Yesterday afternoon, as the rain gathered momentum, we decided to moor up at Hartshill - just passed bridge 32 and the BW yard with it’s lovely old clock tower and arched bays. We’ve never stopped here before so, today, leaving the canal at Bridge 33, we went off in search of the Hartshill Country Park. The clue is in the name – HartsHILL – yes, it’s a steady climb up but, from the top, the view over the valley is well worth the effort even on a misty, rainy day like today.
In the woodland there’s a labyrinth of waymarked walks – it would be so easy to get lost. Apparently there’s a visitor centre where you can obtain pamphlets describing the different walks but ……….. we didn’t find it! Had to rely on the GPS instead! The woodland floor is literally smothered with bluebells – in a couple of weeks time it will resemble a very large blue ‘carpet’.
On the top is a well kept picnic/viewpoint area with lots of benches dedicated to presumably local people who are no longer alive. There’s also a commemorative board – something I’ve never seen before and a really nice idea I think.
On the way down we skirted the edge of pastureland and for at least 1/2 mile there was Warwickshire’s very own ‘Watership Down’ – an extensive warren of which almost every hole had to be checked out by Maggie.
I know two little Jack Russells who would have had a whale of a time here and would probably have gone missing for quite some time!
When we re-travel along familiar canal routes we try to find different places to moor and new places to see.
For those who like walking – with or without dogs – Hartshill Country Park and its’ surrounding area is a real gem. From now on, whenever we come this way, I’m sure we will stop here just to access the lovely walks.
I will look forward to seeing it in the sunshine!
No comments:
Post a Comment