Ordnance Survey – Great Britain's national mapping agency

Walk of the Month: D. H. Lawrence Country

06 March 2008

Start: Greasley

Distance: 51⁄2 miles (8.9km)

Approximate time: 21⁄2 hours

Parking: Large lay-by on B600 beside Greasley church

Refreshments: Pub at Moorgreen, tearoom by Greasley church

Ordnance Survey maps: Landranger 129 (Nottingham & Loughborough), Explorer 260 (Nottingham)

This walk is a most attractive one, predominantly across fields and through woods. Even at the height of the mining industry the countryside of Lawrence’s youth was a mixed rural/mining landscape — now, the only colliery on the route has closed down and been replaced by a modern industrial park. The walk has plenty of Lawrence connections: the colliery site was Minton Pit in Sons and Lovers, the drowning tragedy in Women in Love was based on an actual incident in Moorgreen Reservoir and the fields encountered near the end were the setting for Love Among the Haystacks.

The church at Greasley, mostly rebuilt in the Victorian era but with a fine 15th-century tower, stands on its own. In the Middle Ages there was a manor house here, later fortified to become a castle, the site of which is now occupied by nearby Castle Farm.

Walk along the main road to the cemetery and tearoom entrance, climbing steps beside the drive to a path at the edge of the cemetery signed to Newthorpe, Giltbrook and Moorgreen. Turn right in front of the church, crossing the cemetery to continue beside a field. Leave near the bottom corner, following a track past open-fronted farm sheds and then a path beside a house to emerge onto a road (A).

Turn right into Moorgreen, going left at a junction in front of The Horse and Groom towards Selston and Alfreton. Walk for 3⁄4 mile (1.2km), passing the entrance to the former Moorgreen colliery, which is now an industrial park, to a sharp bend (B). Leave along a lane signed to High Park Cottages, forking left almost immediately in front of Beauvale Lodge on a track marked as a bridleway. It leads through High Park Wood beside Moorgreen Reservoir, although for the most part, the water is hidden within the trees. Where the way splits after 1⁄4 mile (400m), keep left on a gravel track, staying with it past a narrow path that later drops towards the lake. Carry on until the way swings left past a stile on the right (C).

Cross the stile and wind left then right, to climb gently beside a hedge of trees on the right. Reaching the top, swing left at the perimeter of a pine plantation, shortly meeting a track. Follow the track up at the edge of the wood for 1⁄2 mile (800m) to find a waymarked path leaving on the right. The path leads through the trees to a junction, the way continuing ahead on a broad forest track. After 1⁄4 mile (400m), and just beyond a right-hand bend, bear off left onto a waymarked path. Keep left where it soon forks, later breaking from the trees to walk at the boundary of an open field below the M1 motorway, concealed behind a belt of trees.

Reaching a corner (D), go right following a sporadic hedge back towards the wood. The ongoing path leads out to a lane. The ruins of Beauvale Priory lie a short distance to the right, and although on private land, can be glimpsed through the trees. The walk, however, continues left along the lane to Brooksbreasting Farm (E).

Turn sharp right into the field beside its entrance, walking away by the left hedge, the way signed to Greasley church, Moorgreen and Giltbrook. Approaching the bottom corner, go through a gap in the hedge, crossing a rough paddock to carry on at the bottom edge of a field. Partway along, veer off into thicket, crossing a footbridge into another field. Bear left across the crop and through a hedge to keep going at the perimeter of successive fields. Eventually reaching the end of the accompanying hedge, a fingerpost directs you right, climbing uphill at the edge of another field. Keep beside the curving boundary over the crest, passing through a gap to continue in a final field. Leave over a stile at the bottom corner and turn right back to the lay-by.

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