Bob was the leader for our 4 ½ mile walk along the Chaffinch Trail from the Royal Oak in Barlborough.
Five walkers set off along Westfield Lane as it started to rain and crossed the dual carriageway onto a farm track. It soon stopped raining, and it was sunny and warm for most of the walk. We walked across a number of empty fields to Beighton Field Wood. We had to make our way through brambles, nettles and low branches to reach the A6135 road from Barlborough to Renishaw. We crossed the road and headed down a footpath and track leading to Spinkhill.
As we walked up the hill, we could see the Immaculate Conception school with Spinkhill church steeple standing
between the two main buildings of the school. Once in Spinkhill, it was very quiet as we passed the Angel Inn, the
only pub in the area, and Spinkhill Primary School, now a house. As we walked out of the village, we passed Mount St
Mary’s College. We headed up an undulating lane and passed by several old, large houses until we reached Park Hall and Park Hall Farm.
Park Hall dates back to 1656 and was originally owned by the Pole family, who were part of the House of Plantagenet. The Manor in Spinkhill sheltered the first Jesuit Fathers during the Reformation. At the edge of the farm, there was
a field set up for horse jumping, but no horses in sight. We followed the footpath signs along a track which led to Quarry Dam, which exhibited fishing signs, but no one was fishing in this quiet, secluded spot. There were originally three dams, but now only one remains, which supplied power to Appleby Mill.
In a field, we saw rabbits, a pheasant and sheep, the first animals we had seen. Bob had found the perfect spot for a
break with several telegraph poles lying on the ground for us to sit on. Once rested, we continued our walk along a field of wheat and an empty field before heading for the motorway and the tunnel underneath.
We were now back in Barlborough, we just had to walk uphill to Ruthyn Avenue and along California Lane. We passed the Barlborough Miners Welfare building, which had previously been a chapel, then a salt factory, before becoming the Miners Welfare in 1913, before returning to our cars.
The next church walk is on 6 July, meeting at 4pm outside church. All welcome.
Julie Franks