Rock of Ages

  

For years, driving around the surrounding area we've seen signs pointing the way to Creswell Crags and haven't given it a second thought.  Last month, we eventually got round to checking it out.

Creswell Crags is a limestone gorge riddled with caves formed during the last ice age.  There have been a number of animal bones and other archaeological objects  found on the site over the years and you can arrange a guided tour of the caves (we didn't realise that you had to book for this).  Helpful signs inform you of where such creatures as hyena bones were found.  The thought of them roaming across Nottinghamshire does seem hard to imagine.

The visitor centre is an impressive structure with cafe, conference and exhibition spaces. It sits nicely in the landscape and with the silvering wood exterior designed to soften its impact.

The Visitor Centre

The gorge itself, on a warm Sunday afternoon was beautiful and surprisingly free of visitors.

 The paths are accessible for wheel chairs and not to demanding.  The crags are a haven for bird life.  When we visited, jackdaws that where nesting in holes in one of the limestone rockface where fighting with each other for possession.

June Afternoon

Clumber Park near Worksop falls under the stewardship of the National Trust  and a beautiful location for a stroll around the lake and grounds while enjoying the warm sunshine.  Strangely, it tends not to be a place that we go to particularly often (the last time we visited must have been two years ago when we strapped the bikes onto the car and went for a cycle around the dozens of different paths).   On a sunny Sunday afternoon we thought it would be worthwhile driving over.

We weren't the only ones who had this idea.  The place was packed out.  Hundreds if not thousands of people taking advantage of the warm weather and bright sunshine to go and enjoy the remainder of the weekend.

The Chapel

Cooling Off

Is there anything more British than a game of cricket on a Sunday afternoon?  The game seemed to be in full swing when we returned to the car.

Water Bed

Last weekend, our friend Ian stayed for a few days.  Ian is a great amateur photographer and he was one of the voices that persuaded me to start this blog.  He lives in northern Spain with his partner and his blog, Tales from Toriello is a great read. 

We opted to pay a visit to Whisby Nature Reserve as Ian had never been there before.  I managed to snap these photos in a quiet corner of one of the lakes.  What surprised me was how the swans pretty much ignored us and settled down despite the racket from the various gulls close by.