Ilkeston - Autumn on the Erewash
Canal
w/e 29 October 2023
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300.
According to the weather present
on TV the weather last week was "unsettled" which in
layman's terms means that for most of the week it was overcast,
raining or with a damp atmosphere and cooler than most people
would like. There was just one day when it was a lovely autumn
day and that was when we took advantage of the fine weather to
take a short circular walk with all of the images below coming
from the middle part of the route.
Storm Babet has caused devastation all over the country and for
a time floods caused the main road from Ilkeston to Nottingham
to be closed but traffic was flowing freely as we approached
Gallows Inn Lock to start the middle section of our walk.
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As we started along the Erewash Canal we were hoping for some
autumn colour but all the rain meant that many of the trees were
still sporting their lush summer foliage.
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A couple walking in the opposite direction said that we might
spot a kingfisher flitting through the trees but the only birds
were saw were the usual water fowl. Another couple were feeding
the birds and mallards squabbled for titbits and two cygnets
came to see what all the fuss was about - all under the watchful
gaze of a pair of feline eyes on the opposite bank.
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As we approached Green's Lock, some of that autumn colour we
were hoping for did overhang the towpath.
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The colour may not have been seen in abundance but all along
the canal there were examples of various autumn fruits.
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The gates at the far end of Green's Lock.
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Between Green's Lock and Potter's Lock the railway line runs
close to the canal and a gap in the hedge allows a view of the
countryside up the hill towards Cossall Village.
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On the other side of the canal a tree, one of the few where the
leaves were well on the way to adopting their autumn hues, was
looking splendid on the Larklands Play Area.
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Leaving the canal towpath for a short diversion we walked to
the bridge over the River Erewash to view the water level which
was still high after the storm but a track between the canal
and the river was still covered with puddles and mud as a result
of the earlier floods.
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Returning to the canal we crossed the bridge at Potter's Lock
and were treated to another burst of autumn colour. In recent
years we've been accustomed to the trees changing colour in mid
September. We're now almost into November and autumn is a little
late this year. Wonder what the winter will bring.
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