Vicar Water wander

My first wander post for a while covers a rather impromptu 7-mile stroll to Mansfield to collect my car from work after a boozy evening out in Nottingham. A series of trails kept me off the roads and made for a pleasant walk in the sunshine, taking in Vicar Water along the way, a little Country Park moulded frrom the now defunct Clipstone Colliery's reclaimed spoil heaps. Anyway, enough blather, on with the wander...

1) Setting off from Edwinstowe

2) Stray dummy

3) Overgrown path down by the riverside

4) Emerging from the trees and following the river

5) Across the bridge

6) Close encounter with a pylon

7) Clipstone West signal box

8) Crossing the road past the fabulous Dog & Duck, sadly with not so fabulous website: http://www.thedogandduck.info/index.html. My eyes! It hurts my eyes!

9) Swivelling round, in a field opposite the Dog & Duck lie the remains of King John's Palace: http://www.britannia.com/tours/rhood/kjpalace.html

10) Mooooo. And Baby Mooooo

11) Quick shot of some interesting typography...

12) ...then panning out to reveal feeding troughy thing (official term) and a glimpse of the grade 2 listed headstocks at what remains of Clipstone colliery, which closed in 2003. They're the tallest in Europe, headstock fans.

13) Gerrof moi laaand. Can't disagree with the sentiment

14) Passing some graffitied industrial buildings

15) Along the trail past the back of the Clipstone colliery site

16) Onwards through an old railway bridge

17) A little further on down the path I arrived at Vicar Water Country Park, once a spoil heap of Clipstone colliery, now reclaimed as a beauty spot with walking and cycling routes aplenty. And fishermen. Lots of fishermen. Clamber atop the old spoil heap for a nice view or stroll around Vicar Pond, a Victorian fishing lake: http://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/ppimageupload/Image16472.PDF

18) The Golden Hand overlooks the lake. Must have been upgraded as, curiously, it was silver last time I saw it!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/captaindoodle/473894112/in/set-72157594582713623

19) Quick trip to the visitor centre at Vicar Water

20) After cutting back to the main road through Clipstone to grab a bottle of pop, I wander along past this old half mine shaft wheel, one of many such monuments in the region, testament to the area's mining history

After this bit it's all uninteresting industrial estates and car dealerships leading to my workplace on the outskirts of Mansfield, so that's all folks. Thanks for wandering with me :)

A Tunnel Wander

I'd been meaning to do this wander for a while, but had been too busy with work to take a full lunch hour. So, as a reward for finally finishing a rather tricky project at work, I decided to go out into the sunshine.

We begin at the Arkwright Building, part of the Nottingham Trent University campus. It was originally built as University College Nottingham, but has also served as a Natural History Museum and a Central Library.

Further along Shakespeare Street is this imposing chapel. Brave choice of colour for such a prominent building.

And further still leads us to the Register Office. Originally built as the Poor Law Guardian's Office. The interior is very grand, but has suffered greatly in it's conversion to its present use.

Waverly Building.

Here's a close-up of The Terrace Royal on Clarendon Street. This long terrace of grand houses is covered with beautiful ornamentation.

I then walked along Wollaton Street, there is always plenty to photograph here, from the closed ramshackle Chinese restaurant....

...to old warehouses cut into the city stone...

...and a terrific sign. How have I managed to miss this in the past?

On to Canning Circus...

...and back down Derby Road towards the city. We cross the road, and take a bit of a leap of faith.

What is down here?

This is a public right of way, but they don't encourage it.

Down to the carpark entrance...

Almost there, down the steps...

...and straight into a huge tunnel cut into the rock!

The Park Tunnel was built in 1855 to allow horsedrawn carriages to go from Derby Road in to the lar-de-dar Park Estate. It was built by architect TC Hine, but is too steep, so was never really used.

It is brick vaulted, and the walls are part brick and part rock.

Half way down the tunnel is open to the air, with a staircase leading up to The Ropewalk.

Looking back towards the Derby Road end.

...and on towards The Park

And out the other side. Ignoring the graffiti, it is a quiet, pretty spot.

Some houses on The Ropewalk look down upon the tunnel.

And there is a 'doorway' high up by the entrance.

Interesting erosion.

And heading back in to the tunnel - it looks like I have company.

And up the stairs to The Ropewalk.

It wouldn't be a wander on a sunny day without a visit to the Sky Mirror.

And finally, a couple of nice buildings on Angel Row - I will catalog them all one day.

That is all. I hope you enjoyed today's wander.