Penguins, a Snowman and a dead Dane's Bottom

Day 3
Rosliston to Hartshorne
Mileage 13 3/4
Weather - still hot

OK, day three completed and half way there.  Today I covered another two stages: Rosliston to Moira and Moira to Hartshorne. Again the weather has been exceptional.  I have now emptied my rucksack of all wet weather gear, thermals and Kendal Mint cake and filled it instead with water and sun screen.

I was on the path by 8:15am to collect a good number of miles in the relative cool of the morning sun. Rosliston Forest Centre was deserted except for me and the rabbits.


I found the correct path after passing an assortment of animal sculptures and was soon walking along the edge of a maturing woodland.  A bit muddy but good signage here.  I walked across the middle of a huge wheatfield with ears of corn in all directions.  The sun beat down and the wheat ripened.

The next stage sounded intriguing - Penguin Wood and Botany Bay.  Was  I slipping into another dimension where the landlocked counties of Staffordshire and Derbyshire had relocated to the coast?  I plodded past the lovely new trees of Penguin Wood and I did not see any penguins  tap dancing to Happy Feet.  Also, Botany Bay was sadly lacking in ships and salty sailors.  Still, the landscape was beautiful, in particular, Top Wood which had splendid mature trees demonstrating, to excellent effect, how Penguin Wood will look in thirty years.

From Penguin Wood to Grangewood, the number of trees which have been planted is amazing.  42,000 trees on the Grangewood estate.  It is a wonderful sight to see.

Soon I reached Neatherseal and met some bullocks who just did not care if I walked through their field or not so I was able to trot to the next stile without intimidation. A small triumph.  Another intriguing place name next - Dead Dane Bottom.  A lovely spot in another new woodland at the base of Cadborough Hill.  This was the site of a deadly battle between the Vikings and the Anglo Saxons.  There weren't any naked Danes running around dead or alive today..

I quickly walked through Overseal and was surprised to see a snowman on such a hot day.

No, I haven't a clue as to why it was there but I thought it was worth mentioning and a photograph shared.  Soon I could hear the sound of Conkerchoo at Conkers Waterside.  The trail would wend its way there via a caravan park full of holiday makers and a brand new youth hostel.

My next destination was Blackfordby via Boothorpe.  Again, this whole stretch is bursting with new woodlands.  I paused for a while in Blackfordby to eat lunch and meet a friend, Mrs L, who was joining me for the rest of this section.  Before, meeting her I decided to take advantage of Blackfordby's medieval spring. I removed boots and socks and dabbled my feet in the freezing, sparkling waters which gush out of the ground here.  It was a special moment and worth trying if you pass this way on a hot day.

So now I had a companion for the last few miles.  We had a swift half in the Tap House pub after walking through a beautiful field of ripe barley.  The village of Smisby was looking good in the sunshine.  We left Smisby via a path behind the church and progressed through a potato field, meadows, more wheatfields with Swifts swooping and diving around us and a woodland called Severals Wood (another strange name).  We arrived in Hartshorne hot and tired but very happy to have experienced this super walk.