Ilkeston Circular - Part 01
w/e 17 February 2013
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
Walking For Health groups operate all over the country
and provide regular guided walks that are normally on relatively
flat routes with no stiles and are about 3 miles in length. Participants
walk at their own pace but the walks usually last about one to
one and a half hours. As well as the physical benefits many people
also enjoy the social aspect of the walks as it gives them the
chance to meet up with fellow walkers on a regular basis. We
were members of such a group in Ilkeston some years ago and both
served as committee members for a time. We joined not for any
particular health reasons but just for the fact that we enjoyed
walking and there was a programme of several walks in our local
area. After a while the programme began to be somewhat repetitive
so whilst on the committee I devised a couple of walks to supplement
it, one of which was a linear walk through the town centre and
along the Erewash Canal to Gallows Inn.
A second walk was a circular route around the town centre starting
and finishing at the Victoria Leisure Centre although with it
being circular it can be joined at any point on the route. I
was surprised to see looking back to my original suggestion for
the walk that it was in 2006 when I devised the route. Nowadays
we no longer walk with the group getting our regular daily exercise
with the dog but have decided to revisit the walk and all these
images come from various points on that circular route.
Most of the Walking For Health walks start at the Victoria Park
Leisure Centre and this one leaves via the car park at the rear
of the building to Manor Road.
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Turning left out of the car park we ascend the slight incline
to the top of Manor Road.
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Diagonally
across Manners Avenue from the top of Manor Road (left) we access
the Manners Link footpath. Initially the path which follows the
line of a former railway track, runs between residential housing
on the left and a wooded area on the right separating it from
the Manners Industrial Estate. It then passes between a school
playing field and the Pewit Golf Course (right).
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After about half a mile the Manners Link footpath reaches the
entrance to the golf course at the end of West End Drive and
it is here that we turn left to walk a little way up the road.
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A gap in the hedgerow enables access to the grandly named Rutland
Sports Park but which forever for me at least will always be
the Rec (i.e. Rutland Recreation Ground).
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We could just as easily have walked up West End Drive and accessed
the Rec via the vehicle entrance but this parallel track is preferable
especially when, as with the Health group, there are a large
number of walkers.
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On reaching the vehicle entrance a right turn will take us all
the way round the Rec past the gym on the right and between the
cricket pitch and tennis courts. I was amused to see a sign on
the car park prohibiting ball games!
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At the other side of the Rec the path passes the children's play
area and exits onto Oakwell Drive.
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Turning right onto Oakwell Drive a handy pedestrian crossing
enables safe passage to the other side of the road. The Ilkeston
Community Fire Station is on the right here and the building
on Derby Road in the distance is the Ten Pin Bowling Alley.
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We don't reach Derby Road though as the route is left into Darwin
Avenue which leads up to Moss Road.
Forward to Part 2
As this is a circular walk it can be joined at any point and
it is never very far from the town centre but if you would like
to see a map/aerial view of the whole route, then follow this
link.
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