Autumn Footprints 2021 - Codnor Park Reservoir
w/e 31 October 2021
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490
This Autumn Footprints walk
took place on Friday September 24th and the description in the
programme read "This pleasant walk follows the Cromford
Canal to Erewash Meadows and on to Aldercarr Flash. On the return
we take in Codnor Castle and wind back to the reservoir. (10-15
stiles)". It was graded as a moderate walk of 5.7 miles
and when I later measured it later it was just a touch over 6
miles. Added to other walking during that day I managed between
7 and 8 miles which was the furthest I'd walked in a single day
since before lockdown. It may not seem far to many people but
I slept well that night!
The walk started at the Codnor Park Reservoir and we followed
the route of the Cromford Canal towards Stoneyford, Aldercarr
and Langley Mill.
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We'd no sooner started walking than we paused at this bridge
which marked the point where the former Pinxton Branch joined
the Cromford Canal. There were several more pauses during the
walk to allow our walk leader Ben Wain (who had also led the
Launch Walk in Shipley Park) to share his interesting knowledge
about the history of the area as well the natural environment.
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For the first part of the walk we continued along the towpath
along the disused Cromford Canal.
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After a little while we crossed the canal via a footbridge and
this is the view back towards Codnor Park from the said bridge.
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For the next mile we walked through an area of scrub land before
climbing a bank to pause again and look back over what had formerly
been the industrial landscape of the Codnor Park Forge and Wagon
Works. Now returning to nature it is known as The Forge Nature
Reserve.
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The walk continue through a wooded area before dropping down
again to the route of the Cromford Canal and the Erewash Meadows
Nature Reserve.
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We continued heading south along the route of the old canal and
also the meandering River Erewash until we reached another Nature
Reserve in the Erewash Valley at Aldercarr Flash. Here we turned
away from the path to pass under the railway line that also runs
along the valley and start the climb up the track through the
Fish Farm to Aldercarr Lane that would eventually take us to
Codnor Castle.
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Although only a narrow road we had to pause a couple of times
on Aldercarr Lane and move to the side to let traffic pass but
for most of the way we were able to walk down the middle of the
lane.
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The walk from the Fish Farm to Codnor Castle is about a mile
and a half and about half way along at the junction with Boat
Lane, the lane becomes known as Castle Lane. Views on either
side of the road all the way along though were over farmland
or open countryside but at about a mile from the Fish Farm we
passed the manicured fairways of the Ormonde Fields Golf Club.
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It was not long after this that we caught our first sight of
the Castle ruins and the adjacent farm which is currently undergoing
restoration work. Our next stop would be at the Castle for a
lunch break.
Click here to continue
the walk from Codnor Castle back to Codnor Park Reservoir.
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