WEDNESDAY 11 MAY 2016 – THE CHESTERFIELD AND NORTH DERBYSHIRE WALKING FESTIVAL

THE NORTH CHESTERFIELD WAY (NCW), IN REVERSE, WITH SLIGHT VARIATIONS.

A TEN MILE WALK FROM DRONFIELD TO CHESTERFIELD WITH DRONFIELD FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS SOCIETY.

This walk was placed in the programme by Peter Carr and Graham Gill as the Society's contribution to the festival.

Billed as a 10 mile walk it was offered as a slight alternative to the normal NCW to take account of the festival's 10th anniversary, thus to try and have a ten mile walk with 10 points of interest!!

The stats went a little askew as there were more that 10 points of interest and the computer (Strava) said we did 19.6 km (i.e. almost 12 miles). However all thirteen of us were safely delivered from Dronfield to Chesterfield in good health and spirit!

Unfortunately Graham was overcome by a chest infection and pneunomia that prevented him from doing the walk with us although it didn't prevent him from doing his research and door to door enquiries – all will be revealed…., and Mick and Linda were on hand to identify the wildflowers and birds on the route which we were soon to discover were in abundance. Steve stepped in a short notice to act as back marker and the rest of our members provided company and conversation for others.

The forecast was 13/14 C with light rain and the possibility of more heavy rain at lunchtime. However we were never really tested with the pecipitation and had a fine, humid day with everyone having stripped off to bare essentials by Cutthorpe.

The start of the walk took us through part of Dronfield's Lea Brook Valley.

The Lea Brook Valley is a 1 Km green corridor running from Coniston Road to Lea Road and managed by a group of volunteers who make it such a pleasant place to walk through or stop and spend time to admire. Anyone wanting to help with the litter picks and workdays can contact the group through leabrook.valley@btinternet.com.

More information also at facebook.com/leabrook valley project dronfield

Weir in the Lea Brook Valley, Dronfield

Onwards to the high ground near Hills Farm to have a look at what lay in store but we could only make out Rutland Terrace at Barlow with its brightly coloured fronts. The crooked spire was hidden from view by the cloud which was to disappear later in the day. We passed Hills Farm and then through the fields to Cowley Mission on Cowley Lane, a place of worship since 1893 and very much thriving today.

Cowley Mission started in 1888 with worship at a nearby house and was helped to be established by Cliff College near Baslow to provide for the incoming miners and other workers in the area at that time who laboured in the mines and other industries in the area.

CowleyMission:

Across the road and through the fields we were headed towards Monkwood passing magnificent displays of bluebells, ransomes, lesser stitchwort and other wild flowers on our way.

Bluebells near Lea Wood

The route took us through this woodland on our way to Monk Wood:

The happy band of walkers near Lea Wood at Barlow Lees:

MONKWOODMonkwood, first settled around 1140 by Cistercian monks from Louth Park Priory, Lincolnshire, when the local Norman landowner Hasculf D'Abitot asked them to build a church in Barlow in return for a large grant of land in the area. The church (St. Lawrence in Barlow) was completed in 1142 and once established in the Monkwood area, the Cistercian monks became early pioneers of iron smelting and in the production of horseshoes and nailmaking. Everything they need was readily available, e.g. ironstone, timber and water from Barlow brook.

From Monkwood we headed past Monkwood Farm and on to Fender to give us an extra loop and take in this idyllic place.

If you're here and can afford to spend some time you might spot kingfisher. We didn't but there was a bunch of marsh marigold near the bridge.

The idyllic scene at Fender was very different only 50 years ago. Up to the 1960's this whole area was covered in heaps of by-products from Sheepbridge ironworks only 2 miles down the valley. Besides there being a branch line from the works there was also an overhead cable and bucket system depositing thousands of tons of mainly red shale and blue bind over many years. There was also a row of 20 coke ovens which produced coke for the iron smelting processes. The row of cottages here that face the stream actually date from the 1760's despite their more modern appearance due to the large picture windows.

Next stop was Barlow Trout Ponds, taking the bridleway from Fender passing the residence magnificently converted from a water tower. A welcome break here as we were two hours in to the walk. Our arrival coincided with a heron taking flight. We took some food and fluid on board before setting off towards Barlow with its Rutland Terrace and Tetbury Railway Station signal box!!

Barlow was first mentioned in the Doomesday Book under the name Barleie, the name of the Norman family (changed through marriage from D'Abitot) who were given the land by William the Conquerer. Recorded as being worth 10 shillings per annum to the Crown it had a population of 35 inhabitants in 1086. The name was later anglicised to Barley until 1586 when it was changed to Barlow.In more recent times (in 1900) there were 14 shaft and drift mines and 15 open cast coal sites recorded in the parish, the last one closing in 1963.

Our route took us behind Rutland Terrace, the brightly coloured terraced cottages on the main road at Barlow which we had seen from a distance earlier.

In 1813 the ownership of of the village passed to the Duke of Rutland who remained the major landowner here until the twentieth century. Rutland Terrace is thought to have been the residences of employees working in the industries in this area.

In the rear garden of one such house you will discover a quirky shed of railway heritage.

Steven Randolph, who resides there grew up in the Tetbury area of Gloucestershire and never lost touch with his early railway 'roots' (sorry about the pun) and when the opportunity came up to acquire the Tetbury Station signal box and signage he re-sited it in Barlow. His interest has extended to his wife's cafe in Chesterfield (Java cafe in Stephenson Place) with the upstairs giving the visitor an insight into George Stephenson's influence in the railways. The signal box is now used to discuss many issues with friends.

We left 'Tetbury' and headed across the fields to the roadway and Wilkin Hill coming out by the side of Barlow Pinfold (aka Wilkin Hill Pinfold)

The Pinfold is early 19c and a Grade II listed building. It was gifted to the Parish Council in the 1890s and restored to its present condition in 1985. The word 'Barlow' was removed from the lintel during World War II when road signs in much of Britain were removed in case on invasion.

Pinfolds were used to impound animals that were found straying and a fee was charged for their release.

Barlow Pinfold:

We headed along the bridleway, footpath and then Common Lane linking Barlow to Cutthorpe where our next stop was the Coronation Tree at the top of Common Lane.

Cutthorpe is quite a long, spread-out village which stretches for about 3 miles including outlying farms, and has a few distinct areas and hamlets within it. We could see up the hill the Old Manor House. Probably built around 1625, the Old Manor House (formerly known as the Old Hall) was a residence of Ralph Clark, the first Mayor of Chesterfield. Unusually, the Old Manor House is a semi-detached property, and attached to the side of it is another house, a much lower building which is called rather confusingly Old Hall Cottage. Old Hall Cottage is thought to date from the 15th C.

The large beech tree at the head of Common Lane took our interest.

It is called the Coronation Tree and was planted on 22 June 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V. In this area a well-dressing display is held every summer about the end of July in the garden behind the Coronation Tree.

The Coronation Tree:

During the Second World War a Military Ordnance Depot was built around 1940 in the four lane ends area. By 1950 this had been transformed into a Mothers Pride bakery. Housing now exists there and is sometimes referred to as the granary site.

We walked down the road avoiding the temptation of the Three Merry Lads (3 of the men on the walk that is) to head on into Holmebrook Valley Park where we a had a short break outside the cafe area, sunning ourselves in the warm May sunshine.

Holmebrook Valley Park is the largest in Chesterfield and covers an area of 130 acres. The park was reclaimed from an opencast site and laid out as a park in 1995 when it was opened by Frank Dobson MP on 23rd April 1995. There are a wide variety of facilities at the park which is supported by the volunteers forming The Friends of Holmebrook Valley Park.

The next leg of our walk took us past the Redball.

The Redball is a magnificent 2.5m diameter red brick ball made from nearly 1000 individually made

red bricks created by Northumberland based artist Colin Rose. Quirkily set in 2008 at the bottom of a short slope the Redball features as part of Chesterfield's Art Trail.

The Redball

After leaving the Redball we headed through Holmebrook Valley Park and the outskirts of Chesterfield town centre to the town where we dispersed in Rykneld Square to go on our various ways.

Species Observed:

FIELDS: Cowslips, Meadow Buttercup, Cuckoo FlowerHEDGEROWS: Bluebells, Greater Stitchwort, Wild Garlic(Jack-by-the-Hedge), Cow Parsley, Creeping Buttrcup,and Green Alkanet (Barlow behind Signal Box cottage)WOODLAND: Ransomes (Wild Garlic), Bluebells, Wood Anemone, YellowArchangel and Wood Sorrell.ALSO - Hawthorn and Apple Blossom.BIRDS - Yellowhammer, Robin, Dunnock (hedgerows).Swallow, House Martin (Fender).Mallard, Muscovy Duck, Grey Heron, Coot, Tufted Duck and Moorhen (Barlow Ponds)Song Thrush, Nuthatch (Holmebrook Valley Park)

AND FINALLY, for those that were regaled on the walk by Leon and the arrival of the 7 Frecheville Cygnets at Frecehville Pond, here is a final photo:

Hope you enjoyed the walk.......Peter, Graham, Steve and Dronfield Footpaths and Bridleways Society