SOCIAL RIDE, 12 MARCH

Our ride was short in distance (20 miles), but long in the sense that we were in no hurry. It took place almost entirely on the eastern side of the Erewash Valley, through parts of Amber Valley, Broxtowe and Ashfield Districts and either side of the Notts/Derbys border. The intention was to visit a few lesser known spots in this little visited area squashed in between the Peak District and Sherwood Forest. 

Jan, Maldwyn, Stuart and Jeff set off from the less than charming access road to the Lidl supermarket in Langley Mill and headed for Cromford Road. The road does not get as far as Cromford, but turning right onto a bridlepath took us over the line of the filled in canal, which also does not reach Cromford any more. Then uphill towards Brinsley, with a landscaped colliery spoil heap to our right and a view behind us across the Erewash Valley to Codnor Castle and the Jessop Monument. There is not much left of the castle, though it can be reached by bike from Codnor Park and Ironville. The monument to the builder of the Cromford canal is on private land and you can't get near it. 

Our first stop was at Brinsley Headstocks. As the interpretation board told us, we were now in DH Lawrence's "Country of my heart". Lawrence used many local houses and features of the landscape in his fiction, and his father worked at Brinsley Colliery. 

Brinsley Headstocks

From here we followed a path along the route of a former railway line serving the colliery and then, joining the A608 through Underwood and turning right before we reached the M1 we had a look at Felley Priory. This is now the home of the Chaworth-Musters family, formerly of Annesley Hall. The gardens and tea room are open to the public, but we contented ourselves with a look at the house and a cheeky peek through the garden gate (entrance charges apply!).

We turned round and headed back to Underwood taking Felley Mill Road North down to Felley Mill, of which there is nothing to be seen but the pond. A steep climb on a bridlepath followed, and half the party made it without dismounting. The bridlepath took us over and then under the M1 to a high point with views over the Erewash Valley. On a clear day (not today) you can see Crich Stand.

Back down to Felley Mill and we followed the bridlepath past Moorgreen Reservoir which was built to supply the Nottingham Canal. The reservoir features in "Women in Love" as the scene of a drowning. Just visible through the bare trees to our left was Beauvale House, with its 60 foot high observation tower, built for Lord Cowper in 1873 in the Old English Revival style by architect EW Godwin. Relations of a friend of Lawrence worked there and when the family were away he used to visit the house and its grounds. The house features in the 'White Peacock' and allegedly a small building in the grounds gave him the idea for the gamekeeper's hut in "Lady Chatterly's Lover". 

At Moorgreen we visited the relatively new cafe at Reuben Shaw's Garden Centre. Busy and very good. 

Maldwyn, Stuart and Jeff. 

After a short section on the B600 we turned left at the Horse and Jockey on a minor road taking us the the ruins of Beauvale Priory and the monument to John Houghton and Robert Lawrence, the first two martyrs of the Reformation. The new owners of the farm on which the priory stands have done much to make access possible. There is a cafe and toilets and they are setting up an education centre. We continued on the little road that goes nowhere apart from back to the B600, having served a handful of cottages and a couple of farms en route. 

Beauvale Priory and monument.

After another short section of the B600 we turned right down to Kimberley, across the main road to the tunnel under the A610. The road from Kimberley to Awsworth used to go this way, but now drivers must take the longer route via the Ikea junction as the tunnel only takes pedestrians and cyclists. 

In Awsworth we took the cycle path alongside the bypass, crossing over to join the Nottingham Canal path and passing the eastern end of the Bennerley Viaduct. We took a short detour across the old ironworks site to get a closer look at the soon-to-be-re-opened (!!) wrought iron landmark. 

Bennerley Viaduct

We completed our circuit by returning to Langley Mill along the Nottingham Canal path.

Thanks to Jan for the photographs. Someone should have been gallant enough to take a photo with her in it!

Jeff