A Walk in Bradley Woods
Revisiting an old childhood haunt…
On Sunday I met up with my brother for an early morning walk around the woods we used to play in as boys. Bradley Woods in Grimsby holds many fond memories for me, I suppose that it was here that I would have been first introduced to the virtues of fresh air, woodland walks and the wildlife which inhabited the local woods. It’s well over twenty five years ago that I would have last visited there with my father, probably closer to thirty but the memories remain vivid.
Gate at Bradley Woods
It was a cold and damp morning, the ground was sodden and the mist slow to clear. I remembered the clearing where we used to play on the swings and the paths we would run along playing hide and seek as we went. Coming back here was a full circle in the making, what interested me most as a boy still does to this day and I have my parents to thank for it. I thought about how my brother and I would follow my father through woods armed with makeshift walking sticks which went on to become fishing rods and now, years on, cameras and telephoto lenses.
Bradley Woods in Grimsby
We saw this robin, a predictable sight in winter but never boring. We stood and watched a jay in the distance turfing up the ground in search of grubs and went in search of a woodpecker my brother had spotted the previous week. No luck at the end but a fine roast pork lunch with my parents rounded off a wonderful trip down memory lane.
Robin at Bradley Woods
Some things stand the test of time.
Some things are simply . . . just good !
Rod
December 15, 2009 @ 7:45 am
Miles,
I like photos of woodland walks. You just want to walk along them and see what is around the corner. Must re-discover Bradley Woods myself again soon.
Love the Robin on the bare twigs. He has got himself puffed up against the cold. Well below freezing here tonight brrrrr.
Anne
December 15, 2009 @ 7:30 pm
Rod,
Quite right, like my early Xmas present…a copy of ‘Everything louder….’ on dvd
LB
December 15, 2009 @ 9:46 pm
Anne,
They might be a bit corny as photographs but you can’t help taking them!
Miles
December 15, 2009 @ 9:47 pm
bradley woods tea rooms,circa 1920’s any info please my granny ran it .
February 20, 2010 @ 1:57 pm
I’ve only just found this, Bradley woods was also one of my childhood haunts, I still love going.
October 16, 2011 @ 10:01 am
the fields immediately below bradley woods towards grimsby are the probable site of the great battle between the traitor tostig and his norman and scandinavian mercenaries on the one side ,and edwin and morcar the two most powerful northern earls,in charge of the english army, in the may 1066. tostig’s forces were camped out at grimsby protecting their fleet,while edwin and morcar approached from Lincoln ,using the woods to give them cover.They so overwhelmed the foreign forces that it is said that having come in over 300 ships ,the survivors limped away in 19. I wonder if the Black lady ghost (whose woodsman husband may have been called up to fight),lost her children to fleeing mercenaries.I don’t know of any other foreign soldiers who had reason to be passing through these woods.
January 25, 2012 @ 6:39 pm
Patrick,
Welcome to the site, fascinating stuff, many thanks for your contribution-much appreciated.
Kind regards
Miles
January 25, 2012 @ 9:06 pm