Locko Park and Frosty Field

Somebody mentioned Denby Drury-Lowe pit last week and that sparked a conversation about the Drury-Lowes and Locko Park where they lived. It turns out 3 of us had never been there.
It was my turn to drive and we parked in the lay by just outside the main entrance. It was very frosty and -4 when we got there. The sun had still not broken the horizon and the clouds were taking on a lovely pink colour.

The route around Locko Park

It really is a lovely park with views of the hall across the lake. We stuck to the track and the footpaths and it was a good job it was frosty to make the surface across the fields hard enough to walk on without sinking. We went alongside the lake then followed the footpath up and through Icehouse Woods. From there it was across fields and a circular route back to the lake. We stopped at the lake for our breakfast and watched the birds including a heron on the other side of the water. Then it was back to the car.

Another great sky to start the day

Geoff & Ike

Gorgeous frosty scene

A stream from the lake

Rob & Ike heading up to Icehouse Woods

View of the Hall from Icehouse Woods

These structures are on the fringe of the woods

Geoff walking the plank

Ground frost 

Back light on these frost covered leaves.

Ike Rob & Geoff

Frost and furrows

These stalks are whats left maize

One that got away

Horse with its winter coat on

Locko Hall

Locko Park is a privately owned 18th-century country house, near Spondon, Derbyshire. It is a Grade II listed building. The estate was acquired by William Gilbert from William Byrde in 1563. The oldest part of the house is the chapel of 1669. Wikipedia

Geoff having a warm cup of tea

Locko Hall 

These are tree roots 

This was another cracking little walk on a cold and frosty morning around Locko Park.
Just under 4 miles with a lot of different scenes.
See you next week

Foolow, Big Skies and That Sinkhole

Having seen the appearance of the Foolow sinkhole on the national news we thought we should go and have a look.
It was brother Robs turn to drive so after scraping the frost of the car with temperatures down to -1 we headed north and parked up on the green at Foolow.

The Foolow Sinkhole

We booted up and had a quick look around the village and started to walk along the road back towards Eyam. We could see the hole from the road and Ike realised we were going the long way around to get to it so we went back past the green and there was an A4 sheet pinned to a telegraph pole pointing the way to the sinkhole.

The fabulous sky looking down the cottages in Foolow

Head of the Medieval village cross

The Village Cross

Great sunrise over Foolow

First sight of the sinkhole in the warm early morning light 

A flock of rooks in the morning sun

The boys looking up towards the sinkhole

Rob, Geoff & Ike 

The bell tower of St. Hugh's Church

Sign for the sinkhole

One of the old village wells

Ike, Rob & Geoff with the sinkhole visible on the hillside.

After  the brilliant sunrise we were treated to this magnificent sky.

Closer view of the sinkhole from the road.

The main route through was gated so we had to venture a bit further up the road.

 The area around is limestone and the village stands on the 'Foolow Beds'. Huge, deep slabs of Carboniferous limestones that mark the transition from the Dark Peak in the north to the White Peak in the south. There is much evidence of lead-mining locally. There are also some interesting geological features, such as Waterfall Swallet, where one of the local streams disappears underground. The sinkhole measures about 150 feet wide and 60 feet deep just appeared sometime before Christmas day when a local walker found it. The sinkhole lies over old mine workings which date back to 1705 and the area has been worked for lead and fluorspar since then. 

The sinkhole just appeared sometime before Christmas day when a local walker found it. 

This sign was at the end of our trek

A brilliantly made seat with an engraving "Friends Rest Awhile and Dream"

Looking at the information board for The Silence & Old Grove Lead Mines

This gaggle of walkers headed off towards the sinkhole.

 Foolow is a picturesque village clustered around a village green with an ancient cross and duckpond. It was formerly a lead-mining village and many of the houses are from the 17th century. The mere, or pond, is fed by natural springs and the shaft of the village cross is medieval, though the base is more recent and has a bull-baiting ring attached to it

We had our breakfast at the duckpond in Foolow

Another of the Foolow Wells

Foolow Village Cross

 On the way back from Foolow we called in to see the wind turbines that have now been installed at Carsington Pastures. The fog came down and we could only see the one.

One of the Carsington Wind Turbines in the fog

We had done part of this walk a couple of years ago although that time we went right on to Barrel Edge. It was a lovely crisp morning with some of the walk along roadways. Another cracker.
See you next week.