Walking amongst industrial ghosts: Discovering the delights of Brinsley Headstocks.

“All too often we are focused on the future, instead the landscape holds so many secrets from yesteryear that are just waiting to be discovered.”

Brinsley is one of those places in Nottinghamshire that if you drove through it would very much be a “blink and you miss it” kind of place; but it is also a place that holds secrets and they are left behind from yesteryear - passing through Brinsley the chances are is that you would more than likely not even be aware of the secrets that exists, apart from maybe catching a glimpse from the road of a wooden structure which has been somewhat blocked from view by trees, although from the road, the top part of this wooden structure can still be seen.

It was yesterday though that I revisited Brinsley, prior to this I had visited Brinsley before Christmas of 2020, back then though the weather was crisp, cold and a stillness was in the air, yesterday however the rather hidden but glorious Brinsley Headstocks and it’s delightful Nature Reserve felt very much alive. Perhaps more alive than it ever had been - I suppose that is probably due to the fact that I had not visited since last year and that change can bring out some interesting things that previously I had not really noticed, however this time around it was different.

The path from the car park is one that is both level and accessible meaning that it really is incredibly easy to discover this unique gem, but this pathway also holds a secret that if you go back a number of years you begin to uncover, for once upon a time this pathway was part of a railway, “a railway you say, for what would have been carried along this gauge?” Coal was carried along this railway from where the Headstocks are towards the main GNR line further towards the Erewash Valley, but here in front of me the remnants of the old line and I can see where the railway would have once gone up towards the Headstocks in the distance; now though it is meadow land, and whilst I could have walked through the meadow land, instead I chose to turn right, and follow the path of the old railway line that once bypassed the Brinsley mining site and continued to Underwood.

“What is truly fascinating to think is here I am walking on history, walking through time and what was once a busy railway carrying coal and other minerals, now falls silent, a beautiful green avenue of trees and fields now provides calm, yet close your eyes for a moment and you can hear the sounds of times gone by.”

I had continued to walk along the straight path, from where the old line would have gone up to the Headstocks, but to the left of me now was a brook, I had seen people exploring here before, but now I had to explore what this brook had to offer, I walked down and was actually quite surprised. A hidden world is what I found and with that new industry existing alongside the old industrial landscape now turned into a beautiful nature reserve.

Exploration of the unknown - (Landscape).

Exploration of the unknown - (Portrait).

Surprisingly despite the rather deprived and unhealthy looking state of the new industrial piping that suspended over the brook and also fed the brook it was a haven for wildlife, a Robin had joined the scene and was taking a bath. Stillness all around and this little bit of an area that upon a first glance might not have come across as photogenic actually turned out to be incredibly photogenic in it’s own unique way.

I walked back up the short incline towards the path, and turned left, the location of the brook is in a dip, but at one time with the railway here I could imagine some sort of bridge that would have crossed the brook, instead the path dips into this secret little small valley. Walking up the incline I could see an avenue of trees and it was here that I paused, the sound of lambs and sheep in the field to the right somehow made things a little bit more alive, serenity is what followed next.

Silent tracks - (Landscape).

Silent tracks - (Portrait).

The skies blue above me with cotton wool like clouds and here I was, walking through an area that one time would have looked and sounded incredibly different. Now as I walked along a soothing and calming environment; soon though it was time to take a left, away from the path and away from the old ghosts of yesterday - the railway and the sound that it would have made, now I was at a field full of grass and other wild meadow plants, in front of me a selection of Trees against the backdrop of a noticeable hill, the hill itself is the former slag heap that is where the remains/remaining coal from Brinsley Colliery would have been placed or discarded. Now,  it is a green haven of hidden delights. But it was the trees in the field looking towards this now lush hill that caught my attention.

Ambient meadow chill.

Continuing off the path I head down to the brook that I had photographed at the beginning of the walk, here the brook is narrow and a haven for wildlife has been created along with a wildlife pond, home to various aquatic and non aquatic species, I pause a short distance past and a tree that has fallen over in the winds, looks like living sculpture.

Tangled in time - (Landscape).

Tangled in time - (Portrait).

Now is the time to make the crossing, a new bridge has been built over the brook, and at the bottom of the slag heap amongst the greenery the path is ahead of me, just above the brook it gives a truly amazing view of the wetland, a streak of wetland between the main path and the path at the bottom of the slag heap that I am walking on, lush and green I had to stop.

Through nature and time.

The scenery at the side of the brook was something else, was this a miniature version of the Everglades or not? No it was not - but this nature reserve is proof that after old industry, life can continue thus providing sanctuary for all to enjoy. Now though it was time for something dramatic; I looked to the right and the headstocks were in front of me, looking incredibly dramatic against a glorious sky, I just had to capture this moment.

Below old ghosts - (Landscape).

Below old ghosts - (Portrait).

Yet I had also noticed that where I had walked alongside now looked even more beautiful, so onto the bridge I walked, an old bridge that has had numerous repairs carried out, and looked down what appeared to be another secret hidden valley - instead I was now looking back at the path I had walked down and what is an incredibly lush wetland, stretching as far as the eyes can see.

Wildlife sanctuary.

The small hidden valley - (Landscape).

The small hidden valley - (Portrait).

That slight momentary pause and the sight of the greens was something else, now was the time to “double back” on myself and walk along the side of the wetland again, instead of turning right and going back over the new crossing over the brook, I turned left. This time the path began to rise slightly until I reached a turning point, to the left of me steps, and to the right of me a continuation of the path that I was on and that path is the one that leads you around the back of the slag heap. Now though this slag heap is woodland, rich in shapes and colours. But many years ago when I visited the path around the back of the slag heap and to the top of the slag heap was rough and ready, now after changes have been made it is modern and exciting, accessible to all.

Where to explore next? - (Landscape).

Where to explore next? - (Portrait).

Amazing really how sometimes a footpath can look so photogenic amongst the trees no matter what time of the year it is. Either way, I decided to take the steps and walk up the short distance to the top of the old slag heap. Upon reaching the top a path takes you to the right, but I turned left - in front of me the path winding its way towards the end of a beautiful and small, but perfectly formed woodland.

Journey through the mystery - (Landscape).

Journey through the mystery - (Portrait).

Snaking its way through the trees I followed the path until I got to the end of the woods, and sat down on a bench overlooking the headstocks, to the left of me a tree with what seemed to be like Midges feeding, they probably weren’t midges though!!! But I decided to sit on the bench and observe a quiet Utopian world that I had made.

Leaving the bench and my “slice of Utopia” it was down the hill towards the imposing headstocks, the sun and the clouds providing a contrast and a rather stunning skyscape, I set my camera up and after a short while ended up with the following results,

Amongst old industrial ghosts.

Ghosts of the old giants.

Needless to say I was impressed with those photographs, but the opposite side of the Headstocks provided me with another opportunity to photograph the scale of these old wooden structures that are the last remains of somewhere that not so long ago would have been equally vibrant.

“Here I am at a site of beauty that not so long ago in time would have felt incredibly different. Yet here I am walking amongst industrial ghosts.”

I then set up my camera and captured a different view of the headstocks, looking back towards the location that I was previously at; yet somehow the headstocks still remained dramatic against the backdrop of a glorious sky.

Silent now is the industry.

Shadows of the giant.

Now though it was the end of the walk and as I walked back along through the meadow, where an old railway once stood, a certain feeling came over me and that was just how delightful this area now is, not so long ago in would have been different, old buildings and offices for Brinsley Colliery would have been standing on the path I was now walking down, and that old path was a railway that would have taken coal on a journey throughout the entire country, now all that remains of this former colliery is the stories from yesteryear along with the sounds of old industrial ghosts in this truly delightful little corner of paradise that remains hidden, but one that is a slice of paradise now that just wants to be discovered, so next time you are passing through Brinsley, why not discover this small section of paradise and walk through time.

A walk through Thieves Wood: The trees vs machines.

Arriving at the car park at Thieves Wood, a stretch of woodland sandwiched between Newstead Abbey and Mansfield - I got the feeling that “changes might be in the air” as Thieves Wood is a place that I had not visited in many years. I did have have memories of this wood being sort of,

“Rough and ready around the outside, it is a woodland which if you have an hour is the perfect place to escape within.”

Perhaps though the most stand out memory of Thieves Wood that I have is of a refreshment wagon that used to be within the car park, that sold burgers, sausages, bacon cobs and tea along with coffee; seemingly though things do come to an end and the refreshment wagon no longer visits, silent almost it felt like but that did not matter as I was here rather unexpectedly and here to relive old memories that I had of this woodland. It is worth saying that reputedly the wood and trees in Thieves Wood, was used in the construction of Nottingham Castle.

Now though it was time to re-explore a woodland that many years ago I was familiar with, but now was that familiarity gone? Seemingly, the familiarity had gone and I was astounded to see destruction, not deliberate destruction but somehow it seemed slightly apocalyptic and dystopian, almost as if machine’s from the future had traipsed the floor, the track and tire imprints were everywhere, but then I noticed something - little and large, a small tree growing in an area surrounded by the taller trees and this was rather magical, but what else would be ahead of me? I had already seen tracks from machine’s - but was any beauty waiting in these woods, I just had to continue the walk.

Little vs Large.

Ahead of me the path which I had walked on when I was younger, now it looked different yet it still had a sense of familiarity about it, from when I used to walk through these woodlands, the back of my mind however had memories within it from years ago and I could visualize what these woods used to be like.

It takes you on a discovery.

Continuing down the path the shapes of the trees continued to change; for here formality really does not exist, instead what exists is a very informal set of trees, growing and co-existing together intertwined in something which if it existed as a painting would look like “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso.

The random of the woodland.

But did it really matter that the trees seemed slightly surreal with no conformality, instead only informality existing? Not it did not, instead it made it feel that more real, for this is a working woodland as well so things are going to be different. A little pause and to the left of me a stream, the trees looked so lush and green; another oasis in the middle of this apocalyptic and dystopian like woodland landscape that I was now surrounded in.

An oasis amongst chaos.

Next I was on a path that I remembered from years ago, a certain sense of magic in front of me and memories came flooding back - in front of me now a tree like a Japanese fan appeared and this was just another woodland curiosity or artwork that was living, breathing in this gallery of outdoor chaos.

Woodland curiosities - (Black and White).

Woodland curiosities - (Colour).

Soon though the chaos gave way to “curiosities” on the ground within this woodland and those curiosities were made of wood, branches and pieces of felled trees that had been repurposed and given a new lease of life; now they provided intricately built shelters, some even being “non confirmative” was this the workings of the tree fellers between tree chopping I wondered?

The waiting room - (Black and White).

The waiting room - (Colour).

Hidden in sight.

Not forgetting that this woodland was a working woodland, I continued and so did the delights; a pile of logs acted as a reminder that whilst this woodland can be enjoyed by many, it is still one that you have to keep a watchful eye on because of heavy machines that might be carrying out heavy work as you are walking along.

Contrasts of what can become.

When trees are chopped - (Black and White).

When trees are chopped - (Colour).

“But in a working woodland, surprises are found everywhere. The relationship between machines, forestry equipment and the natural landscape have blended together creating something that could be alien almost, for beauty is in the eye of the beholder here.”

The surprises continued. A short distance from those logs were the scars of forestry and a pathway leading through the woodland seems alien like, what happens if you walk down that pathway where machines once drove? Where would you end up? More questions left unanswered.

Mysteries ahead - (Black and White).

Mysteries ahead - (Colour).

Where does it go to? - (Black and White).

Where does it go to? - (Colour).

Then a clearing came, it was here that I saw the deforestation of these woodlands, in front of me like some apocalyptic scene, almost like something had gone Nuclear, it had not though, for these were the scars left over from the recent felling of the trees. Did it look “Ethical” no it did not, but nevertheless it was happening.

Around the corner is apocalypse.

The apocalypse amongst growth.

A little bit further on against the backdrop of the survivors (trees that had not been felled, chopped down or shaped by forestry equipment were the new saplings, an area that had previously been chopped, now was recovering, but those saplings did not know what would happen to them in years to come. They were the next generation waiting to be chopped down by people.

New growth.

Walking along a path churned up by machine gave a haunting photo opportunity and I just had to stop for a moment and capture it, it looked ugly, but at the same time it looked like a strange piece of artwork somehow, but what is art though? Anything at all really is classed as art, we are limited only by perspectives.

Hauntings of machine.

“The path of machine” lead me eventually to another artistic delight, a tree by the side of the path/track that the forestry machines and equipment had used, however this tree was just a short distance away from where those machines drove - yet this one had not been chopped down, instead it existed in a no man's land between the working woods section of Thieves Wood and between an area of woodland of no commercial value, for this was a tree that was not in for the chop, either way it looked truly mesmerizing and slightly dystopian.

Delights amongst dystopia - (Colour).

Delights amongst dystopia - (Black and White).

Now the walk progressed, away from the woodland and now I was walking through an alien world, one that was both post apocalyptic and eerie, with dystopia - here the clearings visible from where machines had been at work. Instead saplings grew where the taller pines had been chopped down, and the taller trees awaiting,

“The taller trees of the area, which had been planted years ago, waiting in line, regimented like soldiers, for they will be the next ones to fall down.”

It was a strange sight, clearings but on either side of the clearings, regimented trees growing that slowly but shortly awaited their fate later on, unknowingly as well.

Alone amongst machines - (Colour).

Alone amongst machines - (Black and White).

Surrounded by conforming trees.

After passing through that area of regimentation and regimented trees that awaited fate, the path lead back down an incline, now I was on the level and a path in front of me calved through the older and taller trees, for these trees existed in a bubble close to the fringes of the industrial scars, yet somehow they remained unaware of what had been happening close by where the chopping process took place.

Avenue of height.

I continued, for now was the last part of the walk I was on, it had been a walk of “many surprises” and a walk of discoveries as well, but one last surprise, a tree that had been shaped by nature and I was curious about the raw beauty of it.

Artwork of growth - (Colour).

Artwork of growth - (Black and White).

Lush and green is what that tree was, un-touched but raw and beautiful existing in a woodland that held many secrets and surprises. But Thieves Wood though is an area of woodland that is a working wood, and the working environment of machines just adds to the landscape, which is strange really upon reflection as anyone else would probably think that it is quite ugly. It more than likely is quite ugly, but standing side by side are the trees vs the machines, and there is no losers, here it is only the winners and the trees and machines are the winners in a strange way as they have made this woodland what they are today, thought provoking is what this woodland is, but somehow let down by the detritus of plastic bags at the car park, I mean come on Forestry England, it would not cost much to put at least one plastic bag at the car park would it?

But here lies the question - can somewhere natural with trees, a woodland which is a working wood be a place of beauty? Yes I think it can and that is because the working part of the woodland adds a certain kind of mystery and another level of interest to an already interesting landscape, but this woodland I will not be visiting for a while, but when I return though what things in the future will have changed? Who knows and that is the great thing about mystery.

Sometimes all you need is a slice of simplicity and a Heron.

Simplicity? What exactly is that other than just a part of utopia that I have found during lockdown, but it was last Thursday when I decided to revisit a location that I had not been to in quite some time. Located on the site of an old colliery - just outside of Nottingham is the aptly named “Colliers Wood” which is a green oasis shadowed on one side by “new industrial” buildings that to some way dominate a small section of the western skyline. However though this small but perfectly formed green oasis is one of those places that is truly a gem and whilst it is easy to walk around on marked well constructed paths it is also a place where the smaller and simpler things often go unnoticed - slow down though and it is not hard to come across interesting photogenic things here, wildlife, landscapes and the various flowers makes it truly delightful to capture some interesting things.

I was originally not going to take the tripod for me this time around and try to shoot handheld photography, although that soon changed when I decided,

“Maybe it would be a good idea to take the tripod, I never know something interesting to photograph might be hiding amongst this oasis of green and the tripod will more than likely help me to achieve the shot.”

Needless to say I am quite pleased that I did manage to take the trusty tripod with me. One of the interesting things about Colliers Wood, is the many surprises it contains, even when you least expect a surprise, one is right in front of you - arriving at Colliers Wood, it was time to go through the gate, the metal clunk could be heard shortly after walking through the gate and I walked towards the main lake; along a pathway which lead me to a small section of what could be best described as a very small section of lakeside beach; okay so maybe it is not a beach but the water in front of me had some gentle ripples on it, I got the tripod out and captured the following two photographs,

Floating Island - (Black and White).

Floating Island - (Colour).

After capturing those two photographs it was now onwards and upwards, but I had just had to pause yet again, I turned around and the view over the lake with the big skies was just something else to behold, again the sheer simplicity of this scene was akin to pure magic.

Lakeside Simplicity.

Then something that I had seen when I had arrived but did not capture because of the angles and the position, this time I was closer to it, and that was a Heron, not wanting to disturb it, I set up the tripod, mounted the camera and waited for the perfect moment.

The waiting game.

Needless to say that I was more than happy with the end result, this majestic bird standing on a post overlooking the lake at Colliers Wood, deciding on what was for its late afternoon dinner, a fish perhaps or something else? Majestically stood this Heron was something else to see and to capture it needed patience, but in the end it did pay off. But sometimes in life all you need is simplicity and a Heron within life and that is all that matters. The simplicity of the skies, the weather and the unexpected are the finer things in life that maybe we should all cherish as we ease from lockdown and find ourselves living in this strange new normal.