Bramcote - Bramcote Hills
w/e 16 February 2020
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Kodak DX6490
Snow dropped from the sky last week but soon disappeared.
Snowdrops pushed up through the soil and will be around for a
little longer. They can be found in abundance at places like
Hodsock Priory in Nottinghamshire (adult ticket £4:00)
and Hopton Hall in Derbyshire (adults £5:00) and in the
past we've seen some lovely displays in Shipley Country Park
for free (link to Candlemas 2016).
Wondering if there would be any in Bramcote Hills Park this year
we left the car park and followed the signposted path to the
right through the wood.
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The path led through the leafless trees and bushes but there
was no sign of any snowdrops.
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The path took us to the site of the former Bramcote Hall but
still no snowdrops.
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Continuing past the Hall site we reached a three way signpost.
A dog barked and jumped at the trees as a squirrel moved from
branch to branch; the trees looked lifeless; the earth was brown
with only small patches of green grass showing through but the
elusive white of the February flowers was nowhere to be seen.
We took the path up the hill.
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As we ascended the slope - it is not without reason the the park
is called Bramcote Hills - there were more signs of life in the
flora but still now snowdrops.
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Almost at the top of the hill we turned left to head back towards
the car park along the main path through the woods. There are
many paths and tracks that criss cross but even though we looked
in all directions, snowdrops were conspicuous by their absence.
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I supposes there could have been some snowdrops as we descended
the hill but we were more concerned about keeping our footing
on the rough steps and tree roots to investigate more.
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We eventually reached the foot of the hill at the car park where
we had started the walk passing the path to the left that had
taken us towards Bramcote Hall. Still no snowdrops but all was
not lost.
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Remembering seeing snowdrops on a previous visit to the park
we walked to the walled garden passing the sundial maze.
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And there near the Ice House we found a bed of snowdrops. Not
a large patch and not the finest you'll ever see but snowdrops
all the same. Maybe we'll have to fork out a fiver each and go
to Hopton or Hodsock to see more - or more likely go to Shipley
as that's almost on our doorstep. That's Storm Dennis permitting
of course. It swept over the country this weekend depositing
a lot of rain and causing floods but there's still time for more
snow to drop from the sky too! It is only February after all!
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