This weeks walk was a visit to my childhood adventure playground of The Welbeck and Clumber estates. After school in the 50’s when I was probably 8+, Stan and I would take off on our rickety bikes and charge around these grand country estates to be chased by gamekeepers and angry young lovers who we disturbed 🙂 We also explored the many tunnels on the Welbeck estate, later on I hung out with the guys who sailed Enterprises on the Welbeck lake plus we got to meet the grand old Duke himself once, a charming guy in his beat up Morris Minor!
This Sunday it was a far more sedate walk with Sally and Renata, I was pleased to see that Welbeck is as well fenced of as ever, although my guess is no kids now stray that far after school from Creswell! Creswell Crags is totally transformed, the sewage works installed in 1952 has disappeared to be replaced by an uber modern Cafe/museum/visitors centre that proudly proclaims folks have been visiting Creswell for 50,000 years 🙂 The only miners in Creswell now are young kids (minors) with all the safety kit on to explore the caves we once hung out in.
A very enjoyable day out traipsing on the newly laid red ash paths, ironically made from the ash created by the old pit tips burning with all the smoke/smell pollution we endured as kids. Renata did really well doing the 19 or so miles on her first ever long walk with no blisters or aches & pains. Sally had an enjoyable day out to, her first 15+ miles day of the year!
Here’s the walk with pictures of the many fine gate house lodges etc,
A great walk to end my holiday …… it was nice to hear all your childhood stories 🙂
What a lovely walk. Do you ever get lost?
What a lovely walk. Do you ever get lost? And how do you get your iphone battery to last so long with everytrail?
That's easy Ellee – I don't use the iPhone 🙂 I had the route preloaded in the GPS from my Memory Map programme on the computer.
Sounds like a good plan and very well organised.