Having gathered beside the large metal colliery wheel structure at Shipley Park Coppiceside car park we followed the Coppice Bridleway, from behind the visitor centre and past the adventure playground, continuing straight on to Bell Lane, a tarmac road where we turned right and took ten minutes to reach the left turn for Mapperley Reservoir, via John Wood. The sun was out as we trod the path alongside the reservoir, which looked tranquil after the previous day’s thunderstorms, and where we saw a few swans on the far side, while, on our side, three dogs seemed to be enjoying a swim, their owners close by at the water’s edge.

At the end of the reservoir, we crossed the lane and turned right to follow the track by part of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve, eventually making a left turn to get to the Trust’s Woodside Educational Garden, where we had our break, making use of the benches and tables there, and with a view of colourful murals of rural scenes on the building’s wall.

Back on the track, we bore left at the Nutbrook Coffee Shop towards the still-growing Shipley Lakeside estate, once the site of the American Adventure theme park, and passing the old Shipley Woodside Colliery gates to head back into the park, on to a path with lots of leafy shade, and taking us past Osbornes Pond. Sue.