Yesterday...
It was a warm day but I was prepared - with a litre of cold water in my rucksack, a tube of sun lotion, my sun hat and an apple. What more do you need for an eight mile ramble in July sunshine? Oh - a map and my trusty camera too - along with "The Gentry", a book by historian Adam Nicolson.
And so I arrived at Alfreton Station. I was the only passenger who alighted from the Nottingham train. I plodded through the former coal mining town from east to west passing humble brick terraces and takeaway shops. There was a micropub called "What's Your Poison?" and in the old marketplace a rather impressive war memorial that I have driven past many times, never before stopping to take a photograph of it.
Ahead on the edge of town by Alfreton Hall, I was impressed by my first view of the parish church - St Martin's. It was nice to find the door to this old church unlocked for several ladies of the town were inside busily preparing for the annual flower show this coming weekend.
One of the ladies, a former church warden called Sylvia, introduced herself and kindly led me around some of the church's most noteworthy features. I was slightly perturbed when she took me into a side vestry where the priest dons his robes each Sunday. There was a velvet chaise longue in there but fortunately I escaped from the little room with my honour intact. Sylvia was round about eighty years old.
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| Cow at Coneygrey Farm |
Soon I was tramping through the countryside to Four Lane Ends and Oakerthorpe. There was a "Roman Fortlet" marked on the map near Coneygrey Farm but there was little to see - just a grassy mound.
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| Footbridge over Oakerthorpe Brook |
On I walked to Swanwick where I stopped to consume a cheese and pickle sandwich and a pint of semi-skimmed milk that I purchased in an Asian convenience store. Then on to Sleetmoor Lane, through an industrial estate and across a main road to another industrial estate where I paused to take a picture of a factory that makes fabrics for the car industry.
When I reached the last factory gate, a very fat man in a "Securitas" jersey accosted me. Apparently, someone had seen me from a window taking the factory photo as I passed by. I assured him that I was not a spy from a rival fabric factory and that I was not an Islamic State terrorist either. The fat man was pleasant so I didn't have the heart to inform him that people can take pictures where ever they go on public footpaths in this "free" country.
More plodding. Through new housing developments. Across the busy A38 road and back to the Edwardian terraces of Alfreton. On Prospect Street, I passed another micropub, creatively titled "Prospect Street Micropub". And very soon I was back at the town's little station waiting for the 15.44 train back to Sheffield.
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| The railway station - Alfreton |
I know I've said it before- probably many times- but I do envy you your long, shady rambles.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to take you along vicariously Mary. Perhaps you should take a Florida walk at nighttime.The next full moon will be on July 16th.
DeleteThat footbridge looks so enticing. Sounds like an interesting ramble.
ReplyDeleteA troll lives under that bridge. He grumbled, "Who's that trip-trapping across my bridge?"
DeleteYou make even industrial estates sound interesting. Nice pictures.
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling by again Queen of Mean. In their own way, industrial estates are interesting places in my humble opinion. It's all function and no beauty.
DeleteI think anywhere is interesting when you haven't been there before. Surprising what you see if you open your eyes and look at your surroundings.
DeleteGreat minds think alike.
DeleteOoh, Sylvia the Siren. You had a lucky escape there!
ReplyDeleteMaking whoopee in God's house might have brought the wrath of The Lord upon us.
DeleteThat sure is a fine-looking cow. She looks like she could in calf, too.
ReplyDeleteSylvia might be a dominatrix...were there any questionable-looking objects left innocently on display in that hidden, mysterious room?
There was a big red candle with melted wax running down the side - but solidified.
DeleteI'm very disappointed there are no pictures of trains.
ReplyDeleteSorry to disappoint you Sir Tasker. I live to serve. At least you got a station.
DeleteIf you keep your eyes open there's always something interesting on a good walk.
ReplyDeleteThat is very true Red. There are always pleasant surprises.
DeletePerhaps that factory was only pretending to be a fabric factory? You didn't think of that did you? I like the little wooden bridge did you trip trap and hop and skip over it.....no trolls I hope.
ReplyDeleteI had not thought that about the factory. Perhaps they were really making little plastic models of Boris Johnson - to be given away free in packets of "Sugar Puffs" when he becomes PM.
DeleteThere was no troll under the bridge. He was on the bridge in size 11 boots.
We do not have semi-skimmed milk over here. We do have 1% and 2%.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see you picked up the main point of interest in this blogpost Bob.
DeleteMy sister-in-law and her family live in Alfreton. We've been there this year in March, but didn't see any of the micro pubs, as we only drove through to Trish's house.
ReplyDeleteWell! That's a co-incidence. I didn't know you had English links outside Yorkshire.
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