A Walk Around Local History

Not far from us is a country park which is home to one of the many great british landmarks, an old pit and the winding engine house that stood above it.

As you drive along the road to Bestwood Country Park you see the beautiful houses that would have once been home to miners for Bestwood Pit, beautiful little terraces with ornate friezes.

The park itself is over 690 acres so there is a lot to explore, today though we climbed the hill to find the adventure playground.

Walking up to see the winding house

You can just about see the hole but about 10 foot in it is filled in.

I adore the building, such an ornate and beautiful building for something that was such a messy job, guess that's how it was all those years ago.

Someone had carved a snake out of this tree, we seem to see so many tree carvings at the minute.

Finally after a steep hill climb, we get to the adventure playground, well worth the walk though.
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Not sure who was having more fun? Father or Son?

Finding little hedgehogs again (sweet chestnuts)

Attempting a game of noughts and crosses

Looking at the moss on a tree trunk

We found this old rotting tree, lots of bugs and creatures in it...

Including this wasp, guessing it was a queen having a snooze, hope we didn't disturb her too much!

You can just see the yellow in the middle of the bark.

Hiding under this lovely big tree, discussing it's den making qualities of course

Accessing the way out

Walking back home to find some puddles to have a last minute splash in

Puddles found and also a hole in my sons wellies, time to find some new ones me thinks.

Lots of squelchy mud

Pretty gorse flower, if you haven't smelt these before they smell of coconut.

Bestwood Country Park is a lovely green place not far from the city and a lovely piece of history of something that was so important many years ago.

Linking up to Country Kids with Coombe Mill

Hello Spring...Out in the Garden

So unless you have been living under a stone or in a part of the country it isn't sunny you will have noticed that recent days have been truly wonderful, sun shining and blue skies with a little bit of a chill.

Perfect weather for being out and about and today as we went to hang out our Pinata Box Bird Feeder we also took the time to look at the garden, the bulbs sprouting, the moss and everything in between.

I think even just spending half an hour in the garden is good for the soul, there is so much to see and as it grew a little colder and darker it was nice to come in and have a lovely hot chocolate to warm those little hands.

First we found this bone, my son thought it was a dinosaur bone and although I hated to shatter his vision I told him it was probably from a lamb (we have a few neighbours who leave meat out for the cats/foxes)

We also found this nest that had fallen out of a tree, my sons face was a picture.

Looking under rocks for bugs we found some little roots from trees and seeds.

We had a look at the moss on the rocks and touched it to see how it felt....furry apparently ;)

I'm not sure how this got here, I am assuming someone made it for their children that used to live here with some fern leaves and concrete.

Next we had a look at the castor oil plant, these leaves are very Jurassic, they are huge so this thrilled my dino loving son.

We also  these found these 'helicoptors' from the ash tree, one had a little root growing from it so this was exciting to see.

And finally we found some gorgeous lichen on the apple tree and a beautiful pink heather which we think look like little bells.

There are some really wonderful things in the garden at the minute, coming into life as the sun starts to heat everything up.