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BLACK GOLD AT THE HEART OF THE NATIONAL FOREST 51 buildings. Since Donisthorpe Colliery closed in 1991, there has been a spate of sightings in the area, so keep your eyes open and have a closer look at the chimney! Whether this enigmatic creature really does exist is a matter of conjecture as there is no hard scientific evidence to support the phenomenon. However, local conservationists are keen to investigate this potential new species and many locals heartily believe in the rabbit’s existence. Continue downhill to cross a metal stile, entering a field. The path continues to the right of the pond in front of you. Saltersford Valley is immediately recognisable due to the large areas of open water known as ‘flashes’. When coal was excavated, the ground gradually subsided causing the Saltersford Brook to flood the area. The valley was left derelict after the mines closed, but has since been improved and is now designated as a local nature reserve. Follow the path and cross a small footbridge between the two ponds [11]. Continue uphill towards the houses, passing the Lowlands Farm Woodland on your right, a new woodland created through ‘The National Forest Changing Landscapes Scheme’ in 2009. Continue uphill and turn immediately left after a large metal gate [12]. Cross a stile into a field; the undulating ridge running east to west through the field marks the line of the former Ashby Canal. Although not visible, you are still walking over the sandstone-rich Pennine Middle Coal Measures. Continue on the path until you meet another footpath on the left [13]. If you have time, take a small Reedbeds at ‘Thortit Lake’ Willesley Wood, another mining flash.
52 Exploring The national forest detour to the Saltersford Valley Picnic area [14], a lovely place to explore and have a picnic. The 5.4 hectare (13 acre) site consists of woodland, mining flashes and meadows and has a rich variety of water birds. The native woodland is planted with oak, ash, cherry, hazel, guelder rose and dogwood and the wildflower-rich grassland areas are managed as traditional hay meadows. On the banks of the flashes there are fishing platforms suitable for disabled users and a wooden boardwalk gives access across part of the lake. Return to point [13], turn left and continue to the road; cross over and turn right to a footpath on the left, signed ‘Willesley Wood ¾ mile’[15]. Follow the yellow footpath markers across two fields towards the barns of Lowlands Farm. Continue on the grassy path (which follows the towpath of the old Ashby Canal) past the farm buildings, and descend to the left-hand side of the lake [16], another mining flash. You have now walked on to lower-lying ground of mudstone-rich Coal Measures that are softer and less resistant to erosion than the more resilient sandstone (behind you). The edge of the ridge crossing the field may be a fault, separating the two different rock types. Walk past the lake and through the woodland until you cross a stile and enter a clearing. Take the path to the left into the Oakthorpe Picnic site, which stands on the remains of the former Oakthorpe Colliery. After 100 m notice the hard-standing remains of the pit-head and two capped mine shafts on the right hand side [17] (‘Oakthorpe No. 2, cap cast 21/02/91’). Continue on the path past the shafts. Follow the path past the picnic tables towards the car park, and then take the path on the right towards Willesley Wood [18]; an interpretation board provides lots of information about the site. Follow the path, bearing right downhill towards the lake [19] and look for evidence of Coal Measures rock in the soil, which consist of mainly mining spoil. The lake is another mining flash that is quirkily known locally as the ‘Thortit’ Lake; it is only 1 m deep and stocked with carp, pike and tench. The lake formed in the early 1980s as underground mine workings collapsed causing subsidence. The woods are also known as Thortit Woods; apparently the pit heads were so well hidden in the woods that locals commented ‘who’d a thought it’. The Ticknall Tramway once crossed the site from Willesley crossroads (along the line of the present footpath) westwards to the Willesley Basin on the Walking on one of the many paths through Willesley Wood. Photograph © Annette McGrath, courtesy of NFC
Page 2 and 3: Contents Welcome to The National Fo
Page 4 and 5: walking in the national forest 3 QU
Page 6 and 7: PRECAMBRIAN — volcanoes, seas and
Page 8 and 9: CARBONIFEROUS — warm seas and cor
Page 10 and 11: PERMIAN and triassic — deserts an
Page 12 and 13: PERMIAN and triassic — deserts an
Page 14 and 15: Quaternary — the great ice age 13
Page 16 and 17: MINERALS 15 For example, 300 000 ye
Page 18 and 19: WATER resources 17 sulphate). This
Page 20 and 21: COALFIELDS 19 (p.36), supplementing
Page 22 and 23: IRON ore 21 Diagram of a typical be
Page 24 and 25: LEICESTERSHIRE slate industry 23 qu
Page 26 and 27: POTTERY and clay 25 as a result, th
Page 28 and 29: BRICK and fireclay 27 Ibstock brick
Page 30 and 31: LIME 29 Photograph © Leicestershir
Page 32 and 33: ARCHAEOLOGY 31 Wall of Charnian bui
Page 34 and 35: HISTORIC buildings 33 Slate from Sw
Page 36 and 37: HISTORIC buildings 35 Fortified man
Page 38 and 39: BIODIVERSITY AND LANDSCAPE 37 chemi
Page 40 and 41: BIODIVERSITY AND LANDSCAPE 39 Photo
Page 42 and 43: BIODIVERSITY AND LANDSCAPE 41 Natio
Page 44 and 45: NATIONAL forest waterside centre to
Page 46 and 47: national forest waterside centre to
Page 48 and 49: BLACK GOLD AT THE HEART OF THE NATI
Page 58 and 59: BREEDON to melbourne and staunton h
Page 60 and 61: BREEDON to melbourne and staunton h
Page 62 and 63: eedon to melbourne and staunton har
Page 64 and 65: A CIRCULAR WALK AROUND BROOMBRIGGS
Page 66 and 67: A CIRCULAR WALK AROUND BROOMBRIGGS
Page 68 and 69: HANBURY TO FAULD CRATER 67 328 11 3
Page 70 and 71: HANBURY to fauld crater 69 here. Cl
Page 72 and 73: FOREMARK reservoir and carver’s r
Page 74 and 75: FOREMARK reservoir and carver’s r
Page 76 and 77: THE former coal mines of swanningto
Page 78 and 79: THE former coal mines of swanningto
Page 80 and 81: A WALK TO EXAMINE THE BUILDING STON
Page 82 and 83: A walk to examine the building ston
Page 84 and 85: A walk to examine the building ston
Page 86 and 87: a A walk to examine the building st
Page 88 and 89: THORNTON TO BAGWORTH CIRCULAR WALK
Page 90 and 91: thornton to bagworth circular walk
Page 92 and 93: THORNTON to bagworth circular walk
Page 94 and 95: TICKNALL to staunton harold hall an
Page 100 and 101: THE national forest 99 Many individ
Page 102 and 103:
THE national forest 101 The Nationa
Page 104 and 105:
Mudstone A fine-grained sedimentary
Page 106 and 107:
FURTHER reading 105 Further reading
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