New paths created at Hardwick Hall

After my short Sunday walk from the Rowthorne Trail succeeded in attracting no takers yesterday I made the most of it by driving to Hardwick Hall and doing a different walk.

I'd noticed the previous day that the National Trust has opened up some new paths mainly in the woodland in the park so I worked out a three mile route and followed it. I didn't see anybody else on it though as can be seen from the photograph taken in one of the woods the paths are getting used.

Perhaps the new open access law has had a knock-on effect with charities such as the National Trust opening up previously unused areas. It's certainly the case with Forest Enterprise.

There was a lot of activity in the countryside with a couple of wood pigeons 'canoodling', a jay foraging for food, a long tailed tit and a robin having a scrap, a green woodpecker calling in the nearby woodland and a pair of tree creepers chasing each other up a tree. Then there was a hare running across the other side of the field as I got about halfway round.

All in all worth exploring - and the woods will get more interesting once the wild garlic and the bluebells flower - and the trees turn green.

A lovely walk.