Southwell Dumble Walk

While in Southwell (see here) we didn't get a lot of time free during the day, but we did get 3 hours between the end of the morning rehearsals and the rehearsal in the Minster for evensong. I decided to use the opportunity, after a quick lunch, to go on one of the local Heritage Trails - The Westhorpe Dumble Heritage Trail, which would take me on some paths I hadn't been on before.

After I arrived and checked into my hotel on Wednesday afternoon, I visited the Tourist Information in the library and picked the 6 excellent leaflets of heritage trails. I think I've done most of them before, but I'd never been to do this one - The Westhorpe Dumble.

The weather forecast was for potential showers so I took the precaution of fetching my little umbrella from my car before starting out. Here is my route, starting from my hotel, which adds about 1/2 mile to each end of the walk.

Here are a few of my photos.

On the way to the start I passed The Reindeer, where I had stayed at a previous St. Michael's Singers reunion and got served milk that was sour at breakfast.

Notes in italics are taken from the leaflet. The introduction to the trail says...

"The trail is centred in the peaceful hamlet of Westhorpe, where there is a strong feel of its historic past and the lovely countryside around. Until the early 20th century Westhorpe, separated from Southwell by green fields, had a very distinct identity as a working village in its own right. That strong sense of identity and local pride is still there to this day. There is a thriving artistic community which continues to uphold many of the local traditions such as the Christmas festivities. 

Westhorpe became a Conservation Area in 1971 because of its unique cottages and farmsteads, long brick walls, mature trees and attractive surroundings. Arguably the most distinctive landscape feature is the Westhorpe Dumble, held in great affection by the local residents over the years for its wild life, fine views and opportunities for recreation." 

I can't find a date on the leaflet saying when it was created, but there are a few things in it that are now out of date. The official start of the trail is at The Dumbles PH (formerly the Lord Nelson), now 'long-term closed'.

The former marketplace (see photo at the top of the post) is now a junction of 5 roads. Across the road from The Dumbles is the site of The Grapes PH, which the leaflet says is an antiques ship... but no more.

"On the west side of Warrand’s Close there used to be a popular Fish and Chip shop, run by John Whitton, demolished in 1973, and on the east side the front garden of Number 11 was the site of a Tramps’ Lodging House, pulled down in the 1950’s.". At least some of the Sunnyside cottages are still there. 

"This fine terrace originally was 16 back to back cottages but conversions and road widening have reduced its number. Some of these cottages would have been used by Framework Knitters, Stockingers. The stocking frame was invented in Calverton in the 1580’s. Only effective local action in the 1970’s stopped some of these cottages from being demolished. "

 

The main street, Wethorpe, has a number of fine houses.

"The Workman's Resdt is the prominent building at the far end of the cottages opposite

Sunnyside. In the 18th century it was owned by a wealthy man – you can see the archway where

the carriage and pair went through to the courtyard. In the 19th century Mrs.Warrand of Westhorpe Hall set up the ‘Rest’ as an institute for local workmen in their leisure hours. A large upper room was also used by local ladies, led by the wife of the Vicar of Holy Trinity, Westhorpe’s church, for sewing garments for needy children. The ‘Rest’ was also used as a Village Meeting location and as a place where soldiers could meet in the two 20th century world wars."

Westhorpe Hall was built in the grand classical tradition around 1820.

 

"This is the former cottage of the Pinder who looked after the Pinfold, which lies to the ground below the cottage. A Pinfold is the place where animals that had strayed would be impounded and could only be reclaimed by the owner on payment of a penalty."

Bath Cottage, by the site of St. Catharine's Well. "...situated by the side of the Dumble, was said to have water that was extremely pure and cold. People came from far and wide to take the water as a cure for several complaints. In 1720 William Burton of Norwood Park had built a Bath House for the convenience of those who came to bathe." 

Now the route took me into the countryside and up Cundy Hill. "Cundy Hill gets its name from ‘conduit’ - the carrying of water under a road, as you will find at the foot of the hill. "

Is that rain I can see over there?

This turn off the road was tricky to spot.

At my farthest point from my start, ir began to rain, just gently at first.

But then it got harder and, with a crosswind, my umbrella wasn't keeping my legs dry.

This was the view I had come on the walk for. Holy Trinity Church and the minster behind, barely visible through the rain.

I descended to The Dumble. "A dumble is a stream which has formed a deep wide channel in the clay that is quite out of proportion to the amount of water normally carried. It is also heavily wooded and makes a strong boundary feature." 

A reason for doing this walk is that when I read that I wondered if it was a local Nottinghamshire name for what we call grindles or grundles in Suffolk. This is what Wikipedia says... "Dumble is a dialect word mainly (but not exclusively) confined to the north and east Midlands both as a place-name element and as a lexical item. It seems to contain the Old English dumbel or dymbel, 'hollow; wooded valley; deep cut water course'.[1] The English Dialect Dictionary finds the word in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire (where 'doomble' is also found) and in Shropshire, with the meaning of a wooded valley, a belt of trees along the bed of a small stream; a ravine through which a watercourse runs; sometimes the word appears in the plural".(read the rest of the article here).

Inconclusive, but it does look like our local grundles at home. Compare with this walk "The Two Grundles" and see what you think.

From the Dumble it was a short walk back to the start of the trail....

...and then back to the centre of Southwell to change out of my wet trousers.

An interesting walk and I didn't mind the rain - at least it was warm.

You can see more details of my route on MapMyWalk here (or download a GPX here), but the leaflet is a good guide and the path is waymarked.