Ilkeston - Pioneer Meadows LNR, Kirk Hallam
w/e 24 April 2022
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
Deep in the, mists of time
we had a walk around Pioneer Meadows Local Nature Reserve at
Kirk Hallam. Well actually it was back in March 2005 (link) but this week I had an appointment in Kirk
Hallam and with half an hour to kill, we decided to have another
look at Pioneer Meadows as it was only a couple of minutes away.
In 2005 I included an extract from the information board on the
site showing the location of each photo as we progressed in a
clockwise direction around the lake. Since than the board has
been changed and is now in colour so I've again added the photo
positions to an extract which this time shows that we took a
shorter walk through the Reserve in an anti-clockwise direction.
The entrance to the Reserve is via a short drive off Wirksworth
Road and appears to have changed little since our previous visit.
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The drive leads to a small car
park and the updated information board is situated at the far
end.
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A closer look at the board which is now in full colour.
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We followed the path from the car park and turned off down another
one to the edge of the lake.
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As we walked along the edge of the lake I was startled by a sudden
movement around my feet. A small vole less than two inches long
had darted from the undergrowth on the left and was scuttling
towards the water but it was as startled as me and was twisting
and turning to avoid my feet as I was doing the same to avoid
it. It's a good job no-one was there to see us as it must have
looked a very comical sight as I danced with the vole.
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We turned away from the lake to follow a path through the trees.
I thought there might be some bluebells in the wood but the only
colourful flowers we spotted were dandelions!
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The path led us to the southern boundary of the Reserve which
is marked by the Sow Brook.
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Continuing in an anti-clockwise direction we passed the footbridge
over the brook which has been upgraded since 2005. The path on
the other side of the brook continues along the boundary and
can be followed to Dale Abbey - a route we have followed several
times during the Autumn Footprints Walking Festival.
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Turning away from the southern boundary we walked back to the
car park with the wood on the left and a meadow on the right.
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It was along here that we paused for one last photo and that
was of the blossom on one of the trees in the wood.
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