Rockingham Forest Walk

 Friday 31st May 2013

Start in Wakerley Woods Car Park.  Wakerley and Fineshade woods are part of the historic Rockingham Forest.
We followed the Jurassic Way long distance footpath.  The path went through Laxton Hall grounds, passed it's hansom gateway.  Then on through the sables to the Fineshade visitors centre.  A tasty ice-cream later, we continued along the Jurassic Way though old iron stone quarries, and down onto the railway tracks that once collected the stone.

Lunch in the estate of Laxton Hall

Laxton Hall

Our footpath?

Elizabeth, Joanna and Isabella

an old footbridge over a
 non-existent railway

Walking along the old tracks

Broad Bean field

The girls find a good place to rest

Elizabeth at Alton Towers

The home leg

Trying to be a twitcher and pleased to see
two types of woodpecker

May with Elizabeth

What could be nicer than visiting Auntie Elizabeth in Cumbria?  Elizabeth is suffering somewhat from the effects of chemotherapy, but amazingly joins in (or leads) with most activities.  We were joined by Marion, Margaret's mum.
Saturday 25th May

Studying the map 

The route from Torver up C.O.M.

Coniston Old Man in the distance



Our girls and trees

A hidden gem



Reaching Goat's Water



 Margaret at 'brain rock' (my name)

At the wind-swept top

Coniston Water is beneath us



Low Water.  21 years ago we camped here.

Abandoned cable way.  Good shot Jo.



Joanna's artistic eye

Sunday 26th May

Walking to Church

What we saw on the way

On the there this calf was still in it's sack. 
On the way home we saw it stand for the first time.

Heversham Heads

A walk around Levens Park

The footpath under the dual carriageway

Levens Park 

Levens Goats

Monday 27th May

We visited Leighton Hall in the rain.  The wet limestone blocks went completely black.  Here is a picture from a different day.

Leighton Hall in the sun

Our guide, the owner Suzie Reynolds

Leighton Hall was built on the 13 century foundations of a Norman knight Adam DeAveranche.  The original 1730 design was a simple palladian building, felt in 1830 to be too plain, so jazzed up with the latest Gothic façade.   The Victorians had to go and 'unbalance' it with the west wing.  The building reminded me of Belvoir Castle's Gothic, mixed with Balmoral proportions.  See what you think?

Belvoir- Gothic window arches and octagonal towers.

Balmoral- Grey, asymmetric façade.
Similar proportions, but larger in scale.

15th of May the Swifts arrived.

I noticed the swifts arrived yesterday.  As with last year, it was the 15th of May.
They are inspirational birds.  I have decided they should be praised every year..

Century Cycle Challenge

I am grateful to the friends who gave money to Water Aid and Open Hands (a Leicester City Charity for Asylum Seekers and people who need a friendly face).  You helped me raise about £300.  Open Hands received about £5000 from the event.

Here is the story.

Margaret's Cousin, Dave Bennett has a very nice bike with flattened spokes(!) and fibre glass front forks.

Dave leading his team into the sea
at Brancaster.

He lead a team last year from Leicester into the sea at Brancaster in Norfolk with the Century Cycle Challenge.

This year I bought a folding bike with the 'Cycle to Work' Scheme.  It is designed for long distance cycling, with the option of catching the bus home.  (If interested, see more at www.airnimal.eu)

This year I joined Dave's team.

We took the whole think very seriously, training hard, even in the rain.  On one fateful occasion, our pelaton collapsed and Dave's front forks snapped in two.  There is a heavy cost to all this crazy business.

Dave's expensive front forks.

On the 4th of May about 500 bike set off from a beautiful hilltop manor house called Neville Holt.

Neville Holt (at the top of a steep hill)

The first 50 miles took us to the outskirts of the Rockingham race course, past Kirby Hall (English Heritage) and under the Welland Viaduct (longest in England).  Then Up to Morcott, and into Rutland.  We stopped at Rutland Water for and energy boost of bananas and rather dubious freebies of 'cycle food', such as the 'Lance Lozenge' and the 'EPO energybar'.  After this we got back to Neville Holt in no time averaging 14mhp.

Rockingham Speedway

Kirby Hall

The welland Viaduct

Rutland Water

The second fifty miles was slower for me, and I soon found myself in the 'B' team.  Our time was affected by a number of my team mates taking a tumble.  One damaged his wheel and had to drop out.  I found myself counting off the hills (six hills to go...)

It was lovely to be supported by Margaret and the girls, with Dave's wife Fran, and Sophie and James.  When I got home I was relieved to find I still had an energybar in my back pocket, which helped me get up the stairs to bed.

This is at the lunch stop

Only one crazy person per family

Starting second 50 miles in the rain

Struggling in at 100 miles

Most of the team at the end in silly jerseys