Chellaston Brickworks Local Nature Reserve - A Hidden Gem?

On the south side of Chellaston heading out towards the A50 hidden behind a collection of houses is Chellaston Brickworks Local Nature Reserve As the name suggests, the Nature Reserve occupies the site originally occupied by Chellaston Brickworks.

Chellaston Brickworks Nature Reserve

Early directories indicate that bricks were being produced in Chellaston as far back as  1871 by a company called Birch and Ryde. Indeed the brickworks were shown on Ordinance Survey Maps as far back as 1882 as shown below. Brick making continued here until 1978 after which it became a local tip before eventually being designated as a nature reserve.

Early maps showing the brickworks in Chellaston

An excellent PDF describing the history of brick making at Chellaston can be found here

 The History of the Chellaston Brickworks

The reserve is bounded by the High Street to the North, Aston Lane to the North East and a new housing estate to the South and an older housing estate to the West.  The main part of the nature reserve actually occupies the area originally designated on the 1923 OS map as Alabaster Pits. However, any indication of the sites original use have long since gone. That includes any of the buildings associated with the manufacture of bricks including the on-site kilns. The reserve is maintained by a group of local volunteers know as The Friends of Chellaston Nature Reserve and also Derby Parks Volunteers. These groups are responsible for the many hedges, step sets and board walks that litter the reserve helping the visitor to get around more safely.

 

Access to the reserve is via Bensley Close. This is a short road at the top of which is a right hand turn into the reserve car-park. This is only a small car-park holding about 10 or so cars. 

Bensley Close approach

Car Park and entrance to the reserve

From the car park there are two main paths. One that heads south taking you through some trees and onto the footpath into Pit Close Recreation Ground. 

Footpath towards the recreation ground

The other, more obvious path, heads due East into the main part of the reserve. 

Main footpath into the reserve

Main footpath into the reserve

Ascending then descending first set of steps brings the visitor onto the access path surrounded by mature trees on either side. On a summers day the sun passes through the trees and bathes the path in speckled light. The topography of the reserve reflects its history and as such it is basically on two levels. The lowest part is the main path which is gained by following the path from the car park and continuing to descend down the steps provided by the volunteers.

Steps into the reserve

Descending down to the main path

Main path through the reserve

The reserve consists of a myriad of pathways weaving in and out of the woodland. The lowest pathway is the largest and gives the impression that perhaps some sort of track once laid here. Maybe to help move the alabaster or bricks however there is no actual evidence of this. There are the remains of a fence that would indicate that access to this main path was once restricted.

Split in the path leading to the upper level (note the old fencing)

Ascending to the upper level

The upper level of the reserve is a good few feet above the lower path and can be accessed by any of the pathways leading off to the left. The upper level consists of another fairly distinct path with a large flat area adjacent. The path leads to a tall communications tower. This is the highest part of the reserve.  Standing facing the communications tower it’s worth noting that the original brickworks buildings would have been just beyond the tower and down to the right.

Flat are of the upper level

Communications tower

From here there are many directions to travel through the various different trees and shrubs. It should be noted that as a former industrial site and dumping ground the reserve is littered with holes and vents, drains and metal covers so care must be taken whilst exploring. The boundary of the upper level is very close to Moorbridge Riding Stables on one side and Aston Lane on the other. Luckily all of the paths on upper level eventually lead back to one main path.

Pathway fence constructed by the volunteers

Pathway boardwalk constructed by the volunteers

Pathway boardwalk constructed by the volunteers

Wildlife

With having such a varied variety of trees and shrubs there is no shortage of wildlife. There are small birds in abundance. Blackbirds, Sparrows, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Greenfinches and Goldfinches to name but a few. There are also larger birds such as Kestrel, Sparrow hawk and Buzzard. During the summer the reserve is awash with many varieties of butterfly and other insets. The flora and fauna around the reserve is vast although a degree of searching is required for some.

Kestrel

Robin

Magpie

Buzzard

Kestrel

Great Tit

Chiff Chaff

Considerations

During the winter months or after periods of heavy rain the pathways in the reserve can become exceptionally muddy, even boggy. Strong boots or wellington’s are highly recommended at these times. Unfortunately it goes without saying that some of the paths in the main reserve aren’t wheelchair friendly so it might be better to visit and check the area out before attempting to take a wheelchair through. 

On the whole Chellaston Brickworks Local Nature Reserve is well worth a visit especially during the spring and summer months when the wildlife and the flora and fauna are getting going. I nearly always return with a decent bird list whenever I visit.  If there is one downside it’s that the reserve has no real expanses of natural water which means there is a lack of the type of waterfowl that tend to populate other similar reserves. However the population of other bird-life more than makes up for that.   

  

A Visit to Flamborough Head in August 2019

Note : Clicking any picture will render a larger version 

As I write this blog entry the UK is still under lockdown due to the Covid19 pandemic. Also the UK is just coming out of the coldest weather it’s seen for many years with the temperatures here in Derby dropping down to -5 degrees C. In fact, a temperature of -20 degrees was recorded in Braemar, Scotland on 11 February 2021 was the lowest recorded in the UK since 1995.

This spell of cold weather coupled with lockdown caused me to think back to warmer times, holidays and being by the sea. To this end I decided to look through my back catalogue of images to 2019 and my visit to Flamborough Head. 

Map of Flamborough

In my previous blog post I was visiting the RSPB Bempton Cliffs & Seabird Centre near Filey. Having spent the morning and part of the afternoon at the Seabird Centre I decided that it might be nice to travel down the coast for a few miles and visit Flamborough Head. Flamborough Lighthouse is only six miles from Bempton so fifteen minutes after leaving Bempton car park I was sat in the car park adjacent to the Lighthouse. I had visited here some years before on a very dull day. This time the weather was very different. Blue skies and warm sunshine. 

Flamborough Lighthouse

Flamborough Head Lighthouse was built back in 1806 although there has been a lighthouse here since in 1669. The current one acts as a waypoint for deep sea vessels and coastal traffic as well as marking the Flamborough Headland for vessels heading for the ports of Scarborough and Bridlington.

The Lighthouse from the Path

One of the other interesting buildings near to the lighthouse is the radio station with its antenna towers and white washed buildings. Initially a fog signal station built in 1859 it developed over the years to become a coastal radio station. 

Radio Station and Masts

Following the path from the Lighthouse, passing the Radio Station buildings you eventually end up adjacent to the cliff face with spectacular views of the cliffs and rocks in the bay. At the right time of the year similar seabirds to those at Bempton Cliffs can be seen including Puffins. Seals can also be seen in the bay. 

Clifftops

Clifftops

On the day I visited I was lucky to see a few seals bobbing up and down. Occasionally breaking the surface and enjoying the warmth of the sun. The longest lens I had in my camera bag was my Nikon 70-200mm. A longer one would have been nice but I did manage to grab a few shots of the seals. 

Seals in the Bay

Seals in the Bay

There are a good number of coastal paths spreading out from Flamborough head. I walked along the path heading south and grabbed a few landscape shots. 

Eventually time got the better of me so I headed back to the car park, grabbed a couple of cans of Tango from the shop, took a long look out to see then headed back to my Hotel in Thirsk. 

Flamborough Head is a truly beautiful and spectacular part of the UK and well worth a visit. It’s worth checking the tide times too, At the time I visited the tide was in so the small bay beneath the cliff top was inaccessible which was a shame as I like walking along the beach area doing some intimate landscapes. 

Visiting RSPB Bempton Cliffs & Seabird Centre in August 2019

As I write this blog post the world is in the grip of the Corona Virus pandemic. The UK is locked down and travel to anywhere is severely restricted. Also the city of Derby is currently under 6 inches of snow making even unrestricted travel difficult.  

With all that in mind I’m once again blogging about somewhere I visited in August 2019. More Up-to-date blogs will appear once the lockdown restrictions are lifted.  

Situated on the North East coast of England, the RSPB Bempton Cliffs & Seabird Centre is a ‘must see’ for any person with an interest in ornithology. Whether it’s an interest in birds in general or specifically sea birds Bempton is the place to go.  It could be that you’re a bird watcher that wants to add some new species to your all-time list or, like me, you’re an avid amateur wildlife photographer who wants the challenge of not only watching these magnificent birds but also photographing them. 

OS Map showing the location of Bempton Cliffs car park

RSPB Bempton Cliffs & Seabird Centre is located about a mile from the village of Bempton between Flamborough Head and Filey. It’s not difficult to find although the small road leading to the RSPB building is quite easy to miss as I found out. On my first visit my satnav attempted to take me up a farm track which just looked totally wrong. Ignoring it I continued along B1229 and into Bempton village. From there it was a fairly straight forward drive up a narrow road and into the reserve car park.  

Jackdaw

This was going to be my second visit and having parked my car in the car park I grabbed my camera gear and headed into the Seabird Centre. For information purposes, the wildlife images in this post were taken with the Nikon D850 and the Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6 zoom lens. The landscape images were taken with the same camera but using the Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 lens.  

A couple of Sparrows

At the time of my visit admission to the cliffs via the centre was £5. There are a couple of directions you can go from the centre. You can pass through the rear of the centre on to the main path and head down to one of the many viewing areas. Or, you can do an about-face, pass back through the entrance and head towards the cliffs via the small bird ponds and feeding area. 

For your first visit I can highly recommend downloading the trail guide at the link below. This gives a complete layout of the facility showing the paths and viewing areas.  

Trail Guide

Download the Trail Guide Here 

It’s worth noting that all paths from the centre eventually lead you to the same place. You just get there by different routes and seeing different things. I chose to follow the purple path on the trail guide and make my way towards Mosey Downgate viewing area.  

The viewing platforms are (from North West to South East): 

• Jubilee Corner 
• Bartlett Nab 
• Mosey Downgate 
• Grandstand 
• New Roll-up 
• Staple Newk 

The scenery is truly spectacular especially if you enjoy rugged cliff faces and views out to the North Sea. However, it must be said that standing on the viewing platforms is not for those who suffer with a fear of heights. The platforms are perfectly safe but they do afford you views directly from the top of the cliffs and down to the water's surface. Somewhat awe inspiring but at the same time a little unnerving but what better way to enjoy the fabulous behaviour of the wonderful birds that reside here?  

Gannets on the cliff face

From Mosey Downgate you can either head North West along the path towards Buckton and Filey or head the other way, South East, towards Flamborough Head. In fact, it is possible to walk to Flamborough Head from the reserve.  

Gannets

I decided to walk South East along the path from Mosey Downgate visiting Grandstand, New Roll-up and Staple Newk on the way. At each of the platforms I spent time with the camera and gimbal head tripod photographing the birds. I’d decided that during this visit I wanted to concentrate on Gannets although there are so many other birds such as, Herring Gull, Kittiwake, Razor Bill, Guillemot to photograph too. Also, there are Puffins! Who doesn't want a picture of a Puffin? Unfortunately there weren't any Puffins in August so the images below were taken during my first visit in June 2018.

Puffin

Puffin

Puffin

It's incredibly easy to get carried away with the photography and before long you’ve rattled off a few hundred shots. Luckily, we’re in the age of digital photography so all you’re doing is filling up a memory card and not having to put roll upon roll of film in the camera. However, it does mean that you have a lot of sifting and sorting to do once you’re back home and sat in front of the computer! 

Guillemot

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet in Flight

Something I realised on my first visit to Bempton was that, from a photography point of view, was that Bempton comprises both Wildlife and Landscape subjects. It’s very easy to just take a wildlife lens but then you’d miss out on the landscape stuff. Conversely you could just take landscape gear but then you’d miss out on the wildlife. As this was my second visit, I knew that I was going to do the wildlife first and the head back to the car park and change gear for landscape. In this way I could reduce the weight of the gear I was carrying.  

The Old RAF Station

The Old RAF Station

I walked right down to Staple Newk and spent some considerable time there before walking back to Mosey Downgate then North West visiting each of the platforms until I got to Jubilee Corner. As you walk the path North West you can see the old wartime RAF Radar station set back from the path behind a fence (see above). Once I’d photographed all of the birdlife I wanted do for that day I had my lunch on a bench overlooking the sea before heading back to the carpark and swapping over to my Landscape gear. I then repeated the walk this time concentrating on the cliffs and surrounding land. Some might argue that this is a strange thing to do but for me, restricting my gear means that I can give my full attention to the subject in hand.  

Cliffs towards Flamborough Head

Inlet

Rock Door

Corn Fields

Once I’d got all of the shots I wanted I left the reserve and dropped down to Flamborough Head to take more images but that’s for another blog post.  

If you’re interested in ornithology or just fancy a walk in some spectacular scenery then you must visit the RSPB Bempton Cliffs & Seabird Centre. At the time of writing this blog post the centre is closed due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions but it will open again in the future I’m absolutely sure.