word nor bad

Till he came at the other side

Fallen tree in Harlow Wood

This conglomerate of stone, cemented together when it was deposited by glaciers in fields around Blidworth thousands of years ago, is similar to the nearby (famous?) Druid Stone

Lodge at entrance to the grounds of Newstead Abbey

Selworthy Weekend Away, 19th to 21st September 2020

HF's Holnicote House near Selworthy in Somerset hosted thirteen members of the Vale of Belvoir Ramblers on their annual Weekend Away organised by Sue and Dave and assisted by Glen and Maggie. Welcome back to Gordon and Sheila.

Holnicote House, Selworthy

Sunday - Dunkery Beacon (and Great Rowbarrow)

Sunday's shorter, 10 mile walk took us from the house through forest and over moorland to Dunkery Beacon and returned on a meandering path alongside the river. The longer 11.5 mile walk crossed Exmoor to Great Rowbarrow before returning through woods to Holnicote House.

Dunkery Beacon - Glen on the recce

Wild ponies on Exmoor

The hamlet of Stoke Pero has the highest church building in England (allegedly)

Stoke Pero Church

Monday - Selworthy Beacon

This 11.6 mile walk circular walk included woodland, open moorland, quiet lanes and farm tracks plus great views across the Bristol Channel and Porlock Bay.

Allerford Village

Hurlstone Point, an old coastguard station

Selworthy Beacon toughies

Selworthy Beacon smarties

Looking towards Porlock

Selworthy Church

Cottage in Selworthy

Come on in, it's ten degrees

Tuesday - a 6.3 mile circular walk around Dunster

Coffee time behind Dunster Castle

Dunster Castle

The Yarn Market in Dunster

Farnsfield, Edingley and Hexgreave Park, 20th September 2020

A good turnout (10) for Dave and Elaine's walk considering that thirteen of us were in Selworthy. From St Michael's Church in Farnsfield we first went southwest along Coombs Lane and then up through Coombs Wood to cross Greaves Lane and climb up to Robin Hood Hill for coffee. Returning to Greaves Lane, we followed it for over a mile before leaving to pass through Old Hall Farm and Cotton Mill Farm and across fields to St Giles' Church, Edingley for lunch.

From Edingley, we crossed fields to reach the Southwell Trail but left it soon afterwards to head for Hexgreave Park and its large herd of deer.

The start at St Michael's Church, Farnsfield

Robin Hood Hill. This is actually a 3,000-year-old burial mound rich in Bronze Age and Roman relics

Looking northwest from Robin Hood Hill - the finest view in Nottinghamshire

Greaves Lane

Fine old tree in churchyard

St Giles' Church dating from the 12th century, with no tower and a bellcote

Deer in front of Hexgreave Hall

Bosworth Battlefield, 13th September 2020

A very pleasant 9-mile walk on Dave C's home territory, taking in the alleged battle site, the Bosworth Heritage Railway line, the Ashby Canal, Market Bosworth town centre and its Country Park.

Social distancing at the battlefield site

As you pass by the Sundial Memorial at Bosworth, you see references to thrones of the three principals at the battle of Bosworth, King Richard III, Henry Tudor and Lord Stanley who in the end decided the battle by throwing in with Henry

Equation of time - the errors in sundials due to the eccentricity of the earth's orbit and the tilt of its axis - as seen on the sundial

Crossing the 5-mile long Battlefield Line Heritage Railway at Shenton Station

One of many boats on the Ashby Canal

Opened in 1804, the 31-mile long Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal connected the mining district around Moira, just outside the town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, with the Coventry Canal at Bedworth in Warwickshire

Bosworth Marina - popular with older boaters as the canal is lock-free!

Older boats and boaters

Crests painted on shields displayed in Market Bosworth to celebrate its 500th anniversary. Earl of Pemboke (L) and William Catesby (R)

Sutton Cheney

Bottesford, Staunton and Kilvington, 6th September 2020

Rab's 9½ mile walk roughly followed the River Devon and the Bottesford to Newark railway line north of Bottesford, first to Alverton for coffee overlooking Kilvington Lakes, site of an old gypsum quarry, then on to Staunton for coffee after a circumnavigation of the lakes. Then back via Kilvington across fields and tracks to Bottesford.