Shinning Cliff Woods & The Betty Kenny Tree

We had a late start this week, didn't leave until about 8:00 and it was all down to me. Well I've had a few late nights recently and just didn't wake up in time!! And to make it worse it was my turn to drive.
We decided to go and see if we could find Betty Kenny's tree in the middle of Shinning Cliff Woods. For a change driving time was less than 10 minutes, we parked at the top of the woods so we could have a look at the small pond there. The other 3 have been to this pond in the past but not me. It was dull and miserable and a bit wet under foot when we got there and very disappointing. Apparently when the lads last went you could walk all around it but now its surrounded by a fence. We just had a quick look and then back to the car. It only took another 5 minutes to get to our destination, Halfpenny Bridge at Ambergate, we parked up and set off into the woods looking for the Betty Kenny Tree.

The first part of the trail runs past some derelict cottages and through part of the old wire works. Richard Johnson and his nephew opened the wire works in 1867. They made telegraph wire and suspension cables and apparently supplied the telegraph wires that run under the English Channel during WW2. The factory stopped production of wires in the mid 1990's.

Part of the old Johnson's Wire Works

A bit further on into the woods we came across a derelict house "Oakhurst". It was built in 1848 for the daughters of Francis Hurt although they never got to live there. It was then bought by the Johnson family and later enlarged. The house has had several uses over the years including use by the military, a retreat for the local diocese and finally it was converted into flats in the 1970's until it closed its doors in the 1980's. Its a listed building and no doubt will continue to rot away unless some eccentric takes it on as a hobby.


Oakhurst House

Back onto the trail and deeper into the woods following the path through the trees.

Typical path through the woods

Puff Ball fungi

Ike & Rob decided to clean out a drainage channel that was blocked up and causing the water to run down the footpath. The forestry commission will be getting the bill!!


Rob & Ike

We passed this stone horse trough and assumed it would have been put there centuries ago when this track would have been used by pack horses & traders.

Horse trough

We passed this great looking oak tree and just wondered how old this was.

Old Oak Tree

My GPS told me we were close to the Betty Kenny Tree would still couldn't see it and just then a guy on a mountain bike appeared. I asked him if he knew about the tree and we were in luck, he has been coming here for years and took us straight to it.

The Betty Kenny Tree

This yew tree is reputed to be 2000 years old and has a history attached to it which has come down the years and claims to be the origin of the nursery rhyme "Rock a bye baby". The story has been well documented and relates to a family of charcoal burners called Luke & Kate Kenyon from the 1700's. They lived in the woods and used the tree as shelter and brought up 8 children. This is where the rock a bye baby in the tree tops comes from. The Hurt family owned Shining Cliff Woods and they heard about the family and even commissioned the artist James Ward of the Royal Academy to paint their portraits. The tree was damaged by mindless vandals in the 1930's and is slowly disintegrating.

Its birthday boy Rob looking through the tree.

The 4 of us in the remains of the Betty Kenny Tree

Remains of the 2000 year old Betty Kenny yew tree.

Edge of the woods

After having our breakfast at the tree we set off back towards the car. We came to the edge of the woods, looked over the wall and spotted Alderwasley Hall. The present house was built in the late 18th century by Francis Hurt (he was the High Sheriff of Derbyshire ) and this replaced a 15th century manor house. It remained in the family until 1930 when it was sold to a Benedictine Order to be used as a school. It became a Special school in 1976.

Alderwasley Hall

Further down the woods we stumbled across the bikers and they were performing jumps over a built up ramp. Very impressive. We had quite a chat and they have been coming here for a number of years. They told us there bikes ranged in price from £3000 to £5000, you have to be dedicated to spend that much on a bike. They were all very nice lads and a pleasure to talk to them.

Biker in mid air

On the way back

Stretchy Trees

Because he's a year older the birthday boy now needs sticks

On the way back past the wire works we saw these huge stone slabs and just wondered what they would have been used for. At first we thought they were concrete but they turned out to be stone.

Ike inspecting a load of stone slabs

Well that's it for this week.
Cheers.