The Cuckoo Way ~ the eighth day [part 2] ... Is it Les ?

... continuing the walk started here

As the shopping public busied themselves in Worksop I was walking under the road at Worksop Town Lock ... 

 

... and continuing along the towpath ...



... until I reached a locked gate where I had to make a detour ...



The scenery wasn't quite so scenic as it had been but there were some great reflections ...



 

Milepost 21 was reached ...

 

... and Bracebridge Lock ...

 



Just round the bend from here there's one of the most impressive pumping stations I've ever seen, Bracebridge ...

 

It was built in 1881 to deal with the sewage problem and was fueled by coal brought by barge using the canal. I've seen it written that the coal came from Shireoaks Colliery so it would have made the same journey I had just taken ...

 

The Victorians knew how to build didn't they ...

I was heading out of Worksop now but looking back the pumping station was still quite a landmark ...




I walked between some businesses on the right and rather non-descript fields to my left. The towpath was rather underwhelming ...



... though it did get a bit greener ...



Milepost 22 turned up ...



It looks like an older one than the others.

Manton Viaduct carries the railway across the canal ...





 This is where I turned round to head back to Shireoaks. I didn't backtrack along the canal straight away but picked my way alongside roads until I reached Manton Inn ... and wondered if this is all that remains of Manton Colliery which closed in 1994 ...

 

I pitched up at Worksop Priory gatehouse. According to the Worksop Heritage Trail the Gatehouse "to Worksop Priory was built about 1330 as guest accommodation for visitors to the Priory, where shelter and food was given free to any visitor for up to three days." 



My next photograph does not do justice to the priory itself but as it was closed when I passed by perhaps I was disgruntled. Anyway, here's the priory's rather ornate door and doorway ...



I rejoined the canal. 

When I'd walked the canal earlier someone had caught my eye ... and he was still there when I passed the same spot some hours later ... so I went up to him and said, slightly hesitantly, "Is it Les ... ?" Fortunately it was ... 

Les was a friend on Multiply and is now on Blogger as well as Facebook. We had a chat and I took his photo ...



It was good to meet someone so coincidentally though I did know where he lived, namely Worksop.

Finally, on the way back I spotted this gravestone in memory of Joseph Garside Pearson who died aged 31 in 1892. Judging by the carving at the top of the stone I thought he must be a cricketer so I googled his name earlier this evening. According to Wikipedia "Joseph Garside Pearson (26 March 1860 – 18 January 1892) was an English cricketer. Pearson's batting and bowling styles are unknown. He was born at Worksop, Nottinghamshire. Pearson made a single first-class appearance for Nottinghamshire against Surrey at The Oval in 1883. Surrey won the toss and elected to bat, making 236 all out in their first-innings. Pearson bowled 3.1 overs toward the end of the innings, taking the wickets of William Roller, Frederick Johnson and Ted Barratt, conceding just one run off his bowling. Nottinghamshire responded to Surrey's total by posting 405 all out in their first-innings, with Pearson being dismissed for a single run by Barratt. Surrey reached 112/3 in their second-innings, at which point the match was declared a draw. This was his only major appearance for Nottinghamshire.
He died at Boughton, Nottinghamshire, on 18 January 1892."

I have the feeling that there may be a story behind Joseph Pearson ~ he took 3 for 1 and only made one appearance.

 
  
This walk was followed on the 14th March 2011
 
Length of walk ~ 8.47 miles *
 
Total mileage walked so far in 2011 ~ 62.72 miles
 
Total mileage between the 1st September 2009 and the 14th March 2011 ~ 590.77 miles
 
15 of 2011
 
* distance calculated on Ordnance Survey's Getamap