Wollaton - A Wollaton Wander
w/e 22 January 2017
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Kodak DX6490
Well this wasn't in the forecast! Thursday was a
dull, overcast and grey day and two different weather forecasters
predicted a similar day for Friday with a possibility of a bright
spell or two about 3pm. Now I know I had an appointment with
the optician on Friday morning but I didn't need my eyes testing
to see the sun shining out of a bright blue sky when I rose from
my slumbers. Just before lunch when we decided to make our customary
January visit to Wollaton Park it was a lovely, bright, clear
and frosty winter's day. In fact it was almost a spring day and
the pictures from our "Wollaton Wander" don't lie.
We have been to Wollaton Park many times but this was the first
time we had entered through an entrance off Harrow Road that
leads by this long drive called Digby Avenue towards the Hall.
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On the left of the Digby Avenue is the Wollaton Park Golf Course
which appeared to be deserted.
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However on the tee at the far end of the avenue were four intrepid
golfers where one of them was ignoring the frosty conditions
and was sporting shorts.
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The golf course is split into two distinct sections and Digby
Avenue swings round to join Lime Tree Avenue which if we were
to continue along would take us out of the park onto Middleton
Boulevard.
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Instead we turned right to follow Lime Tree Avenue in the opposite
direction ascending the incline up the hillside. Another narrower
path on the left leads up to Wollaton Hall which we glimpsed
through the trees.
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At the brow of the hill we looked down over the parkland and
playing fields noting the line of trees on the left which mark
one of the usual entrance routes into the park.
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Although that entrance is now the main vehicular way into the
park and the one used by most visitors, it does in fact lead
to the rear of the Hall but to the view most people associate
with Wollaton Hall. We turned right from the brow of the hill
but not before a backward glance into the sunshine towards the
Hall.
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We followed a short path across the grass to pick up another
avenue between the trees leading to Wollaton Road. We followed
this almost to the end before turning off to the right to make
our way back to the starting point.
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We assumed we could get back that way and when saw some people
walking by the wall with purpose decided to take a chance and
followed them across the grass.
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We were not mistaken and keeping the houses on Harrow Road to
our left we soon returned to the gate by which we had entered
the park. At a few steps short of a mile and a half it was not
a long walk by any stretch of the imagination but it was a pleasant
walk and opens up the possibility of longer routes in the park
in the future. We may even get to the lake and see the deer on
the other side of the Hall. But if custom dictates we'll probably
have to wait for another January!
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