Ten of us met up on the approach road to the Hardwick Inn. This is an area that the group hasn’t walked in recently so we were all looking forward to discovering new footpaths.
Our leader, Ted had done a recce of his intended walk a few days earlier and had found some footpaths that were virtually impassable owing to the vegetation that had sprung up in the recent weeks. Because of this Ted had to modify the route to form an “out and back” walk rather than a circular walk.
We started out by passing the Hardwick Inn following good tracks up to the impressive Lady Spencer’s wood. After short periods on both the Teversal and Silverhill trails we entered Silverhill Wood Country Park. Similar to other former collieries in this region the park is now a haven for wildlife but still retains some reminders of its past such as the statue of a miner on top of a significant mound. This was where we stopped for our lunch.
The route back followed roughly the same path but it’s surprising how different the scenery looks when viewed from a different direction. At the end of the walk some of the party checked out the Hardwick Inn whereas others enjoyed tea and cake in the vast Hardwick Hall cafe.
Thanks to Ted for leading us on a very enjoyable walk and for giving us a chance to explore an area further afield.
