Greasley Church circular walk
We began our walk at Greasley Church near Moorgreen, parts of which have been here for literally a thousand years. It is mentioned in the Domesday survey during Edward the Confessor’s time and underwent a lot of rebuilding in 1896 following subsidence from mining.
We crossed the road to take the footpath which travels north east and is surprisingly quiet and beautiful despite its proximity to the M1 at its extremity.
We took the underpass which goes beneath the motorway, pausing to let the dust disperse from the recent passage of a tractor.
On the east side now of the M1 and continuing on the footpath the Misk Hills are visible in the distance. Famous local writers have written about them including Lord Byron who wrote:-
We took the underpass which goes beneath the motorway, pausing to let the dust disperse from the recent passage of a tractor.
On the east side now of the M1 and continuing on the footpath the Misk Hills are visible in the distance. Famous local writers have written about them including Lord Byron who wrote:-
“Hills of Annesley, bleak and barren,
Where my thoughtless childhood strayed,
How the northern tempests, warring,
How about thy tufted shade!
Now no more, the hours beguiling
Former favourite haunts I see,
Now no more, my Mary smiling,
Makes ye seem a heaven to me.”
Where my thoughtless childhood strayed,
How the northern tempests, warring,
How about thy tufted shade!
Now no more, the hours beguiling
Former favourite haunts I see,
Now no more, my Mary smiling,
Makes ye seem a heaven to me.”
D H Lawrence made mention of them too in Sons And Lovers and more recently Alan Sillitoe wrote a poem titled View From Misk Hill.
From this footpath Haggs Farm can be seen in the distance. This was the home of Jessie Chambers, D H Lawrence’s first love who features in his semi autobiography Sons And Lovers.
Walking now beside Moorgreen reservoir we passed Beauvale House which inspired DH Lawrence who featured this in his first novel The White Peacock. It is also thought that a five minute walk from there will take you to the gamekeeper’s hut, famously the site of Lady Chatterley and Mellors’ tryst.
On this particular day we did not come across any ghosts of Lady Chatterley and the gamekeeper, but did stumble upon many mating frogs on the pathway beside the reservoir.
The final part of the walk took us along the road back towards Moorgreen and Greasley. At the crossroads we turned right and took the footpath on our left which took us back through the churchyard of St Mary’s Greasley.
Some of our party went to Minton’s Team Rooms which is part of the church buildings. Here they serve homemade food using local produce.
From this footpath Haggs Farm can be seen in the distance. This was the home of Jessie Chambers, D H Lawrence’s first love who features in his semi autobiography Sons And Lovers.
Walking now beside Moorgreen reservoir we passed Beauvale House which inspired DH Lawrence who featured this in his first novel The White Peacock. It is also thought that a five minute walk from there will take you to the gamekeeper’s hut, famously the site of Lady Chatterley and Mellors’ tryst.
On this particular day we did not come across any ghosts of Lady Chatterley and the gamekeeper, but did stumble upon many mating frogs on the pathway beside the reservoir.
The final part of the walk took us along the road back towards Moorgreen and Greasley. At the crossroads we turned right and took the footpath on our left which took us back through the churchyard of St Mary’s Greasley.
Some of our party went to Minton’s Team Rooms which is part of the church buildings. Here they serve homemade food using local produce.