Bramcote Hills/Nottingham Canal Circular - Part 02
w/e 11 September 2011
All this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490

We started our walk in Bramcote Hills Park and the first section took us across Coventry Lane to the Hemlock Stone and Stapleford Hill and then on to the Pit Lane Recreation Ground at Trowell. This second part of approximately one mile returned us back to, and across, Coventry Lane by an alternative route.

Over The Railway

We left the Pit Lane Recreation Ground by going over the railway bridge and up the track to the Nottingham Canal which is just beyond the hedge in this view.
Stapleford Hill

Before reaching the canal we looked back across the harvested field to the wooded mound of Stapleford Hill that we had walked around earlier.
Nottingham Canal

If you were expecting to see narrow boats, locks and watery reflections on the Nottingham Canal, I'm afraid you'll be terribly disappointed as this view is typical of the canal for the whole of this section. In fact in other parts where opencasting has taken place the canal has disappeared altogether.
Old Bridge

The canal between Langley Mill and Nottingham stretched for nearly fifteen miles and opened in 1796 but closed in the 1930s. This bridge connecting the fields of a farm still exists but even this does not appear to be in use now as on the far side, a track across the canal has been created to provide the same access.
Swancar Farm

And it's on the far side of the bridge that this view of the distant Swancar Farm can be seen on the northern side of the canal through the gap in the hedge where the track passes through.
Deep Water

We did find some water in the canal bed though but it was little more than a puddle. The adjacent "Deep Water" sign (see the pole to which it was attached at the top of the main image) made us smile but it has been a dry summer and maybe the levels do rise when it rains. I still think the canal would have to be dug out again for the sign to ring true!
Towpath

As we approached Coventry Lane, the canal bed became even more overgrown and even trees were growing in it so that if you didn't know better, you would never know that we were walking along a towpath. It was really difficult to imagine a time when narrow boats and barges would be toting their wares along here. One part of me would have loved to have seen them but another appreciates the hard lives endured by workers of that time and I'm grateful for all the advances that have been made in the interim and that we can still enjoy walks along what remains of the canal workers' endeavours.
Two Dogs

We ascended a flight of steps to reach Coventry Lane where we met a lady with two dogs, one of them a Guide Dog in training, going in the opposite direction. While we chatted the dogs took the opportunity to relax in the shade in what had become a really warm and sunny afternoon.
Coventry Lane

Coventry Lane is part of the ring road around the edge of Nottingham and is often busy with fast moving traffic. Surprisingly with the aid of the pedestrian refuge, it was easy to cross and continue along the footpath opposite.
Low Headroom

That path led down to follow the canal route again and under the same railway line that we had crossed over earlier at the start of this second mile of the three mile route. The "Low Headroom" sign was correct as the height of the bridge above the path was not much over six feet (1.8m). Once under the bridge we began the final section of the walk which returned us to Bramcote Hills Park - and that will follow in Part 3.
Back to Part 01
Forward to Part 03

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