The walk to Horace's Seat

Date:  24th February 2011

Distance:  3 miles

Beautiful weather today - sunny and almost warm.  It was lovely.  This walk took me down Moira Road along to the junction with Willesley Woodside and to the Heart of the National Forest (http://www.nationalforest.org/visit/index.php?control=see-and-do&action=map which is marked by a plaque and a tree.  Also at this spot is a relic from the second world war which was shown to me by the two old boys who I sometimes meet on this walk.  Lurking in the untidy hedge and broken down railings is an old concrete base on which a searchlight was placed. This would light up German bombers on their way to places such as Leicester, Birmingham, Tamworth and Derby.  It's neglected, unnoticed and unloved by the locals - long may that last.  One of these days I'm sure the health and safety brigade will notice it and have it either moved or  marked by a sign saying 'do not touch - this may harm you'.  Willesley Woodside is a quiet road that leads to Hicks Lodge.  This is the site of an opencast coalmine.  The mining finished a few years ago and now the area has been landscaped and beautified and nature is taking over again.  There is a large lake and ranks of trees.  There are new paths, picnic tables and, most recently and due to be finished soon, a cycling centre where the public will be able to hire bicycles and drink tea.  This area, which I didn't know even had a name until the National Forest people helpfully put up a sign telling me, is a lovely spot.  The large lake has ducks, geese, swan, coots and moor hens.  The sky, on this walk, was full of Skylarks (it's great to see so many on my walks as it seems they are declining in other areas and are on the endangered lists). The Buzzards were circling round and calling to each other way up in the clouds.  I feel they are watching for a moment of weakness, a stumble, a fall....

The high point, literally, of this walk is climbing up to Horace's Seat.  This a great vantage point to survey the surrounding area.  The whole of Moira, Donisthorpe and Oakthorpe are laid out before you and  in the far distance the lorries trundle along on the M42.   Horace Sankey was a local miner who dreamed of and helped to bring about the transformation of this former industrial landscape into the blossoming recreational environment we are lucky enough to be enjoying now. .http://www.le.ac.uk/emoha/community/resources/landshapes/sankey.html It must be wonderful to have such vision and have the motivation and energy to do something about it.

After a short respite admiring the view from Horace's seat it was then time to walk down the hill and round the lake and past the almost finished cycling centre (which has a large car park....)! The walk home was quiet; only one lonely jogger, who looked like it might be a jog too far, spluttered "good morning" to me.  The last interesting sight was just around the corner from home... a pair of small, pink wellingtons, stood on a drive, with no one around...was this an invisible child? A glimpse into a parallel universe where wellingtons rule the world...?

A relic from World War II

The sign

The tree

The eyesore

The wasted opportunity

The former opencast mine

The signs

The new cycle centre

The seat

The memorial

The view

The wellingtons

The Blackfordby Adjustable Round - again

Date:  23rd February 2011

Distance:  3 miles

It's half term so I can get plenty of walks in this week.  Hurrah to teaching!  I repeated yesterdays walk so this will be a brief posting.  The weather was warmer but a great deal wetter. A fine drizzle poured down for most of the walk however this didn't appear to stop the dog walkers being out in force.  Boothorpe Lane was like Crewe Station.  Dogs are fine as long as they are on their leads and know how to behave.  I met one dog today, a small terrier type thing, and it was off its lead and came charging across the field straight for me.  Its owner was bawling at it to stop and saying "He's friendly and won't bite."  I don't think the dog was aware of this and it was quite aggressive.  It's the owners that need the training.

Despite the rain the skylarks were out in force.  They were flying very high and singing away.  I read on the RSPB website http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/skylark/index.aspx that they can fly up to  1000 feet high and stay up there for an hour before descending very quickly to theire nests on the ground - a splendid feat!  I spent five minutes watching them. 

As I approached Blackfordby school today I looked more closely at what the builders were doing and it seems they are chopping down lovely mature trees.  This beautiful green spot is being decimated in the name of progress.  I wonder why they need to expand this school when Moira School has just been granted permission to expand and rebuild.  Are there that many children in the area?

St Margaret's Church

St Margaret's Church

The trees come down - it's Fangorn Forest all over again

The plans for Blackfordby School

The rain got heavier as the morning progressed but it wasn't unpleasant.  I noticed the goats had retreated indoors - I didn't see or hear them as I walked past their meadow.  I did meet a toddler and his grandad making very slow progress along Blackfordby Lane.  The young lad just wanted to look at the sheep and grandad just wanted to get home and have a sit down and nice cup of tea which is just what I was looking forward to.

The abandoned skate board

Final sight today was as I walked past the council houses I spotted a piece of skate board - what happened here?  An amazing trick gone wrong?  Who knows?

The Blackfordby Adjustable Round

 Date:  22nd February 2011
Distance:  3 miles

This is an old favourite taking in suburbia, farmland and a pretty village.  The weather was better than yesterday - it wasn't raining but it was grey and dreary.  It's always interesting repeating old walks and so much has changed since I last did this one. Three major building projects have been started: Blackfordby Village School is being enlarged/improved, a lovely cottage on the lane to Boothorpe has been given a makeover (electric gates and all) and St Margaret's Church is having a new roof.

Let's start at the beginning. The walk takes in the delights of Ashby Woulds estate with 1970's suburban houses in a variety of styles from retirement bungalows to detached family houses.  All the gardens are showing signs that spring is on its way.  Crocuses and snowdrops are flowering and the daffydowndillys' green shoots are making their appearance.  There weren't many people about but then it's always quiet on damp weekday mornings.  I crossed Blackfordby Lane and entered the fields opposite Drift Farm.  This is a field I enter with trepidation - there's usually a herd of cows in them there pastures....not today though so off I went striding out manfully.  It's very muddy at the moment and it looks like horse riders are using the paths more than usual.  The birds were everywhere - loads.  Skylarks were singing away high up in the leaden sky and sparrows were chattering in the hedges keeping two steps ahead of me.  A couple of robins came and had a look at me and, of course, blackbirds were being their usual alarmed selves crying out and hurtling into the trees.  I trundled along Boothorpe Lane and spotted some birds which might have been Yellowhammers but with my eyesight it was difficult to be sure.  Furlong Cottage at the bottom of the lane has been completely refurbished since I was last here.  It looks like they have demolished the old place and rebuilt it on the same plot in a similar style.  All the character has gone...the peeling paint, the crumbling walls....

I crossed Butt Lane and tottered through the little housing estate - it's all bungalows with strange triangular rooms tacked on the side.  A footpath and then an unadopted road takes you through to Strawberry Lane and then it's a left turn up the hill to St Margaret's church and the school.  This is my usual spot to sit a while and contemplate the world but not at the moment.  The place is awash with builders, machines, safety notices and noise.  The school is being doubled in size - another building losing it's charm in the name of progress.  I soldiered on to Blackfordby Hall and decided to check out the pigs.  I was charmed to meet the ugliest pig I have ever seen.  He ignored me until I grunted at him and then he came over to have a look and a sniff.  I wasn't sure what breed he was but I've checked on the web and I think he's a Kuam Kuam pig.  They're are supposed to be very friendly and good in orchards.  I continued the walk down the back lane to a good vantage point for viewing the surrounding hills and fields.  Another change - a new stile and footpath sign signposting the way to Ashby.  The paths takes you down the field to Westfields and then along the main road into town - not an inspiring route but the last time I did it I came across some guinnea fowl.  Then I followed Sandtop Road back to Blackfordby Lane.  Just beyond the junction with Butt Lane is a small field which has had a variety of livestock in it over the years and the latest residents are goats.  They have lovely little houses and a proper fence to keep them in check.  They seemed quite friendly and bleated as I walked past.  The next section of the walk isn't long or difficult but the pavement is narrow and sometimes the bus comes a little bit too close so it can be a bit scary especially if you're mind has drifted off.....

The view from St Margaret's Church, Blackfordby

The pig at Blackfordby Hall

The view from Blackfordby Hall

The new stile and signpost

The new signpost

Pretty snowdrops

Too many signs - blots on the landscape

A walk to Moira Post Office

 Date:  21st February 2011
Distance: 1 1/2 miles

I did my first walk of the year today.  I've been meaning to get started since January but I don't enjoy walking in the winter weather.  It's too cold.  Half term started today and I couldn't put it off any longer - had to get out there.  It's two months until the sponsored walk and if I don't want to be crawling the last 12 miles then I need to train.  

I started off with a short one - I walked to the post office to renew the car tax.  Mundane but enjoyable and only a mile and a half.  It was cold and wet.  One of those days when the trees and bushes twinkle with drops of rain on every twig.  My hat looked bejewelled when I got back home. It's a while since I walked down to Moira.  I passed Cold Comfort farm where I surprised the farmer's wife as she tended her chickens on the other side of the hedge. Not a word was spoken but the chickens looked happy.  Moira Village Hall now has a Rosemary Conley slimming club on a Monday morning.  She's a Leicestershire local - I saw her once at the Remembrance Day service at St Helen's.  She's very slim and extremely clean looking.  That seems to be the way with rich people.  There was a bright sign welcomimg people in but it didn't seem many attended - not many cars in the car park.  Everyone goes to Weightwatchers on a Tuesday night.  It only took 20 minutes to reach the Post Office.  There was a queue but then there always is at Moira Post office.  I never mind waiting as I like to hear the customers chatting whilst weighing in parcels and getting their holiday cash.  The walk home was equally uneventful.  The traffic steamed past me sounding loud in the rain as the cars swished through the puddles.  There was nobody about - not even dogs walkers.  Everyone's either at work or sheltering indoors waiting for the weather to improve and watching Homes Under the Hammer.  I noticed the daffodils are starting to show along with crocuses and snowdrops.  The spring isn't sprung yet but there are stirrings.