Monday 25 February 2013

Looking for Whitesprings ...

To the north-east of the Darley Dale are a number of Forestry Commission woods that are open to the public. I parked on Flash Lane and walked into one of them, Seventy Acre Wood ... 

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...  

... and followed a track ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...  

... until I reached Back Lane ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...  

Back Lane is an unclassified road linking Flash Lane and Sydnope Hill. As it gets nearer Sydnope Hill it gets much rougher than it is shown above and local motor cyclists [who like a bit of rough] like it.

I entered Whitesprings Plantation on the other side of Back Lane ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

I followed a track into the woodland ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

Tracks and paths wander here and there in the plantation. One bought me to this line of beech trees which made me wonder if this is an old nursery ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

I followed another path in a vaguely westerly direction which led to a gateway suggesting that there may once have been fields here ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

The path led to the 'upper reaches' of Halldale Brook where it is crossed by a fairly substantial bridge ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

I realised at this stage that I had probably strayed outside the 'open access' land but when I found a squeezer stile I did wonder who it was for ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

Finally I found what I had been looking for, the remains of Whitesprings ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

This old farm was covered in so much ivy I could have walked past it ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

I looked around the ruins trying to work out what was what ... or what had been what ...



I came away thinking about the lives that had been lived there.

Some years ago I met a man called Hopkinson who had lived here as a boy. He died 15 or 20 years ago in his 70s so I suppose he was talking about the early part of the 20th century when the Hopkinsons were here.

  A pretty good path leads away from the old farm ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

I wandered through the plantation and found a pond ...

P1030129

  ... full of frogspawn ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

 Eventually though all roads head home and I came back to Back Lane ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

 The afternoon walk ended with me photographing this warning notice ...

Seventy Acre Wood and Whitesprings ...

Some visitors to this area are not so keen on the beauty of the landscape as much as misbehaving with each other ...

This walk was followed on the 19th March 2011
 
Length of walk ~ 3.09 miles *
 
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 69.66 miles
 
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 19th March 2011 ~ 597.71 miles
 
17 of 2011
 
* distance calculated on Ordnance Survey's Getamap

14 comments:

  1. So ... do they have a One Hundred Acre Wood? Just wondering about where Winnie the Pooh and friends hang out ...

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    1. One Hundred Acre Wood must be nearby. From what I've heard Winnie is probably safer out of these woods.

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  2. So people do it on the trails! That might be fun to watch! Add a little diversion to communing with Nature.
    Thanks again for another adventure Charlie.

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    1. I've just been looking at a site for people who visit trig points in the UK. Someone was reporting on such a spot a couple of miles away ~ he mentioned that he had encountered a completely naked older guy as he walked through the trees. It wasn't me I hasten to add.

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  3. A really nice walk Charlie. I do like walking in woodland, although I prefer it a bit greener. An interesting glimpse of days gone by at the abandoned farm.

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    1. Thanks Mitch. I think even at the best of times this woodland won't be that green ... still it adds atmosphere.

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  4. You certainly find some interesting walks Charlie,the farm is a sad sight,it would be nice to know more about its history.Ann

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    1. There's so much out there to discover Ann ... as you say it woukld be good to know more about Whitesprings. An old photograph would be great. I am acquainted with one of the family but I haven't seen him for a while. I'd have more chance talking to his wife perhaps as I see her shopping from time to time. If I get the chance to find anything else out I will ask here.

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  5. Such a shame that these fabulous properties are left to go back to nature. It looks to have been quite a substantial farmhouse and rather more than just a cottage. How quickly nature takes over!

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    1. I'm not sure of the reason this was left to fall into rack and ruin ... [why is it rack and ruin ?]. Perhaps it was unfit ?

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  6. I should not have opened this up but watched it and was so enthralled. But I was at a bible study until 9:30 and am brain-dead. So I will spend more time with it tomorrow. Bless you, dear heart.

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    1. I've not been around for a day or so Karyn ... I hope you got back here and found it of interest.

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  7. Fascinating. It always amazes me how quickly Nature reclaims properties. It's surprising too that all the stones are still there.

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    1. Yes, Nature creeps back in steadily and relentlessly. I suppose the stones are there because there's no other properties that near that might want to rob them.

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