Shipley Country Park - Early Spring Walk
w/e 01 March 2026
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Nikon D3300 camera
We entered the Shipley Country Park from Marlpool crossing the
Nutbrook Trail to drop down the bank to reach Osborne's Pond.
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A cool breeze was rippling the surface water on the pond as we
passed but a brisk walk up Shipley Lane towards Derby Lodge soon
warmed us up.
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About half way up the lane is an information board but given
the ground conditions, I decided to stick to the tarmac rather
than getting stuck in the mud.
Turning left at the Lodge to climb up towards the site of the
Hall, a glance back to the Lodge showed the garden full of snowdrops.
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Further up the hill the Beggars Walk bank was also awash with
the spring flowers.
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We continued up Shipley Hill and turned right to follow
the path passing the converted Water Tower to Beech Walk, the
path once lined with beech trees that had to be felled when they
became diseased about twenty years ago. Nearing the wood the
path forks and as we turned right to drop down the hill again,
the floor of the wood ahead was filled with patches of even more
snowdrops.
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Here are just a few of the flowers - there must be literally
millions of them on Shipley Hill.
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As we dropped down again to Shipley Lane another spring flower,
the daffodil, created a splash of yellow among the white of the
snowdrops on what must be the sheltered side of the hill.
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Clumps of daffodils were springing up through the autumn
leaves that are still lying on the ground.
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As we returned towards Derby Lodge, the bank on the left
of Shipley Lane opposite the property called The Gardens there
were no daffodils but the snowdrops were there again in abundance.
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We continued past Derby Lodge again and retraced our steps down
Shipley Lane and out of the Park.
Click here to view the Route Map.
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