After a few weeks around Christmas with no long walks to speak of, I decided to head north along the Five Pits Trail, before turning south west to Clay Cross and then south to Westhouses. I returned home along the Blackwell Trail. It was a pleasant, sunny day but darkness fell before I got home.
I began by walking along the main road to Huthwaite. The road towards Tibshelf crosses one of the highest points in Nottinghamshire. This is the view from just west of the village centre, looking over towards Alfreton and the Peak District. The land next to the road is being cleared for building work, so this view may not be available for much longer.
Just past the Woodend Inn, I climbed down to the Teversal Trail, heading west towards the Five Pits Trail. The deep cuttings along here were in heavy shade.
I reached the southern end of the Five Pits Trail and turned north. The trail soon passes Tibshelf Ponds, once part of the the site of an old colliery.
The trail then follows the route of old railways as it heads north. I crossed the B6014, just south of Tibshelf Church.
Beyond the main road, there is a panoramic view of the eastern edge of the Peak District in the far distance. This view is looking north west over Pilsley and Tupton.
The trail continues north past Pilsley. Just south of Williamthorpe, I took the left fork of the trail towards North Wingfield. After crossing the A6175, the trail reaches Wolfie Pond and the site of the former Alma Colliery. The whole area has been heavily landscaped, so there is little to give away the site's former past.
I followed the western path from here, which curves round to the south west, around the northern edge of North Wingfield. My route crossed the B6038 and through a small housing development, before heading over the brow of the hill and down a steep incline towards Tupton. This is the view north west towards Wingerworth. Around to the north, it is just possible to see the crooked spire in Chesterfield from here too.
At the bottom of the incline, I turned right and followed the main road over the railway line. Immediately over the railway, I turned left along a footpath towards Clay Cross. This follows the Chesterfield-Derby railway line all the way to Clay Cross. The railway goes under Clay Cross in a tunnel. Here is a very poor distant view of the northern portal of the tunnel, shot straight into the low winter sun.
The path goes right past the ornate, castellated tunnel portal. It is barely visible through the trees.
Beyond the tunnel, there has been much recent land reclamation. Clay Cross was once the site of several collieries and an ironworks. Coal and iron ore was originally discovered around here when the railway tunnel was built. Here is a view towards North Wingfield church, showing some of the reclaimed land.
The course of the tunnel can easily be followed through Clay Cross. There are air shafts at frequent intervals. This one is outside the modern Tesco superstore.
The tunnel goes under the south eastern edge of the churchyard. This is a view looking due west from immediately beyond the church.
At the crossroads just south of the church, I turned west towards Ashhover for a short distance. The road drops steeply. This is a view looking back to the church and the centre of Clay Cross.
I then followed a footpath south along the western side of the railway. The railway emerges into daylight just south of the road to Ashover. This is a view of the southern portal of Clay Cross tunnel. It is in a very deep cutting.
The path more or less follows the trackbed of the Ashover Railway, a former narrow gauge line from Ashover to Clay Cross. Here is the footpath as I approached Stretton, with the existing railway on my left.
On reaching the B6014, I turned left past the former Stretton railway station - now a very impressive cottage.
The road climbs steeply up to the ridge above. This view is looking south east towards Mickley.
From the top of the ridge, I looked back over the ground I had just covered.
I followed the main A61 road for some distance. Between Stretton and Higham, it offers excellent views over the ridge towards the hills beyond. Nestling in the hills is Ogston Reservoir, just visible here, in the distance.
For a short distance, just before Higham, there are also excellent views over to the east.
On the outskirts of Higham, I passed the gated entrance to the drive to Ogston Hall, on the edge of the reservoir.
I continued along the main road beyond Higham, as daylight was getting very short. The road passes several stone buildings along the way, including Shirland Church.
Just beyond here, I forked left along a minor road towards Westhouses. This offers long views across the fields on both sides. This view is to the south east, with South Normanton Church visible in the distance on the top of the hill.
On the outskirts of Westhouses, I followed a footpath round to the start of the Blackwell Trail and headed east towards home. The light was fading quickly by now, but there was no spectacular sunset this time! This view is looking backwards to the west, just east of Westhouses.
It was more or less dark by the time I reached the end of the Blackwell Trail, but it was a very light evening, so I carried on regardless. Beyond the end of the trail, I crossed the main road and continued east towards Sutton along a footpath past Rookery Farm, coming out near the Snipe Inn on the A38. From here, it was street lights all the way home.
Not the most spectacular of walks, but at least this kind of trek keeps me fit over the winter months, when daylight is short and everywhere is muddy!
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