Yesterday, because the weather was so nice, we decided on a good walk around Shipley Hill, towards Mapperley Village, before returning along the old West Hallam Colliery site. Our route is here...
The hike up Shipley Hill can be quite steep, depending on which path you take and our route back down the other side of the hill was even more precipitous. Taking us down through the Beech tree woodland toward the old (and unused) burial site for the Miller Mundy family who once owned the Hall atop the hill. On old maps, this woodland is shown as 'Shoulder of Mutton Wood' for some unknown reason. From the edge of this woodland, the views open up towards Mapperley village across the fields of cows.
The cows were grouping together in the middle of the field, getting ready to settle down and chew the cud in view of the six tall Poplar trees which seem to punctuate the landscape with their exclamation marks!!!!!!
Our route down the hill towards Mapperley took us down the tarmac roadway which once formed the drive up to the hall - quite an impressive approach to anyone's home I should think and equally impressive in it's present state.
There is one 'blot' on this charming, rural landscape. That blot takes the form of the open-cast mining which was begun a couple of years ago, close to the nearby village of Smalley. What started out then as a fairly unobtrusive hole in the ground, has increased and increased until it now forms a great scar amid the green fields around. Oh well! We all need electricity, but what a shame it is to ruin (albeit temporarily) a beautiful aspect.
Returning via Head House Farm, the views are in the opposite direction, across the farmland towards our estate and home. A great walk on a lovely, sunny day. It's a good job this isn't a 'scratch-n-sniff' blog entry, as the whiff from the cows here is - shall we say - a little ripe!!
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