Martyn's Blog

The long, hot summer of 2021 proved to be too long and too hot to travel for me. I only went to one place in July, but normal service resumed in August.

July 2021

Oaks Wood, a nature walk in Burton on Trent, was the venue for the only post in July. The trail runs from Outwoods Park in Horninglow up to Reservoir Road, and incorporates the Devil’s Slide.

August 2021

August began with one of my favourite trips of the year, a Saturday morning in Nottinghamshire at Radcliffe on Trent. I had a walk around the Olympic Stadium (Radcliffe Olympic FC’s home ground), then took the Cliff Walk around the River Trent. The weather was excellent, and Radcliffe was excellent.

The following Saturday morning, I took a trip closer to home. The Branston Leas nature reserve is a real hidden gem in Branston, near Burton on Trent. It takes in the banks of the River Trent, and there are paths to walk around.

The final trip of August was to tick Hinckley off the list of stations to visit. I had to catch six trains to get there and back, but it was worth it for a sunny day in Leicestershire. I also stopped off at Nuneaton on the way there.

September 2021

I had some holiday from work in September, so I decided to embark on the Week Off Work (WOW) Tour, taking in five trips within a week.

It began in Sudbury, Derbyshire with a short trip around the village. I then walked to Draycott in the Clay in Staffordshire. Both villages are a short bus ride away from Burton on Trent. Sudbury boasts the impressive Sudbury Hall, while Draycott has a pub which proclaims that it serves the best pies in England.

The following day, the tour moved on to Fiskerton and Rolleston on a sunny Saturday morning in Nottinghamshire. I got off at Rolleston, a pretty little country village near to Southwell race course, then walked from there to Fiskerton, a larger village which lies on the River Trent.

Next up was a day tour of the Nottingham Express Transit tram network, or at least most of the Southern part of it. I am planning a return visit next year to explore more of the city’s tram network.

On the Wednesday, the WOW Tour moved a bit closer to home, when I explored the Tucklesholme Nature Reserve, a newly-created nature park on the site of an old quarry. I also had a walk through Barton Marina on the way there.

The last trip of September was a long bus ride followed by an even longer walk from just outside Measham to Swadlincote. I followed the path on an old abandoned railway line, passing through Donisthorpe, Moira and Albert Village on the way.

The month was rounded off with a look at another Burton on Trent landmark, the town’s library. It is currently under threat from being moved to the Market Hall.

That’s it for this look back at 2021 in the blog. The fourth and final part will be out next week. Thanks very much for reading.