The Country of My Heart a Short Walk to Brinsley Headstocks

Brinsley Headstocks (1872-1970) D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) Where is the museum? The Country of My Heart Follow in the footsteps of the colliers of Eastwood by taking In the glorious East Midlands, near both Nottingham this short walk to Brinsley Headstocks, the site of a former Born to an ordinary working- and Derby, and just 40 minutes from Matlock at the A short walk to Brinsley Headstocks coal mine, located in the local countryside loved by D.H. class home, in the busy mining edge of the Peak District. Ten minutes from the M1, Lawrence. community of Eastwood, David close to the IKEA retail park. Short - Approx 1 ½ hours / 2 miles Herbert Lawrence became Imagine the miners descending into the darkness, the loud How do I get there? one of the 20th century’s most noises and strange smells emerging from the pit. Brinsley From M1 Junction 26, take the A610 towards Eastwood. influential and controversial Colliery was worked from 1872 until 1934, and was then From M1 Junction 27, take the A608, through Brinsley, used for access to nearby pits until 1970, when the surface writers. towards Eastwood. buildings were demolished. The headstocks were taken to a Known as Bert to his family, D.H. Lawrence was a sickly child mining museum but returned to Brinsley in 1991, where they Underwood 27 who struggled to fit into the mining community of Eastwood. were re-erected on their present site. A610 A608 M1 D.H. Lawrence never worked down the pits, instead he had Codnor Brinsley Hucknall an education and trained to be a teacher! If he had have been Moorgreen The twin headstocks and nearby disused mineral railway track Watnall are all that remains of an extensive coal mining enterprise sent down the mines, how do you think he would have fared? Eastwood Heanor Kimberley owned by Barber, Walker & Co. A610 Lawrence’s father, Arthur, worked as a ‘Butty’ down at Brinsley 26 Cossall Lawrence described the Pit, and employed other miners to work in his team to mine a D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum coal mines: seam of coal. Arthur worked 780 feet underground, crouched Ilkeston down in an 18-inch coal seam. “like black studs on the Where can I park? countryside, linked by a ‘And my father, who always worked in Brinsley pit and who loop of fine chain, the always got up at 5 o’clock, if not four, would set off in the Pay and Display car parking is available at the nearby Scargill railway”. dawn across the fields at Coney Grey and hunt for mushrooms Walk, Victoria Street and Sun Inn car parks (see map above). in the long grass or perhaps pick up a skulking rabbit which he would bring home at evening inside the lining of his pit Can I use public transport? coat’ - D.H. Lawrence, Nottingham and the Mining Country, You don’t need a car to come to us. For bus journeys to Terrain Information: The walk takes approximately 1929. Eastwood high street jump on the Rainbow One from 1 ½ hours, starting from the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Nottingham or the Black Cat from Derby. Langley Mill Museum, and back again following the same route. Many of Lawrence’s stories train station is also only 1.5 miles away. This route follows adjacent to roads and along clear are based on this area and footpaths. Appropriate walking clothes and footwear the people who lived here. How do I contact you? are recommended as footpaths can become muddy in Brinsley Pit is fictionalised by wet weather. Please take care when crossing busy roads. Lawrence as ‘Minton Pit’ in his D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum, semiautobiographical novel, Sons 8a Victoria Street, Eastwood, Walk begins at the D.H. Lawrence and Lovers, and is the backdrop Nottinghamshire, NG16 3AW Birthplace Museum for his short story Odour of T: 0115 917 3824 8a Victoria Street, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire NG16 3AW Chrysanthemums. Brinsley Headstocks has a small car park on site. E: [email protected] Nearest postcode: NG16 5AE www.liberty-leisure.org.uk/dhlawrence D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum 0115 917 3824 www.liberty-leisure.org.uk/dhlawrence 3 4 Begin at 8a Victoria Street, Eastwood (NG16 3AW) now The Begin at 8a Victoria Street, Eastwood (NG16 3AW) Continue walking alongside Mansfield Road (A608) 1 1 D.H. Lawrence Birthplace now the D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum. Pay & Turn left as you come to the end of Garden Road. to theWhen untilBrin emergingsyoule yreach Hea thefromd stsigned othecks footpathentrance and N toontoat theu Brinsleyrthee road, cross the road safely and Display car park available (Scargill Walk). This building Headstocks and Nature Reserve on your right. Be Museum . Pay & 8 continue on the footpath (visible in the below image). Please stick to the is a charming, award-winning museum, featuring an Turn right onto Lower Beauvale. Continue along this road until you Reservcarefule on whenyour crossing right. theBe road care asf thereul whe is a blindn exhibition includingDisp laLawrence’sy car p aoriginalrk a vwaterailab colourle 3 pathcorner. where possible, it is very narrow and overgrown in places, and passes paintings and his headstone! reach the car park & entrance for Colliers Wood on your right. crossing the road as there is a blind corner. throughQuarry aCottage working - the farmers home of fields. D.H. Lawrence’s Admission is by guided(Sc tourargi only,ll Wpre-bookalk). to secure a tour time to 6 suit you on 0115 917 3824, or drop in to check availability. Pass through the gated entrance to Colliers Wood, and follow the path around grandfather who worked as a tailor. Lawrence and Turn right into the car park area, and pass Turn left out of the museum, and head down Scargill to the left. his siblings would steal apples from the tree in the Walk, passing the Craft Workshops. througgarden!h the wooden gate straight ahead. After approximately 5 minutes7 walking through Colliers Wood, you will come to Enter the car park of the Brinsley Headstocks and Pass through the archway and turn right. a gate on your right hand side leading onto ‘Dick’s Lane’ following the Enjoy a pit-stop and relax at the Brinsley Headstocks & Nature Reserve and pass through the wooden gate straight ahead. Try the latch—Y ofou the wi gatell w ifa itlk appears past an PaFollowss th Mansfieldrough t hRoade a rcdownhw theay shill, a npassingd tur npoints righ t. Nature Reserve. Nottingham County Council footpath. What to read when you’re here... 6 locked. 2,3 & 4 on your right. Odour of Chrysanthemums - A short 6 What to read when you’reFollow here... this footpath, heading up the field. Follow Mansﬁeld Road down the hill, story featuring Aunt Polly’s Cottage. Aunt Polly’s Cottage - You will walk past an old The Mechanics’ Institute - In 7 2 Sons & Lovers - Lawrence’s semi- abandonedoContinuewn ecottage,d b yalong D formerly.H the. L apath wownedr einn the cbye ’sD.H.direction A unt P oof Greasleylly. Church, passing Lawrence’s time this building was the When you reach the top of the field, follow the footpath which turns to the left, passing points 2, & on your right. autobiographical novel featuring Brinsley 4Lawrence’s Aunt Polly. The house featured in his short Mechanics’ Institute, a 19th century through a small kissing gate and heading up the field. Pit as ‘Minton Pit’ and hispassing father, throughArthur, as further gateposts indicated as the Nottinghamshire County story Odour of Chrysanthemums. version of a working man’s education The building is just beside the track leading —This was a the Walter Morel character.Council footpath. Walk around the church and head left through the Graveyard until you reach college. It incorporated a lending up t“Ato Bri then edgesley of H theea ribbeddsto levelcks, of a sidingsnd wa squats origin a low al- 2 library, which was used extensively by Following the lane you will approach a locked gate, to which the public footpath a cottage,path which three leads steps you down to thefrom B601. the cinder Keep track. to the A left and follow the road D.H. Lawrencelibrar yand D .hisH .first Law romanticrence used to visit. is on the right. This space is very narrow and near a busy road . ly nthroughelargext t bonyo Moorgreen, th vinee c oclutchedllie rturningy atrail thew left house,ay .around as if tothe claw corner past the Horse & Groom interest, Jessie Chambers. down the tiled roof”. Now the LibraryPrin Barces Street—Lawrence hated pub. © Gavin Gillespie The building is just beside the footpath leading up to Princes Street - The 19th century saw a huge 3 sprawling development and Brinsley Headstocks, and was originally next to the 3 increase in the amount of coal produced in the colliery railway. region. dBarber,escri Walkerbes t h&e Co.se (the ’squ majorare collierys’ as ‘s ordid owners in the area) built these houses, known as ‘the Continue walking along the footpath, keeping to the and hideous’ . squares’ or ‘the buildings’. Lawrence described them 5 the hleftea das stheto ckpaths. divides into two. Follow this path until as “great quadrangles of dwellings on the hillside” you reach the headstocks. and “sordidSafe andly crhideous”!oss the road at the traﬃc BrinsleyBr Headstocksinsley Hea - Fictionaliseddstocks —as D.‘MintonH. Pit’ 8 Safely crossligh tthes p roadast at H theall trafficPark lightsAcad epastm yHall. Park in Sons & Lovers, Lawrence describes this area, and Key 7 Academy. paintsL aa picturewren ofce living’s o wa lifen fa dependentther Art onh coal.ur worked Route Look rightLo otok Durban right Houseto D urb - Thisa nlarge Ho reduse brick— This at the pit here from 188-112.

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