After the snow but not quite spring.

Well early March in Birdwell and the month certainly came in like a lion, it was quite nice the see the snow and it did last for nearly a week.  

And then, as if by magic, the snow melted away and I reached for my walking boots and headed out for a Friday afternoon walk out into the countryside a just few minutes from our house in Birdwell. Twenty minutes into my walk and I was deep into local history around the old Rockley furnace.

The picture above is the old engine house that would have been the home for a beam engine that would be used to pump water from the adjacent iron ore mine, whilst the pictures below show what remains of the iron ore furnace itself. 

This blast furnace was constructed around 1704 and replaces an earlier furnace built in 1650 which no longer survives. If you look through the wood to the right of the picture you can make out the bank of the nearby M1 motorway that obliterated more workings from this site.

Whilst researching more about this site I came across a great video showing the site today and with the help of some clever work how it would have been 300 years ago. You can see it on this post by clicking here!

Leaving the furnace site it looked as though this well trodden path would take me towards Worsborough Mill, unfortunately it took me to the motorway embankment and no way forward, so I had to retrace my steps back to Rockley Lane and onwards.

Good walking on the lane however with views across to Worsborough Dale and my destination for the afternoon.

It has to be the nicest day for a walk this month so far.