Clough Woods near Winster

It was quite late in the day when Paul and I decided to go for a walk, we didn't leave until nearly 3:00pm, but it was sunny and felt really quite mild. We headed across the fields towards Birchover before turning east down Wensley Dale into Clough Woods. We ignored a path on the right shortly after entering the woods and continued on the main track before it crossed the stream and headed off in the wrong direction.

Having decided that we didn't want to go that way, we followed what turned out to be a deer track in the general direction that we wanted to head. As we approached a boggy spot and a very steep bank up which the deer obviously go, I stopped to suggest that we retrace our steps slightly to climb a more gentle part of the slope. I happened to glance further down the bank and spotted two fallow deer hinds lying in a clearing not far below us. They watched us for thirty seconds or so before jumping up and 'running away', at which point we realised that there were actually four of them. I always suspected that there were deer in Clough Woods but now we have proof. Wonderful... deer to stalk within walking distance of home!

At the top of the bank we picked up the path that we should have taken in the first place and followed it around the end of the ridge to the edge of the woods. I suggested that the best route would be to stay in the woods and drop down to the stream, but Paul insisted that we should head out across the fields and follow a valley that drops down to the stream. Knowing what a quagmire it usually is I wasn't surprised to find that we were soon up to the top of our boots in mud, but hey... it's quicker that way.

After slogging back up the fields we walked back through the village and I spotted the first crocuses that I'd seen under a hedge near Win Tor Avenue.