First Impressions
No. 06 - Part 02 - Ladywood Road
w/e 10 April 2022
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
The first part of this walk
along Ladywood Road took us from the edge of Kirk Hallam to Ladywood
School which is where we start this second part.
A footpath at the side of the school gives pedestrian access
to the northern half of the Kirk Hallam estate whilst opposite
the school, it's Goole Avenue that provides similar access to
the southern half. The large building on the left at the far
end of Goole Avenue is part of a shopping precinct where there
is also a Health Centre.
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As we near the heart of the
old village there are two comparatively smaller developments
on the northern side of Ladywood Road, the first being Vine Farm
Close. Kirk Hallam was originally a small agricultural village
so the name of Vine Farm Close suggests it was built on the site
of an old farm.
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Between Vine Farm Close and the other small and later development,
Belvoir Close, are some older properties. These two in particular
always remind me of a lodge marking the entrance to a country
estate similar to those in Shipley Country Park but maybe that's
just my fanciful imagination!
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Another older property stands close to and contrasts with those
at the entrance to Belvoir Close - old and new side by side.
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Across from Belvoir Close is Welbeck Avenue, the only other vehicular
access apart from St Norbert Drive to the southern half of the
Kirk Hallam estate.
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But back on the northern side of Ladywood Road and again almost
opposite Welbeck Avenue is the drive to All Saints Church.
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The church is a Grade 1 listed building and dates back to Norman
times and the earliest vicar was recorded in 1298 to be a monk
called Simon de Radford. A footpath to the left of the church
provides another pedestrian access to the northern part of the
housing estate.
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From the church drive Ladywood Road descends more steeply to
the Nut Brook Valley.
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About half way down the hill is the Old School, now a residential
property but that has obviously been modernised but which still
shows it was built in 1872 on the date stone above the window.
The steps at the side of the property lead to another pedestrian
access to the estate.
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At the bottom of the hill Ladywood Road is joined once again
by Godfrey Drive on the left and St Norbert Drive on the right
bringing the two halves of the estate together again. After the
crossroads, Ladywood Road starts to rise again over the Nut Brook
which is where we'll continue from in Part 3.
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