Bennerley Viaduct & Flying Cars

This week we were all back together and Geoff has been itching to walk over the disused Bennerley Viaduct which spans over the Erewash Valley. We set off at 6:30 and found our way to the Newtons Lane car park at Awsworth.
It was a short walk down the road past Ilkeston Football ground to get onto the Erewash Canal footpath at Barkers Lock.

The Bennerley Viaduct

The river Erewash

Weather vane on Ilkeston Town FC

Is it Bill or is it Ben sitting by the canal

You can just see the viaduct 

After a nice stroll along the canal it wasn't long before we got to the Viaduct. Its a massive steel lattice structure built between 1876 & 1878 by the Great Northern Railway. It spans over the Erewash Valley between Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire, is 1452 feet long and is just over 60 feet high. Its now a grade 11 listed structure and is on the buildings at risk register. We got up to the viaduct and there was a man already up there and he was doing an exercise routine. He turned out to be a Russian on holiday, a very nice chap. He took the pic of us 4 shown below.

The 4 of us at the south end of the Bennerley Viaduct.

The viaduct passes over the main tracks

A steel lattice construction with what must be hundreds of thousands of rivets .

Sadly there have been at least 2 suicides  from the  viaduct and there are flowers  left  in memory of the people  who have died.

The 4 of us at the north end

Geoff setting up his camera for a 12 sec delayed pic.

Ike

Geoff

Ike & Rob

Geoff at the entrance on the south end.

Geoff coming down from the viaduct.

After a good walk along the viaduct we got back to the Erewash Canal and carried on up to Shipley Gate.

Breakfast stop

Just look at the state of that roof

Dont know who he is

This is going to be a cracking home when its been refurbished.

Primroses

We came across this race car track for remote control cars and they were flying over the jumps.
Its obviously a proper club and looks really well organised.

Footbridge over whats left of the Nottingham Canal

Nottingham canal towpath

This chap turned out to be an expert in the local railway system and does talks and walks on the subject.

Bennerley Viaduct from the Nottingham Canal towpath

This was a cracking walk 6 1/2 miles and the highlight was the Bennerley Viaduct. The morning started off quite cool then quickly warmed up.
I'll be missing next week taking my grandson Morgan to football.
See you soon
Cheers

Hadrians Wall and The Coast

Been away up north for a few days visiting relatives and friends. Took the opportunity to see a couple of  places that have been on my must do list for a while.Stayed a t a lovely little B & B in Whickham where we had lovely grub and Paul who runs it is a great fella, nothing was too much trouble for him.
We travelled up on Thursday and after getting settled into the B & B we visited Mary's friend in Gateshead.

First port of call was to visit Mary's friend Irene 

Had a trip down Trevethic Street

Jim at the door of No 16

 On Friday we visited Mary's brother Bill in Westerhope and spent a very nice day with them.
On Saturday we went to a hamlet called Once Brewed and parked in the car park at the National Park Centre. Mary stayed at the centre while i had a trek along Hadrians Wall to see the Sycamore Gap & Robin Hoods Tree. This tree is famous for being in the movie "Robin Hood Prince of Thieves" They obviously didn't have sat navs in those days because Robin Hood got off a boat in Dover and was heading for Nottingham stopping off at Sycamore Gap (in Nothumberland) on the way.

Peel Boothy

Finger post to the Wall

Steel Rigg

Me on top of  Steel Rigg

On top of Hadrians Wall looking towards Crag Lough

Sycamore Gap & Robin Hoods Tree

Another view of Robin /Hoods Tree

Classic view of Robin Hoods Tree

This is the lower path back to the National Park Centre at Once Brewed

Snapped these Goldfinches in the car park at the Centre.

TI at Once Brewed.

Mary in the stocks in Hexham

My turn in the stocks.

Sunday we went to the coast to St. Mary's lighthouse and then back to Gateshead for a look in St. Mary's Church which is now a heritage centre.

St. Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay.

 Had a quick walk around Gateshead where there is lots of new development going on.

This butchers shop is opposite where the Get Carter car park was.

A new Tesco's going up on the site of the Get Carter car park

Us at the Sage with the famous Tyne Bridge in the background.

I can never resist a visit to my Angel

This is where we were married 49 years ago

St. Cuthberts Church

Don't know what this is in West Street.

A nice couple of days away in the homeland, just a pity Newcastle got beat by Sunderland while we were up there.