Three Churches: Barlestone - Nailstone - Bagworth
You need to log in as a member of Walkingworld to access the details for this walk and have an active subscription. Please join, or log in above if you are already a member.
The villages of Barlestone, Nailstone and Bagworth are or were mining villages. Nailstone and Bagworth both had their own pits, with Desford close by. Barlestone provided a lot of the workforce for these three mines. Bagworth Church was a very different-looking church, not at all what you would expect a Leicestershire village church to look like, square-built from precast pebbledashed concrete blocks and a separate tower; why? In the 1950s and 1960s when the pits were working, numerous tunnels from Bagworth and Desford stretched under the heathland between the two villages. Walk 3603, Bagworth Heath is the site of the old Desford Mine, at least three tunnels (workfaces) actually going under Bagworth Church. This resulted in the church beginning to fall down; and not only the church but a long row of terraced houses collapsing. Even today if you walk to the corner of the road you will see how it drops downwards and is quite wide. The church therefore needed rebuilding and this was done during 1967-68. It is reported that there was a lot of controversy between the parishioners and the Coal Board about this rebuilding and it is assumed that the style of building we see was perhaps the best available at the time. Later this immediate area was to become famous for its high content of coal extracted, with its coalfaces being the biggest at 14 foot high and up to 200 yards across. Sadly, this church is again collapsing and is being demolished.
England - Central England - Leicestershire - Countryside
Features
Birds, Butterflies, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Good for Kids, Great Views, Lake/Loch, Mostly Flat, Play Area, Pub, Public Transport, Wildlife, Woodland
Walkingworld members near this walk
Clubs/Walking Groups
Distance away