Gringley on the Hill, Clayworth and the Chesterfield Canal, 26th January 2020

Steve's and Phil's 8.5 mile walk took 19 of us first to Clayworth then down to the Chesterfield Canal.  Opened in 1777, it runs for 46 miles from West Stockwith on the Trent to Chesterfield though it is only navigable as far as Kiveton Park near Rotherham plus an isolated section near Chesterfield.  The canal was built to export coal, limestone and lead from Derbyshire, iron from Chesterfield and corn, timber, groceries, etc. into Derbyshire and was used to transport stone from North Anston Quarry for building the Houses of Parliament.  Referred to locally as Cuckoo Dyke, it is now the route of the long distance footpath known as the Cuckoo Way.

The start at the east end of the village

Phil poses in front of the missing beacon (see later). This ancient monument (the beacon that is) dates back only to 1988 allegedly

Gringley on the Hill Market Cross.  In 1252 Henry III granted Gringley a market and annual fair

The Traquair Murals in St Peter's Church, Clayworth were the result of a commission by Lady D'Arcy Godolhin Osborne to commemorate the safe return of her son, Captain Joseph Laycock from the second Boer War.  They were painted by the famous Scottish artist Phoebe Traquair in 1904

Inside St Peter's Church

Here is Roger's cropped original

And here is an attempt to square up the image

Outside St Peter's Church

Joining the Chesterfield Canal at Otter Bridge, #68

Gray's Bridge, #69

Lunch at the marina next to Drakeholes Tunnel.  The  impressive building in the background is the derelict White Swan pub, aka The Griff Inn

The 135m long Drakeholes Tunnel

Just about to leave the canal at Gringley Top Lock

Gringley Horse Well (1748)

A settlement has existed at Gringley on the Hill since at least the Bronze Age. The Domesday survey of 1086 listed it as a medium sized settlement consisting of 16 households.
Just behind this information board near the start point, at some point a rudimentary fortification was established on a mound  known as Beacon Hill (no sign of a beacon though!)

View northeast from the top of Beacon Hill - the flatlands of north Nottinghamshire, 2m above sea level

Ashover, 19th January 2020

Roger's ten-mile walk today explored the Amber Valley and the nearby valleys of its tributaries. So it's not surprising there was a lot of climbing and this, the ice, frost, mud and sun! made it one of our most strenuous walks.

We started at the free car park next to the Village Hall in Ashover before descending past the church to cross the River Amber and climbing up sharply through the woods to the road over Holestone Moor (300m).   Bypassing Cocking Tor, we descended past the engine house chimney of the Gregory Mine to the Amber and followed it to Ogston Reservoir.  There then followed more ups and downs until we climbed up (again) to reach the highlight of the walk, Ashover Rock just northeast of the village.

All Saints Church, Ashover

Looking back over Ashover, Ashover Rock just visible on the horizon

Descent from the gritstone edge near Ravensnest

The engine house chimney of the nearby Gregory Mine - a rare survival of a chimney associated with lead processing in the Ashover orefield

Lunch near Littlemoor

Sun in our eyes most of the day it seems - an unusual problem this winter

Gathering round the toposcope on the Fabrick to hear Roger reading Asher Rock or The Beauty of the West extolling the virtues of Derbyshire.  The Fabrick or Ashover Rock is 299 metres above sea level (there is no higher point to the east until the Ural Mountains).  Clearly visible today were Bolsover Castle and Hardwick Hall and, of course, Cottam Power Station

Next to The Fabrick is a disused Royal Observer Corps monitoring station.  Opened in 1938 it was equipped with flares to warn aircraft of the high ground in the area 

The gritstone boulder of Ashover Rock

Another gritstone descent  - this time from Ashover Rock

Hoby, Rearsby and Brooksby, 15th January 2020

Glen's figure of eight, 9-mile in the Wreake Valley made use of the Leicestershire Round.  It attracted nine members and took in several Leicestershire villages.

All Saints' Church, Hoby near the start

Packhorse Bridge over Rearsby Brook. The original wooden bridge would have been medieval, but was replaced in 1714 by the one we can see today

It is said that in 1753 John Wesley stood on this stone to preach to the villagers of Rearsby. The plaque says The world is my pulpit (I think)

Disused mill at Rearsby

Lunch in Rearsby

Back to Hoby beside the Wreake

Waterhouse Bridge. This beautiful brick bridge was built in 1794 by the Melton Mowbray Navigation Company as part of work to make the River Weake navigable from Syston, where it joins the Leicester Navigation, to Melton Mowbray where it linked with the Oakham Canal

Denton, Woolsthorpe and the Grantham Canal,12th January 2020

Richard's 8-mile walk attracted a record forty four walkers, nine new to the group, on this stroll from Denton. Following a short walk up Belvoir Road, we joined the old ironstone railway before leaving to climb up to the Viking Way. Leaving the Way before Brewer's Grave, we cut through the woods and followed the path overlooking Woolsthorpe before joining Sedgebrook Road to eventually reach The Dirty Duck and the canal at Woolsthorpe Wharf.

The route back took us along the canal to Denton Wharf for lunch and then round the side of Denton Reservoir and back to Church Street in Denton.

The start outside the Welby Arms, now closed but opened for a short time over Christmas so there is hope yet

Climb up to the Viking Way

Overlooking Woolsthope and the Vale of Belvoir

Into the woods near Woolsthope

Locks near Woolsthorpe Wharf

Grantham Canal Society's boat not quite clear of weeds

And here is the weed cutter

Denton Reservoir

Houses in Denton sunlight

Bramcote Hills and the Hemlock Stone, 5th January 2020

 An excellent turnout (28?) for this morning walk starting at Bramcote Hills Park and making use of the Robin Hood Way, the Nottingham Canal and the Erewash Valley Trail to reach Strelley.

The walk took us first to the Hemlock Stone, a rock pillar thought to be what's left of a quarry on the the flanks of nearby Stapleford Hill.

Nottingham Canal Local Nature Trail - "shooting, angling and hunting with birds of prey" prohibited

The 12-mile Erewash Canal, built in 1779, starts at Trentlock and ends at Langley Mill where it joins both the Nottingham and Cromford Canals.  It was used mainly for transporting coal

Coffee stop at Hallam Fields Lock, one of fifteen on the Erewash

Crossing the River Erewash back into Nottinghamshire from Derbyshire

Nottingham Canal on the return trip

Looking north from Bramcote Hill