Pretty much a dog walk this, but i've not done a lot else this year!
Lots of snow melt and partially frozen ground today, so not looking at it's best. This stretch of the Chesterfield canal is undergoing renovation, and will look brilliant in a few years, once it all settles in.
I set off from the shops at Inkersall, but if you are not local to the area, then the carpark at the bottom of Ringwood Park would probably make a better start point.
Lots of snow melt and partially frozen ground today, so not looking at it's best. This stretch of the Chesterfield canal is undergoing renovation, and will look brilliant in a few years, once it all settles in.
I set off from the shops at Inkersall, but if you are not local to the area, then the carpark at the bottom of Ringwood Park would probably make a better start point.
The walk starts away from the canal, so I made my way towards Ringwood Hall, on my way down. Twig The Dog isn't fond of traffic, so I avoided Inkersall Green Road, and dodged down the quiet, wide verges of the parallel Turner Drive on our way towards Ringwood.
A path spurs off Turner Drive back down a steep hill towards Inkersall Green Road. As it joins the road, a path enters the field on the left. We followed this into the grounds of RIngwood Hall. In drier weather I might have crossed the field at the top of the hill, and done a circuit of the lake, but this can be a bit damp even in dry weather.
We worked our way up through the (muddy) park. No squirrels were harmed in the crossing of this parkland.
We crossed the only busy road on the route (A619, Chesterfield Road), and dropped down to Troughbrook Road.
The A619 is difficult to cross, especially nearer the junction with Inkersall Green Road. There is a crossing on the brow of the hill, but I found a well-sighted spot halfway down the hill.
The A619 is difficult to cross, especially nearer the junction with Inkersall Green Road. There is a crossing on the brow of the hill, but I found a well-sighted spot halfway down the hill.
At last we reach the canal, at Hollingwood. There is a new cafe here, but we were there before it opened.
The lock gates are on the left, but we crossed the road (there is a low tunnel if you prefer), and headed right towards Staveley.
The lock gates are on the left, but we crossed the road (there is a low tunnel if you prefer), and headed right towards Staveley.
The path runs along the canal for some time. The later sections are undergoing renovation and the construction of a new canal basin at Staveley. The path pulls gradually uphill to join the Transpennine Trail.
We turned right onto the spur of the Transpennine Trail. If we had turned left, there is a pleasant section which runs out past Renishaw up to Rother Valley, probably about 8 miles.
I tacked on a circuit of the lake at Poolsbrook country park at this point, adding about a mile and a half.
The TPT runs along in a similar vein to the back of Inkersall. Normally I would have carried on up Bamford Road and dropped back down the edge of the wood, but pup looked tired, so we cut down across the playing fields by Inkersall Green Road, and back to the start.
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