Croxton Kerrial and Harston, 23rd April 2024

Tina's 3.7 mile, morning walk took ten members from the church in Croxton over rolling countryside to Harston for coffee, returning through the old ironstone quarries and through Harston Wood to view the bluebells.

At the end, we visited the remains of Croxton Kerrial Manor House, discovered and excavated recently and now open as a tourist attraction.

St Botolph and St John the Baptist Church

Some of the hundreds (thousands?) of free-range poultry en route, protected from overhead kites by the bird scarer

At the top is a depiction of Anglo-Saxon stonework set in the east wall of St Michael and All Angels Church, Harston

Croxton Lane, approaching Harston

St Michael and All Angels Church - coffee stop

St Michael and All Angels

Fine view from the church over the rolling countryside

Bluebells in Harston Wood

It is thought that the Croxton Kerrial Manor House was the home of the Lords of the Manor of Croxton from the 12th to the 14th century, including the ‘de Criol’ family who gave their name to the village

Remains of the Manor House, open to the public

How the village may have looked in the 13th century

A 12th century glazed pot found in the 4 meter deep well

The garde-robe, (medieval toilet)

Display of artifacts in the church found during the excavation

Anglo Saxon siver coin

Barrow on Soar, Grand Union Canal, Sileby and Seagrave, 21st April 2024

 

This walk was originally planned for February but no complete recce was possible due to extreme flooding.  A second attempt was succesful and led to today's 9½ mile walk led by Paul.

So, starting at the free car park at the bottom of Main Street and next to the Midland Main Line, we dropped down to the Grand Union Canal in Barrow and followed it on paths rather than towpaths as it joined and rejoined the River Soar on a winding route to the outskirts of Mountsorrel for a coffee stop.

Afer continuing along the canal, we left it at Sileby Mill and from the village we climbed up by Sileby Brook to the pleasant village of Seagrave in the Leicestershire Wolds for lunch.  Then we dropped back down to Barrow with fine views over the Soar Valley to Charnwood, Bradgate Park and Beacon Hill in the distance.

Paul's earlier attempt at the walk thwarted by flooding

First sight of the Grand Union Canal

Pleasant walk back to the canal after crossing Bridge Street in Barrow

Known locally as the Navvy, the Navigation Inn on Mill Lane, Barrow  was built soon after the opening of the canal in 1794. It provided beverage for the barges and stabling for the horses

Bridge over weir

River Soar leaves the Grand Union Canal (again)

Outskirts of Barrow

Fine Dutch-style houses at Mountsorrel Quay, each with a private mooring

The former Midlands Railway Mountsorrel branch is now occupied by a covered conveyor that carries the aggregate from Lafarge's Mountsorrel Quarry to the mainline railway

The Waterside Inn (1795), Mountsorrel Lock (coffee stop)

Mountsorrel Lock

Bridge and weir where the River Soar leaves the canal (again)

One of many footbridges over the canal or river, this one near Sileby

Leaving the canal at Sileby Mill

The Grade II facade of The Maltings, Sileby, the former brewery buildings now converted into luxury accommodation

All Saints, Seagrave

White Horse Inn, Church Street, Seagrave

Lunch in the very pleasant heart of Seagrave.
The bench commemorates the Paltinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, 1952 - 2022

Fine acers in Seagrave

Heading back through the newer outskirts of Barrow

GPS devices record data every second and use this immediately to calculate the distance walked.  When not moving, random variations in the signal add to the distance travelled, errors which are much smaller when moving.  So today the indicated GPS distance was 10.3 miles whereas the true distance (stored only every 20 metres) was 9.5 miles

This walk is part of a series aimed at covering the whole of  the Grand Union Canal and River Soar from Abbey Park in Leicester to the River Trent.  The walks in red are those actually done by VBR, those in blue are either proposed walks or short recces.  Note in particular the absence of walks we have done between Barrow (circled) and Loughborough and from Ratcliffe on Soar village to the Trent (top)

Bolsover and Sutton Scarsdale Hall, 14th April 2024

Paul's 8½ mile walk took seven of us firstly on a steep descent from the town and onto the Stockley Trail with good views west over the Doe Lea Valley to the M1.  After crossing the motorway we climbed up to visit Sutton Scarsdale Hall for lunch with views this time back towards Bolsover before returning to the start.

Crossing the River Doe Lea below Bolsover

The Stockley Trail runs parallel to the River Doe Lea following the route of the former Glapwell Colliery branch line

Passing below the M1

Bluebells

Sutton Manor, a late 17th/early 18th century house in Sutton Scarsdale

Sutton Scarsdale Hall, a Grade 1 listed ruin once on a scale and quality with Chatsworth House - but not now!

St Mary's Church next to the Hall

Heading back to Bolsover, the Castle in the background.  Bolsover sits on a limestone ridge which runs between Barlborough in the north to Hardwick and Pleasley in the south. The topography of the land strongly contrasts with the industrial coalfields to the west, and the low-lying regions in Nottinghamshire to the east, part of the River Trent catchment

Just off route in the Peter Fidler Reserve.   Peter Fidler (1769 to 1822), born in Bolsover, was a British surveyor, map-maker, fur trader and explorer who had a long career in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in what later became Canada.  In recognition, there is a monumental cairn in the nature reserve

Gateway to Bolsover by Liz Lemon

A striking entrance piece to Bolsover, fabricated from polished stainless steel incorporating water jet cut features which include a life-size cutting of one of the largest dragonfly fossil ever found. The wheel depicts the town's association with mining activities and appears to move using a moiré effect created with perforated panels

Climb back up to Bolsover Castle