This gallery is split over several pages. Each page displays pictures from a particular year or years as taken by members whilst on some of the shorter walks, including SWANS. The most recent are at the top of the page. The links below can be used to select the relevant year.
Jump to 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 , 2021
2011
The December meeting of the SWANS Group was at Hicks Lodge in Moira, the new
cycle hire centre for the National Forest. This was a fresh location for most
members and was ideal for a winter walk, particularly since we were there on
such a bright, sunny afternoon. Ann Potterton led six other members. |
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November's Short Walk took place in Lount Woods and Nature Reserve in
pleasant sunshine. It proved to be yet another of those walks when the
group were not only delighted but also surprised to find such attractive
surroundings so close to home. |
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Appleby Magna was the location for November's SWANS outing and the route was
one of the LCC's excellent circular "Parish Walks". |
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Rose led eight fellow members of the Short Walks Group on Tuesday,
4th October. Beginning in Ticknall, the circular walk took us through
fields and woodland towards Melbourne. Visibility was clear and we could
see Derby and beyond. |
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This month's SWANS meeting was in Bradgate Park on Thursday, 22nd September.
Roger led members on a walk from the Newtown Linford car park to the
Deer Barn and back again. |
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On Tuesday 6th Sept, in blustery and showery weather, 7 intrepid walkers
set off from the car park in the middle of Anstey. The walk was an Anstey
parish walk which our leader, Valerie, had modified to make a comfortable
5 mile circuit. Valerie told us something of the history of Anstey and
its infamous inhabitant Ned Ludd, who allegedly gave his name to the Luddites
after smashing up machinery in protest against the Industrial Revolution.
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August's SWANS walk was led by Carole Adcock. Carole had organised warm,
sunny weather which allowed us to appreciate the countryside to the full. Nine
members of the group and a visitor walked on level footpaths around Lount Wood.
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For our August walk, the Short Walks Group used one of the series of
circular Parish Walks produced in Leicestershire. Our choice was the Carlton
Parish Walk: Walk 2 - 5 miles. Five members walked, led by Sue Calcutt,
on a very warm and sunny day. |
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Thirteen members of the SWANS group met for the July walk in Sence Valley Park. In warm, sunny weather, we walked along footpaths in this delightful local amenity. Paula Gretton led the group from the lower car park on a figure-of-eight route by plantations and open ground. The River Sence, Horseshoe Lake and Goss Lake looked particularly attractive. The name "Goss" perplexed some of the group until Paula explained that it was a local corruption of "gorse". Several family groups and others were taking full advantage of the lovely weather to relax and enjoy themselves. It is difficult to imagine that only fifteen years ago, Sence Valley was the site of a huge open cast coal mine. The landscape you see today looks so natural. Tea and cake at Sunnyside Garden Centre were enjoyed by most of the group after the walk. |
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On Tuesday, 5th July, eight members of the Short Walks Group completed a circular walk from Griffydam. We were led by Roger Bisgrove and walked in very pleasant sunshine. Following footpaths across fields, we left Top Road in Griffydam and walked to the Rempston Road. We crossed the road and continued on footpaths towards Newbold, aka Newbold Coleorton. There were wonderful views from the outskirts of the village. Roger explained that there is an unusually dense distribution of footpaths in this area. During our walk, we certainly saw old tracks and the routes of former railways as well as several way-marked paths. Walking through Newbold gave us the opportunity to admire many gardens and particular garden flowers and shrubs. Our next destination surpassed our expectations: it was Lount Nature Reserve. This is on the site of New Lount Colliery, the shortest-lived colliery in the area, which operated from 1924 to 1968. Here there is a pleasing variety of environments, including three wetland pools. It was an ideal spot to take our banana break. Strolling through the reserve gave us plenty to admire, such as the delicate pink wild flower, century, with which most of us were unfamiliar. We also saw dragonflies and one huge frog. Fortunately, one of our members was able to help out with identification whenever we were puzzled. Leaving the Nature Reserve, we joined the route of an old railway, one of the very early links to the Swannington Incline line, and followed this to Gelsmoor. Many members may recall that the pub "The Gelsmoor" was previously known as "The Railway". From there it was a relatively short walk across the fields back to Griffydam. We all considered ourselves fortunate to have experienced such handsome surroundings. Most group members drove to The Gelsmoor for lunch which they were able to enjoy sitting outside. |
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The focus of this month's walk was to see the wild orchids growing in
the grounds of Calke Abbey. We were not disappointed. |
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The second walk, in May, for the newly-formed SWANS Group was well attended in spite
of the overcast skies. |
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On Tuesday, 3rd May, the Short Walks Group met in Hartshorne for the
annual “Bluebell Walk”. Ann Potterton led the group of 8 walkers, including
3 members who joined us for the first time. The circular walk began in
wonderful sunshine. |
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On Thursday, 28th April, the “Swans” Walking group had its first meeting.
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On Tuesday, 5th April, the Short Walks Group met for their monthly walk in Melbourne. Eight members came along, including a new recruit whom we were delighted to welcome. The walk was led by Ann Pottereton. Booted and wrapped up against the chilly weather, we set off by Melbourne Hall and "The Pool". It looked lovely. We followed the footpath south over fields until we arrived at a wood. There, amongst the trees, was a carpet of wood anemones; we had to stop, admire and take photographs. After pausing again for our traditional "banana break", we arrived in Breedon on the Hill. We walked through the village and climbed the steep hill to the famous landmark church. The bell ringers were practising, the church was open and we took the opportunity to explore. It was fascinating and we all found something to investigate. Outside, the views were stunning. Taking a different footpath, we descended the hill, walked by the edge of a golf course and headed back to Melbourne. As we walked into the town one more surprise awaited us: a road-side stall selling locally grown vegetables. The proprietors sold their vegetables from a pretty, blue-painted, Victorian style cart. It proved to be irresistible. Shortly, we were back at the cars and anticipating our lunch. Most of the group stayed in Melbourne and ate at the nearby Tea Rooms, where the hand-cut chips were certainly out of the ordinary. Without a doubt, the whole outing had been most enjoyable. |
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On Tuesday, 1st March, the Short Walks Group met for a walk with a difference. For the first time, we enjoyed a Themed Walk. Our leader was David Oliver-Williams and our theme was Geology. David is a keen geologist and he shared with his fellow walkers an insight into the rocks of Bradgate Park. The rocks of Charnwood Forest, including Bradgate Park, are amongst the oldest in Britain and include Pre-Cambrian deposits. As we walked through the Park, David pointed out particular significant features and soon had the group enthusiastically searching for further examples. Bradgate Park was relatively quiet and at one stage we were able to stand close to a herd of fallow deer. The ancient oak trees with their weird shapes and forms also caught our attention. Whilst the weather was dry, it was cold and we were all ready for a hearty meal at the Bradgate. |
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The Group met in February, at Sence Valley Forest Park. Five members were able to participate and the walk was led by Sue Calcutt. Before we set off, we looked at the oak Noon Column by the car park. It is one of six found within the National Forest. Sence Valley was a vast opencast coal mine between 1982 and 1996; the park was opened in 1998. We crossed the A447 and walked over fields to the disused railway line. This was the line from Shackestone to Coalville East Station and on to Loughborough. When the opencast mine was in operation, this section was converted to a conveyer belt to transport coal. The next feature was the River Sence itself which we crossed and then walked to Donington le Heath. We passed by the Manor House which dates from 1280 and entered fields again to walk to Snibston. The medieval St Mary's Church in Snibston is the smallest church in England to hold regular services. The peaceful spot gave us the opportunity for a "banana break". Ravenstone was our next destination and as we headed there, the sun came out. We had a brief look at the Hospital which was established exactly 300 years ago this week as an Alms House for 30 women. From there, our route took us back towards Sence Valley over some of the muddiest footpaths we had ever encountered. We couldn't resist the temptation to wash off the mud in the River Sence. By now the it was so sunny that it felt just like a spring day. After changing our boots back at the car park, we drove to Sunnyside Garden Centre for a tasty lunch. |
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January 2011's walk was led by Rose Westram, following light snow showers. Our cars were parked in Stanton under Bardon and once we were warmly wrapped up, six of us set off on our five-mile walk. We followed footpaths across fields and through new woodlands created as part of the National Forest, including The Partings, Ashley's Wood and Brown's Wood. The names given to these new woods often give rise to light-hearted debate as we speculate about their origin and those we discovered during this walk were no exception. As we walked towards Thornton, the church spire became visible above the surrounding trees and looked very picturesque. However, the highlight of this walk was Thornton Reservoir. It looked stunning since it was mostly frozen over. A few swans and mallards were taking advantage of a small ice-free area and we watched their antics for a while. After walking by the Reservoir for a short distance, we took a path by the church and walked uphill into the village of Thornton. We walked along Main Street to Stanton Lane where we turned once more into woodland and fields. Our route led us to the Ivanhoe Way and we followed this back to Stanton under Bardon and our cars. We drove to the Bull's Head at Greenhill for lunch. It had been a delightful walk made even more attractive by the light covering of snow on the ground. |
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2010
On Tuesday, 2nd November Ann Potterton led the group on a 5-mile walk in the countryside north of Smisby. Six members participated, along with someone taking advantage of the opportunity of a "taster session". We left the cars in Smisby and followed field footpaths to South Wood. The hedgerows and woods looked stunning with all the shades of colour we associate with autumn. Although overcast, the weather was dry and we could see the undulating countryside for some distance. Emerging from the mature beauty of South Wood, we headed towards Heath End. Unknowingly, we wandered from the footpath and had an interesting encounter with a local resident. Happily, all was resolved and we continued towards Southwood House where we turned south to return to Smisby. This stage of the walk took us through a new wood, "Harry's Wood", part of the National Forest planting scheme, and then over Pisternhill. Here we were treated to marvellous views once more. Lunch was at the Smisby Arms where we enjoyed a warm welcome, hearty meals and friendly conversation. |
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Six members of the group joined in October's walk which was led by Valerie Smalley. We met in Hathern where Valerie gave us information about aspects of the village including the Village Cross and one of the famous inhabitants, John Heathcoat, the inventor of a lace-making machine. We walked out of the village following footpaths towards the River Soar. After walking over fields, we arrived at Dishley Pool where we enjoyed a short break and the opportunity to see a variety of geese, ducks and wild fowl. In particular, we were intrigued by a pair of Rouen Ducks, a large "mallard" type duck with a loud call! As we walked around Dishley Pool, the clouds dispersed and we felt the benefit of warm sunshine. Next we made our way to the River Soar, heading north towards Zouch. The river looked very attractive, especially at Normanton on Soar. Here we spotted the carved post indicating where the ferry crossed the river. We walked back towards Hathern, pausing to identify a lovely blue flowered plant, and retraced our route into the village. After thanking Valerie for all her efforts with preparation, we set off to "The Plough" at Normanton on Soar for lunch.The weather was so pleasant that we were able to eat our meals outside. |
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September's walk was just under 5 miles long and was led by Ann Potterton . Beginning in the hamlet of Ingleby, the group walked south across fields. We saw many pheasants and tasted lots of blackberries. Our route took us into mature woods and close to a Danish Barrow Cemetery, the only one in England. We passed close to Foremark Hall, now a school, and paused by the beautiful lake there. Taking a diversion, we visited St Saviour's Church, Foremark. Built in the 1660s, this was a fascinating building. Returning to our path, we walked to Anchor Church Caves and could not resist exploring them. We then followed a path close to the River Trent. At times, this path was high above the river and gave marvellous views over the surrounding countryside. Just before our final stretch back into Ingleby, we saw alpacas on a farm. Lunch was at the Ferrers Arms in Lount. |
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August's short walk was led by Sheila Burgess and took place in the Peak District National Park. Six members of the group met in Ilam. We walked across fields to Dove Dale and soon came upon the famous stepping stones. This part of Dove Dale was busy with people enjoying a summer outing. We continued northwards by the river until it was time for a coffee break. The wild flowers, some of which we struggled to identify, the clean water of the Dove, the limestone rocks and the fossils gave us much to examine and chat about. We walked on until we arrived at Ilam Rock where we crossed the river and climbed a steep slope to leave Dove Dale. Walking through fields, we headed towards Stanshope and then turned south towards Castern Hall. Our picnic lunch was eaten in the most beautiful spot: leaning against a dry stone wall, we had fabulous views over quiet, unspoilt countryside. Refreshed once more, we walked downhill to the River Manifold and south along "Paradise Walk" to the National Trust Cafe at Ilam. Here we all enjoyed more refreshments before Roger successfully completed his test on wild flowers. |
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July's short walk took place near Market Bosworth on Tuesday, 6th July. Seven U3A members walked in splendid weather. We parked at the Battlefield Centre and walked on footpaths over arable land to join the gated road which leads from Sutton Cheney to Market Bosworth. We followed the road into Market Bosworth where we took the opportunity to admire the marvellous flower arrangements in the Market Square. (Both photographs were taken here.) Our route then took us through the Country Park, where we enjoyed the shade, along part of the Leicestershire Round and through more fields until we arrived at the beautiful village of Sutton Cheney. We took another break to look inside St. James' Church, reputedly where King Richard III took communion on the eve of the Battle of Bosworth. Following a path along a lane and across some meadows, we returned to the Battlefield Centre. A tasty lunch was enjoyed there; some of us even indulged in delicious ice cream afterwards. |
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On Tuesday, 1st June, five members of the group met at Branston Water Park near Burton Upon Trent. Sheila Burgess led the walk over what was mostly new territory. We began by walking alongside the lake and crossing the Trent and Mersey Canal at Tatenhill Lock. We walked across fields towards Tatenhill and then through meadows and woods in that area of Staffordshire before circling back to the Water Park. It was a delightful walk with lots of variety; we were pleasantly surprised by the splendid views across the open countryside. The may blossom was at its best and buttercups were in abundance. In fact, the only disappointment was the weather: we did have steady rain. Happily, a convivial lunch in "The Horseshoe" allowed the group to dry out. |
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Pictures from the April walk. The 5¼ mile walk began in Calke Park. We walked through the Park with a short diversion to see the new-born lambs. We left the Park in Ticknall and then followed paths across fields and through woods. We walked by the Staunton Harold Reservoir, across fields and back into Calke Park for lunch at the NT restaurant. We kept to a leisurely pace, making frequent stops to look at things that interested us seeing a variety of wild flowers, including pale violets, cowslips and primroses. Besides the lambs, the deer were clearly visible in Calke Park; crossing a field, we paused to watch and listen to a skylark. |
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Some pictures from the March walk by the Short Walks group. The group of 8 met at Swarkestone Bridge and walked via Stanton by Bridge, across fields to King's Newton , along the Cloud trail, beside the Trent & Mersey canal, passed a folly and returned to the pub
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