Friday, 23 July 2010

Across the river ...

We'd had one of those days where we'd not really nothing anything ... so in the evening we drove across to the other side of the river and parked near Enthovens and walked up Oldfield Lane ...

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

The first thing that struck me is that someone has actually surfaced what was a roughish piece of track. Now who would have done that and why ?

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

The only people I could think of would be the owners of Sabine Hay. After all they have to drive up Oldfield Lane every day presumably.

At the side of the lane I noticed this moss growing out of the top of a fencepost ...

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

 Eeeh, we were that poor we 'ad t'live in 'top o' a fencepost ...

It was almost reassuring to see that Oldfield Lane reverted to its original state just past Cowley Knoll, where the drive to Sabine Hay leaves it. I say 'almost' though I think the 'One Life, Live It' brigade have made a heck of a mess of the old road ...

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

 I wonder how the bikers and mountain bikers get on coming down this stretch ?

Beyond Cowley Knoll, where it's a bit flatter, the old lane is much nicer to walk ...

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

Natasha hadn't bothered to take her rucksack, it was that much of a stroll ...

A little further along we turned sharp right along the footpath that drops back into Clough Wood. Try and walk it just as the light begins to fade. Sometimes you can see the deer starting to move around in the trees ...

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

Not this evening though ... we were too early.

Eventually you reach the remains of Millclose Mine.

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

At one time over two hundred men used to work here and it was stll being mined in the 1930s. In other articles, I have read that at one time over eight hundred men were employed there.

It was also, apparently, the largest leadmine in the district ! The UK ! Europe ! The World ! Who knows ... it must have been pretty big.   

You can see the main shaft better in this next photo ...

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

It's been capped [not surprisingly] ...

So then we were walking back down Oldfield Lane.

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

 We turned to the right into the trees that stand on land belonging to Enthovens. I remember this area when it was fields, owned by my Uncle Bill who had a farm at Darley Bridge. He had cattle and there was a suggestion that some of them died from lead poisoning as a result of the 'fallout' from the lead smelting at Enthovens. 

They bought him out ... and now there are loads of poplars planted on the ground.  

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

We wandered around. A fox ran across the path. Deer started stirring. The sun was setting, its light slanting through the trees ...

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

In the failing light we headed back to the car ...

South Darley ~ 11th April 2010

 Date of walk ~ 11th April 2010

Length of walk ~ 2.75 miles

Total walked so far in 2010 ~ 65.75 miles

Total walked since 1st September 2009 ~ 195.75 miles

15 of 2010

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