Smisby Village

Smisby Striders are the  Smisby WI walking group, which was set up in 2011.

Members take it in turns to organise and lead the walks on the 2nd Thursday of each month., Each walk is on average about 4 miles in length and may range from 3 to 6 miles

The walk finishes with lunch!  Members can just join in for the walk or the lunch, if they don't want to do both activities.  Members are notified of each venue by email and are asked to reply if they are attending.

Well behaved dogs welcome on lead. For most walks we meet at 10:15 am for a prompt 10.30 start.

Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the time of year.

Walk details are circulated to members by email, normally a week before the walk. The walk leaders for 2019 are shown below and locations where known

May 2020 Lockdown Walk

Our secretary, walking on behaf of the group, shares her video

February 2020

Chris Cox and Sue Fitch organised the event. Nine ladies (plus two husbands lurking at the back!) met at the round car park, Staunton Harold reservoir for this month’s walk.

The walk took us past the reservoir, along the deer pens at Calke, through the woods and the new play area, then back to Calke Abbey for refreshments. 

 The paths were a little muddy in places, after recent storms. However the weather was reasonable on the day with just a little rain.

After lunch we walked back to the car park. The route was a little over 4 miles.

January 2020

The January walk lead by Suzanne started at the Lakeside Restaurant, meeting
at 10.15 for a 10.30 start. The walk began from the carpark, a short walk along
the road to woods and an open grassed area lead us onto the canal and Moira
Furnace. There have been several housing developments recently in Moira, so
the walk was designed to walk through the estate and to avoid the very wet
fields.
A metaled path took up to New Fields where we joined a track which lead us to
the Hicks Lodge Trail and the restaurant for a coffee. The walk back had a slight
diversion through woods and old open cast mine workings which is now part of
the Ivanhoe walk, this took a bit of navigating as the very heavy rain the
previous evening caused some flooding. Back past the Furnace and through
woods to the restaurant for a well-deserved lunch at Lakeside. We had two
new people join us on the walk, which made twelve walkers altogether and
another member joined us for lunch. The first walk of 2020 was very well
supported, and we look forward to many more this year.

November 2019

Our last walk of 2019 was lead by the two Lynn’s starting from Ticknall Village car park. Six of us arrived at the staring point expecting or should I say hoping to just go for coffee at the Scoff and Shop due to the  weather forecast  prediction  of  slight rain until 12 noon and then torrential rain in the afternoon. As we knew we would be back by lunch time it was decided to do the walk, we started off at 10.30a.m in light drizzle but by 11.a.m the torrential rain started. We were halfway round the tramway trail so decided there was no point turning back, and that’s how it continued, we walked past the new Hub and toilets that have been built in the woods, we just put our heads down and continued at a fast pace back to the car park.

All of us were soaked but after lunch in the Smisby Arms we were very pleased to have done the walk, and look forward to the next one in January 2020 when hopefully the weather will be kinder to us.

I tried to take a photograph of our walks but the ones I did take were obliterated by the rain so sorry you will just have to take our word for it, it was very very wet.

Suzanne Jones

Our September walk started from the church in Melbourne, turning right we had a short walk to a gate which lead into a field overlooking Melbourne Hall. Now that Ash,  Laurel, and Sycamore has been cleared we can now see the house and garden so splendid as a back drop to the 

photograph taken of the walkers.  The three and a half mile circular walk lead by Lorna finished with lunch in the Melbourne tea rooms, a superb walk, not to strenuous, through fields and woods was enjoyed by all the walkers.

Hartshorne May 9th 2019

Thursday's walk was lead by Jean our President, the weather was very cold and overcast when we met at the car park in Hartshorne to begin the walk. A short walk through the village took us on to Nether Hall Wood and to woods that backed on to Jean's house. In the woods there is a derelict building which was once a mill.  The picture is taken on the bridge which goes over the steam, after coffee and biscuits at Jean's it was a steady climb up to Caukley Wood which when looking back offered beautiful views of the rolling South Derbyshire hills. A gentle walk down hill to Hartshorne went past some beautiful old buildings, and then to the car park where we started our walk. The four mile walk was finished with a well deserved lunch at the  Greyhound public house  Woodville. Click on photos to enlarge

February 2019 Dimminsdale

The February’s walk began at the car park by Dimminsdale woods, after a climb up through the woods we came to what is know as the ridge, this takes you along to a hill which over looks Staunton Harold Hall. The weather was superb ideal for walking and for taking photographs of the hall and church which looked  magnificent set in the hollow of the valley. The idea of the walk is to see the magnificent show of Snowdrops and when we got there, they did not disappoint.  A truly wonderful display of Snowdrops in a woodland setting, and a superb five mile walk, and of course a lovely lunch to finish at a local pub.  Click on photos to enlarge

Jan 2019 Lakeside walk

Bluebell Nursery and Arbouretum Walk October 2018

Aston on Trent, September 2018

Eleven members enjoyed a beautiful autumnal walk round Aston-on -Trent, in South Derbyshire. We followed a history trail leaflet put together by the SDDC and Aston-on -Trent local history group. The three mile walk took us to Aston Hall, now apartments. The very interesting Saxon church with a stone set into the wall which has a carved design resembling early Christian crosses. We found a fire-mark plate on the side of a cottage, then on to the octagonal shelter, built to house the village pump.

After walking across several ploughed fields we joined the path back to the Malt public house for lunch. A very interesting walk and a lovely day, there are several information boards located in the village which were very useful and the display of old photographs in the pump shelter where very interesting.

Our next walk in October will be to the Arboretum at Smisby to see the Autumn colours.

May 2018 walk and 90th birthday lunch

The open bluebell walk in May 2018 was from Smisby to Hartshorne via Sharp’s Bottom. It finished with a meal at the village hall, which was planned as a 90th birthday lunch for Jean Statt.  As well as the walkers and some of their partners, other WI members came to this special lunch, which was prepared by Suzanne and Pat.

Jean has been a member of Smisby WI for 30 years. She has photographed many WI functions, e.g. parties and craft mornings. She has also photographed most of the changes in the village too and produced albums showing the village history.  The guests were able to browse these wonderful albums to remind us of these events.

Thirty three people welcomed Jean to the party. Barbara Ball gave the congratulations speech. Sheila Heap had made a birthday cake, decorated with  a camera and  calendar on to celebrate Jean’s photography and aa a reminder of her many photographs published in the DFWI calendars  over the years. Jean took home with her many birthday cards, a planter full of plants that will last all summer and the cake to share with her family. 

 Walk reports

11January 2018

Chris led the 4.7 mile walk from Conkers car park, taking fourteen members along easy tracks with no stiles. We walked round the Mushroom Lane pond and through Gresley and Tunnel woods, following Sustrans route 63 for some of the way. We returned beside the railway line to Spring Coaatge and back into Conkers. We. then drove the short distance to Lakeside tes Rooms at Short Heath water for lunch. As usual the hospitality and food was excellent.

13 July 2017 Dovedale circuit

Overseal Health Walking group.

Some WI walks have been jointly organised with Dot Morson. She leads regular walks on a Tuesday for the Overseal Health Walking group. To see their schedule of Tuesday walks, select from left hand menu