Tag: photography

From Cotgrave Country Park to Cropwell Bishop along the Grantham Canal.

Feb 2nd, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

This morning I did a relaxing 9 mile circular walk from Cotgrave Country Park to Cropwell Bishop and back along the Grantham Canal. Walking the towpath is a joy and one is often quite alone .

I had an ulterior motive for doing this walk. I was aware that The Grantham Canal Society volunteers https://www.granthamcanal.org/were working with Corporate volunteers from Greenfields-Countryside Ltd on clearing trees and shrubs from the canal close to Cropwell Bishop. https://www.greenfields-countryside.co.uk/grantham-canal-maintenance-day-part-1/ I wanted to neb ( a Nottinghamshire slang word for being nosey).

The canal is under long term restoration and there are long sections that have succumbed to nature.

Canal taken over by nature

It was a grey, cloudy day as I set off along the towpath, but it was also very mild, and I was enjoying the almost spring-like feel to the day.

A lock in the country park

As I left the Country Park I came upon a section of canal that had been cleared. This was great to see and gives an idea of what the canal would look like when wrestled back from nature.

A cleared stretch of the Grantham Canal

I passed the ruins of quite a few locks along the way- one day they will be fully restored 😊.

I was enjoying walking along a mud-free towpath – that’s an advantage of walking by a canal. Original cast iron way markers along the towpath told me how far I had walked.

My route took me under the busy A46.

Passing under the A46

I paused for lunch and a cuppa at a nice wooden bench.

A welcome bench for a cuppa

Continuing on with my walk I passed some wooden stepping stones across the canal to a private garden – must be a short cut to somewhere.

Stepping stones to a private garden

The sun was breaking through the clouds and I was enjoying feeling the sun on my face – there was a bit of heat in the sunshine. Soon I could hear the high pitched whine of chain saws and the shouts of men – I had reached the area that was being cleared.

I visited the Grantham Canal Society caravan that was serving drinks and food to the volunteers. The Greenfields-Countryside Ltd volunteers are planning to do a sponsored walk of 26 miles along the canal in June to raise funds for the canal restoration and I will be joining them! After a chat I turned around and headed back to the Cotgrave Country Park.

Heading back to the Country Park.

A great day out.

Happy Walking! 😊🚶‍♂️
A 9 mile walk the day after storm Jocelyn.

Jan 24th, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

Following storm Isha at the weekend we had another storm overnight called Jocelyn – the 10th named storm of the season. The strong winds battered my house overnight and I was feeling slightly tired this morning after being woken by the strong gusts of wind during the night.

I should share with you the sunrise yesterday which was spectacular.

I met Mick at the Dirty Duck pub in Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir and we did a 9 mile circular walk along good paths taking in part of The Viking Way, the old Ironstone Railway line and the Grantham Canal.

Start of the walk by The Dirty Duck pub

Sign on The Viking Way

After walking a short section by the canal we crossed over the canal via a bridge and headed uphill along The Viking Way.

Heading uphill along The Viking Way

There was still a stiff breeze blowing so despite the increased temperature it took a while to warm up. At the top of the hill we passed by the gates and a gatehouse for Belvoir Castle.

Passing by the Belvoir Castle estate

It was great to see little Snowdrops starting to pop up – a sign that spring is not far away.

Snowdrops

By this time the sun had made a welcome appearance as we strode along some nice footpaths.

Good farm track

There were plenty of broken branches strewn across our paths – the results of the overnight storm.

Broken branches

It was time for a quick stop for coffee and a scotch egg at a handy fallen tree😊.

A welcome break.

Revitalised, we continued following the old Limestone railway passing under a bridge and through tree lined vistas.

Bridge on the former Ironstone railway line

Our route along the old Ironstone Railway line

We made our way back to the canal and had a look at the work that has been happening at Lock 13 where it is planned to renovate the lock.

Crossing the canal.

Lock 14

A tranquil canal scene

Nothing much was happening at Lock 13 so we headed back to our cars.

Lock keepers cottage

We had enjoyed some fresh air, lovely scenery and had a good chat. Also, we agreed on next weeks walk. 🚶‍♂️

Happy Walking! 😊
A 10 mile walk along The Grantham Canal

Jan 21st, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

This morning myself and Angela enjoyed a 10 mile walk along the Grantham Canal from Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir to the end of the canal in Grantham.

Locks and Swans

Ice sheets on the canal

Angela had never walked some of this section so it was good that she saw the Grantham end for the first time.

It was a much milder morning than we have had recently, so that although it was breezy it was not bitter cold. There was still ice on the surface of the canal and it was interesting watching the swans waddling on the ice.

Swan on the ice.

This section of towpath is in good order and a nice surface to walk on.

Good footpath

The miles slipped by along this tranquil section of canal. We passed under Harlaxton bridge and headed towards where the A1 was built on top of where the canal used to run.

Harlaxton Bridge where there used to be a wharf

Nearing the A1 we passed a new landing stage so I couldn’t resist having a walk along it.

Passing under the A1 we followed the canal to its destination in Grantham. The end part of this section was not brilliant – a lot of supermarket trollies and plastic/metal bottles/cans had been thrown into the canal.

One of many shopping trollies in the canal

Rubbish in the canal

Having reached the end of the canal we headed back towards Woolsthorpe. The towpath was busier at this stage – cyclists and dog walkers. The sun was shining and we were soon back at the car. We await the arrival of storm Isha this evening hoping that it doesn’t wreak too much damage.

Happy Walking! 😊
A fine walk on a beautiful day

Jan 19th, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

This morning I met up with Mick and Chris to do a cracking 8 mile circular walk beginning along a ridge overlooking the Vale of Belvoir, passing through Branston, Knipton and then past the Belvoir Castle estate back to the start.

I awoke this morning to a lovely sunrise – it was going to be a sunny day!

It was a chilly start and the ground was frozen solid as we set off on a good tree lined path along the ridge.

The ridge footpath

Looking to our right we could see way across the Vale and point out distant land marks.

Leaving the ridge we turned onto a deeply rutted track (Toft’s Lane ) and followed this to pick up the Jubilee Way for a short distance. The sun was shining and there were great views to take in.

Tofts Lane

Chris and Mick were pointing out various species of birds along the way, of which there were many – red kites, buzzards in particular wheeling, gliding and soaring majestically in the clear blue sky. The crunchy cracking of the ice in puddles as we walked along accompanied us.

Track on the way to Branston

At the end of the farm track we turned right onto the road to walk up a moderate hill into Branston where we entered a farm and passed through a field of sheep going down a hill and over a rickety/icy bridge followed by a steep climb up out of the valley.

This brought us to a field where we caught glimpses of Knipton Reservoir as we followed the clear path across.

Exiting the field brought us on to a road that had very little traffic. This would take us towards Knipton village. The road was white with frost so care was needed when placing your feet.

On the road to Knipton

A view on the road to Knipton

We caught another glimpse of the reservoir along the road.

Knipton Reservoir at the end of the field

Myself and Mick have done this walk many times and tradition dictates that we stop at the village Post Office and buy a hot drink and maybe some snacks. We then sit on a bench adjacent to the lovely babbling brook and enjoy our purchases. Today, we both chose a hot Bovril and it went down very well I can tell you!.

Knipton Village

The babbling brook

A welcome cup of Bovril

Suitably refreshed we followed the road out of Knipton towards Belvoir castle soaking up more nice frost filled views.

I think we were probably aware that the weather is changing back to wet and windy over the weekend so it was nice to enjoy the sunny weather today. Soon we were back on the ridge and heading for the cars.

Back on the ridge

We all had enjoyed the walk and particularly being the in fresh air and the sunshine. The miles had passed very quickly with the chat speeding us along.

Till my next walk,

Happy Walking 😊!
I found solitude along the Grantham Canal.

Jan 14th, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

This morning I did an 11 mile walk along the Grantham Canal from the Dirty Duck pub in Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir to Redmile and back again.

I set off walking at 08:00 and I didn’t meet a soul for 3 hrs – it was wonderful!

The start by the Dirty Duck Pub

A moody sky over the pub

The Grantham Canal Society Depot at Woolsthorpe

The weed dredger

The path lies ahead.

The Grantham Canal is a dis-used canal that runs from Grantham to the River Trent in Nottingham (33 miles). It is what is referred to as a contour canal because when it was built it followed the contours of the land – hence it is wiggly! It is gradually being restored by The Grantham Canal Society. The aim is to get the canal fully navigable again and this will involve putting in a new cut to get from the outskirts of Nottingham to the Trent because of roads etc that have been built across the original route. It is a very long term project.

To see more of the canal towards the Nottingham end see my blog https://wordpress.com/post/oldblokewalking.blog/1881

The canal opened in 1797 having cost £118,500 to build. From Nottingham the canal carried coal, coke, lime building materials and groceries. Returning from Grantham boats carried corn, malt, bean, wool and agricultural produce.

The walk was a mixed bag of nice pathways and very muddy ones.

Nice reed beds

Along the way I saw 4 herons close to the towpath but do you think I could capture a photo – as soon as I got anywhere near they flew off further away from me. Most frustrating but wonderful to see them.

A restored lock

A de-tour was required around lock 13 which is just at the early stages of being renovated.

Dam across the canal to aid the renovation

The start of the detour

In the distance I could see impressive Belvoir castle.

Belvoir castle in the distance

I really liked the reed beds along the way.

Reed beds

I said ‘Hello’ to quite a few Swans – good job no one was about!

Near Muston there a breach in the side wall of the canal visible and the water had dropped 2 feet. It has breached here before and the temporary repair has failed. The Canals and Rivers Trust has been made aware.

Breach in canal

Along the way I passed a disused Lengthman’s hut – the Lengthmen were responsible for lengths of towpath including repair and maintenance of banks. To see what a restored Lengthmans hut looks like see my blog https://wordpress.com/post/oldblokewalking.blog/1686

Roughly half way I stopped for a coffee and a scotch egg. It was definitely on the chilly side this morning. On the return leg I avoided a boggy section of the towpath taking a cycle trail instead.

The cycle trail

The path took me through a tunnel that had some interesting graffiti in it.

Soon after I was arriving back at my car.

Nearly back at my car

Way marker on the cycle trail

It had been a great walk and I look forward to my next.

Happy Walking!
A walk in the Vale of Belvoir

Jan 10th, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

This morning I met up with Mick and we did a pleasant 8 mile walk in the Vale of Belvoir starting and finishing at the Dirty Duck pub in Woolsthorpe-on-Belvoir. We walked along the Grantham canal to Harlaxton then across fields to Denton Reservoir where we had a cuppa. After which, we walked to Denton and picked up the disused ironstone railway line back to Woolsthorpe.

Todays route

It certainly was a fresh start to the day – there was ice on the canal!

Grantham Canal by the Dirty Duck pub

There is something nice about a crisp winters morning. It was good because there was very little wind and we were keen to do a brisk walk along the towpath to get warm.

We met joggers, dog-walkers and cyclists along the way – all enjoying the sunshine. When we reached the reservoir it was quiet and looked magnificent in the sun.

Denton Reservoir

Denton Reservoir

Refreshed after a coffee stop at the reservoir we made our way to the old railway line. Somebody has put a coating of what looks like asphalt granules on the path which was a proper mess.

The old ironstone railway line

Old bridge supports for the railway line.

There were a few muddy sections along the walk today but because they were frozen it wasn’t such an issue.

A good little walk. Till my next one,

Happy Walking 😊
An early morning walk at Dunham Massey.

Jan 7th, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

The walk today was a short walk in the grounds of the National Trust property Dunham Massey https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cheshire-greater-manchester/dunham-massey

We were up early, drove to the property and parked in the village of Dunham Massey. Access to the property was over wooden steps into the park – the main car park does not open till 09:00. An early visit is a good idea to avoid the crowds, so arriving at 08:00 ticked that particular box.

It was a crisp, frosty morning.

Dunham Massey Hall

All to ourselves

The park was quiet and we appreciated having it mainly to ourselves for a while. Soon, the jogging fraternity and dog-walkers started to arrive.

A quirky little building in the park

Usually there are deer roaming around but this morning they must have been having a lie-in 😊.

Grass tussocks

joggers

We were on a time constraint this morning but managed to walk 4.5 miles. The sun was rising as we were close to finishing.

A nice walk to start the day.

Happy Walking!
A sunny walk along The Bridgewater Canal.

Jan 6th, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

Todays walk was a 10 mile walk along the Bridgewater canal from the Cheshire town of Lymm to Stockton Heath, near Warrington and back again.

Although the morning started with freezing mist the sun soon burnt the mist off and it turned into a blue- sky day.

Angela with one of the larger boats moored at Lymm

The path lies ahead

Myself and Angela set off along the towpath taking in the views and watching the wildlife along the way. We passed a few Anglers and quite a few dogs walking their humans. Everyone was enjoying the sunny day!

The path close to Lymm was good but as we progressed the path became very muddy which was not what we had hoped for.

Good section of path

A muddy towpath

We passed under the M6 motorway.

M6 Motorway bridge

There were some lovely houses adjacent to the canal along the way – quite a few had balconies so that their owners could sit outside sipping a chilled white wine watching the canal world pass by – although that is in the summer when the weather is warmer!

Passing under one bridge I noticed a really cool piece of graffiti – possibly not to everyone’s taste?

I liked this piece of Graffiti

We passed a weird looking boat – not a type I had seen before.

The strange boat

There were plenty of pleasure cruising boats moored up along the walk.

We stopped at a handy bench for a butty and cuppa and so, feeling refreshed ,resumed our walk.

Getting back into Lymm the weather was still holding.

Arriving back into Lymm

Lymm has a very old monument which was restored in 1897 by public donations in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria – the stone is gradually washing away.

It was a delight to do this walk today – the sunshine certainly lifts your spirit – and we look forward to the next one.

Happy Walking!
A walk at Skipwith Common.

Jan 5th, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

Today myself and Angela had a walk at Skipwith Common – a national nature reserve in North Yorkshire. It is an ancient landscape with 270 hectares of open heath, ponds and woodlands.

Nice path through the woods

lowland heath

There are numerous paths through and around the common. Today there was plenty of water from the recent rain in evidence.

The heathland was formed at Skipwith about 3,500 years ago when settlers tamed the ancient woodland with fire. Their descendants grazed sheep and cattle preventing trees invading open areas thereby allowing heathland plants to thrive. Peat digging created many of the ponds on the common.

One of the many ponds

During World War 2 in,1942, the Common and some of adjoining Ricall Common was the site of RAF Ricall – a base for training aircrew to learn how to fly four engine Hadley Page Halifax bombers. There were 32 aircraft and almost a thousand men stationed there until the war ended in 1945 when the base was decommissioned. It remained as a storage facility until 1960 when the final off-Common parts were sold.

A memorial (based on a propeller) was raised in 2010 dedicated to members of RAF Ricall who lost their lives in accidents.

War memorial

One of the many bunded areas where former RAF buildings resided

We walked along some nice wooden walkways that led to wildlife viewing points.

We only had time for a brief but enjoyable visit.

Walking back to the carpark

Silver Birch trees

All being well, myself and Angela should walk a new section of the Bridgewater canal over the weekend. I am looking forward to that.

Happy Walking!
A sunny walk along the Grantham Canal from Hickling to Cropwell Bishop.

Jan 4th, 2024

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

Today myself, Angela and Mick took a 10 mile walk along the Grantham canal from Hickling basin to Cropwell Bishop and back.

The route

It was a sunny morning with very little wind as we set off along the towpath from Hickling basin towards Kinoulton.

On the way to Kinoulton

The towpath was in very good condition given all the rain we have had recently.

Arriving into Kinoulton

As we have come to expect along the canal we saw some swans. At one point two swans took off into the sky, with speed, and you could see just how powerful their wings are.

Leaving Kinoulton the sun was still shining and we were enjoying the views 😊😊.

The canal stretches ahead

Soon, the canal was noticeably more weedy and we reached a point when there were trees growing in it. For those who are not aware, the canal has not been used for many years and is currently being restored by the Grantham Canal Society – it is a very long term project but steady progress is being made.

Greenery in the canal

A nice caravan on the opposite bank

When we reached Cropwell Bishop (our halfway point) we found a handy bench and had a cuppa and a butty. Refreshed we then began our return leg. A tree had been blown over across the canal recently – no surprises given the winds recently.

Tree blown over

It was a peaceful walk – we had hardly met more than half a dozen people.

Heading back to Hickling

Arriving back at Hickling basin we were surprised that the very popular café (The Old Wharf Tea rooms) situated by the basin was closed. Turns out it is closed until the 5th of February.

Till my next walk, Happy Walking!