Dimminsdale Circular

View of Staunton Harold through the Deer Park wall close to the Dimminsdale car park.
Route: Dimminsdale car park (Severn Trent) - Dimminsdale - Heath End -Staunton Harold - Permissive path - Deer Park wall - Dimminsdale car park. 4.3 km. Walk 11 in the book.

Lots of recent work in Dimminsdale - new boardwalks and bridges - has made this route easier to walk in damp weather. The route through Heath End is clear as the book leads you down the main vehicle access to Heath End's vernacular buildings. Leicestershire CC has installed several new Centrewire metal swing gates along the route (below).

Looking towards cottages at Staunton Harold

The path from Heath End to Staunton Harold was rather squelchy. The posted bulletin from John Blunt (owner of Staunton Harold) was amusing as usual. Look out for it on the noticeboard opposite the Ferrers Centre. Staunton Harold as always was a "picture" with its wonderful lawns for public use.

The only anomaly that occured to me on the walk was the spelling of Keith's Clump (as it appears in the book). The sign provided by the Staunton Harold estate reads Keiths's Clump. Is this a misplaced apostrophe or have we made a mistake?

New bridge at Dimminsdale

Heath End - Sign to nowhere

The above sign can be seen by the side of the track to Heath End passing by the long closed and lamented Saracens Head PH.

The track is not very clear and a bit forbidding to walk as you pass in front of what is now a private house with a "grand" drive and posh gate.

I hope that Leicstershire County Council Rights of Way officers (who are excellent) will improve the marking here and reposition the sign in the correct direction and chop down the offending foliage.

Melbourne to Breedon

Old sign on Melbourne Lane, Breedon.
Photo taken about 2004. Now gone.

Route: Parish Church - Pool - Weir - Chestnut Park - Green Lane, Wilson - Golf Course - Melbourne Lane - Wilson - Chestnut Park - Melbourne. 5 km. Walk 2 in the book.
A breezy day with sunny spells. Pleasant walking. Newish stiles in Chestnut Park, especially good one at the top of the hill.
Still no finger post on the Derbyshire side of Green Lane opposite the handsome Leicestershire sign pointing across the golf course.


Green Lane Wilson - footpath sign still missing despite being reported.
The golf course seemed different - new tree planting? Certainly very attractive. At the Melbourne Lane end of the golf course Leicestershire has installed a metal kissing gate. Very sensible - should last 50 years without much maintenance. Melbourne Lane is always a delight even with the occasional car passing by. It was a blow however not to be able to find the sign at the top of this post, one of my favourites. It got me thinking about how important it is that we preserve these lovely old signposts. The one at Riding Bank sprung into mind.

The walk back to Wilson is along the road. This wasn't too bad with not a great deal of traffic. Great to see the Bulls' Head is open again and is serving Everards Tiger!

The stroll back through Chestnut Park was enjoyable as usual with its panorama over Melbourne, the Hall and the Parish Church.

Market Gardening

Please click on photo to view large.

It's amazing how quickly you are into the country from Melbourne.

This shot was taken early one morning from the footpath that runs north east from Melbourne cemetery to Kings Newton.

Breedon-on-the-hill church can be spied in the distance.

Melbourne to Ticknall Part 2

Wonderful old sign at Riding Bank, Melbourne. Click to view large.

Route today: Melbourne - Selina St - Allotments - Recreation Ground - Riding Bank - St Brides - Robin Wood - Woodside - Ticknall. First part of Walk 7.

This morning was warm and sunny (for a change). After leaving Melbourne and passing through Riding Bank Farm the views improve immensely.

At Riding Bank an orchard has been planted containing local Newton Wonder apple trees (amongst others) and two grass landing strips for light aircraft have been cut. St Brides Farm, dating back to Norman times, still looks impressive from a distance despite the barn conversions.

St Brides from Riding Bank

The route through Robin Wood was muddy but once out of the wood the walking was easy and particularly lovely past Woodside Farm where the meadow grasses were up to my waist.

The only blot on the walk was a broken stile plank at Woodside. Luckily I knocked into the farmer who agreed to carry out repair work on it (SK359246).

Trig point, near Robin Wood, with historical information about part of the route.

Melbourne to Ticknall Part 1

Route: Melbourne - St Brides - Robin Wood - Ticknall - Lime Yards - Broadstone Lane - Derby Hills - Windmill - Melbourne - 8.3 km.

Walk 7 in the book.

Today I checked out the part of this walk which runs from Ticknall to Broadstone Lane.

I was pleased to see this splendid new plaque by the side of the Tramway Bridge in Ticknall.

The walk through the Lime Yards was quite muddy and eery especially if you are walking on your own. Part of the original route has been slightly diverted for repair work but the waymarking is clear. The scenery here never ceases to amaze with pools and rocky outcrops.

Stormy clouds over Broadstone Lane

Once out of the lime workings the path affords splendid views over Broadstone Lane. I returned to Ticknall via the latter as I had surveyed the return route to Melbourne on an earlier walk this week.

Melbourne to Woodhouses

Above: Ashby Road, Woodhouses - the site of the demolished footpath sign.

Route: Melbourne - Pool - Weir - Pool Farm - Woodhouses - Browns Field - 2.6 km.

The shortest walk (Walk 1) in the book but there were several problems.

There was a missing marker into the field north east of Pool Farm (SK389245). This field itself was being harvested (oil-seed rape). I couldn’t see evidence that there had been a route across the field recently.

There's also a missing marker at the turn to Woodhouses complex (junction of Melbourne FPs 26 and 36); I think there should be a post or disk marker here (SK385243).

Then there's the missing finger post at the junction with Ashby Road (SK383242). This was mysteriously demolished after only a couple of days existence, early on this year. A replacement is on the way, but what happened to the original?

Melbourne to Broadstone Lane

Route: Melbourne - Robinsons Hill - Windmill - Broadstone Holt - Derby Hills - Broadstone Lane - Reservoir - Calke Road - Browns Field - 5 km.

This is Walk 3 in the the "Walks Book".

It was a very easy and pleasant stroll in warm afternoon sunshine.

The views across the reservoir were stunning (above).

The only problems were loose stile planks either end of the Broadstone Holt section (SK372241).

One of the stiles can be seen at the top of the post.

Other than that a very pleasant outing.

Back in business

Purchase from Melbourne News - £5.00

Or from Amazon.co.uk

I have been away from this blog for a couple of years; busy with other ventures.

I am now hoping to keep this blog up to date as I am rewalking the walks in the Melbourne Civic Society's "Walks around Melbourne". There are 14 in total and I am hoping to walk them all by the middle of September 2009.

Footpath diversion

The route of this path should pass close to the building on the left.
Fortunately it was reasonably easy to walk.