Shipley Country Park - "Snowdrop" Hill
w/e 26 February 2023
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
  "Snowdrop"
Hill is actually Shipley Hill but at this time of year there
are huge swathes on the hill of what William Wordsworth described
in his poem "To A Snowdrop" as "an unbidden guest"
and a "venturous harbinger of Spring.” We started our
walk at Osborne's Pond (left) and followed Shipley Lane (right)
as far as Derby Lodge.
Looking into the garden at Derby Lodge we saw the expected array
of snowdrops but also noted a new structure that we don't recollect
having seen before.
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Continuing up the hill the bank at Beggar's Walk was almost completely
covered with the flowers but unfortunately, anyone sitting on
the bench would be looking away from the display.
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We then had a choice of three routes - the zig-zag road to the
right up to the site of the Hall; along Lodge Walk to the left
by the Suffragette Wall (seen here on the left) or straight ahead
into the grounds of the Hall and along the path where more snowdrops
could be seen towards Nottingham Lodge.
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It was the middle path to the Lodge that we chose where the sunlight
streaming through the trees picked out the snowdrops splendidly.
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Such a simple flower but their abundance is a sight to behold
every spring.
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Not far behind the snowdrops, daffodils are also shooting up
and their buds will soon be bursting.
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But it's snowdrops that are the main event in this springtime
show and anyone straying from the path would have to be careful
where they put their feet.
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We continued through the grounds and the wood on top of the hill
to the viewpoint over Shipley Lake and the ongoing housing development
on the former Theme Park site.
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Then we doubled back and headed towards the gates at Nottingham
Lodge.There was evidence in the muddy tracks of a heavy vehicle
having passed but fortunately it had missed the snowdrops by
the wall even if it had been too wide for the path.
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At Nottingham Lodge we turned right and proceeded down the hill
and across the meadows back to Shipley Lane to complete our walk
near the still waters of Osborne's Pond.
Route
Map
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