Moorgreen Reservoir - Section Four
Mountain Biking Weavers Lane
One of my favourite local loops is a 16 mile off road circuit that passes by the picturesque Moorgreen Reservoir. When the sun is shining the Reservoir reflects perfectly like mirror.
Here is the fourth video of my 'Moorgreen Reservoir loop' playlist. This section is the loop around Weavers Lane and the fast descent down to the start of Moorgreen reservoir. The Weavers Lane section is a nice loop on its own right. If I just need a quick 10 mile spin out as I only have an hour to spare, or it’s tipping it down with rain, this is the go-to ride. With its farm track it never seems to get to muddy so is great in the winter.
The start of this section is from the A608 between the M1 and Kirkby. Head along Weaver’s Lane and then take the first left onto Kennel Lane, a quick downhill before a small climb to the farm. Pass the farm, through the gate and then downhill to a multi junction of paths. Head right under the M1 and follow the lane round the left-hand bend. From here it’s a slight downhill rough track round a sharp left-hand bend and just at the end of the tree line the track gets steeper downhill turning into a 30mph downhill. Be careful as the stone under wheel is loose especially at the bottom. Head straight on until you see a discreet gap on the left into the woods where you will reach the Moorgreen reservoir.
Before you duck into Weaver’s Lane off the A608 you are likely to pass the fascinating Annesley Hall or Chaworth Lodge as it is now known. It is a Grade II listed country house near Annesley in Nottinghamshire, England and the ancestral home of the Chaworth-Musters family. It is now a freehold detached house spread over 2,519 square feet and is ranked as the most expensive property in NG15. But it is reaped with history. The 13th-century park, 17th-century terraces and 19th-century pleasure gardens and walled gardens of the hall are also Grade II listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
The Hall dates from the mid-13th century and was the home of the Annesley family, passing to the Chaworth family when Alice, heiress to the Manor of Annesley, married George Chaworth, third son of Sir Thomas Chaworth of Wiverton, in the 15th century. The Chaworth family owned the estate for the next 350 years. It was significantly enlarged and improved by Patrick Chaworth, 3rd Viscount Chaworth, in the 17th century when damage to his family seat at Wiverton obliged him to move to Annesley.
Mary Chaworth, who lived at the Hall, was the boyhood lover of the poet Lord Byron, who lived at nearby Newstead Abbey. Byron's poem "The Dream" concerns the meeting of two lovers on Diadem Hill, part of the Misk Hills range, which belonged to the Annesley estate. The uncle of the poet Byron had killed William Chaworth in a duel at the Star and Garter tavern in Pall Mall, London after a meeting of the "Nottinghamshire Club" that met there every month. Mary Chaworth eventually married John Musters of Colwick Hall in 1805. Their teenage son, Charles Musters, sailed as a Volunteer 1st Class aboard HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin, but died of malaria in South America on 19 May 1832. The Chaworth-Musters family became one of the most powerful families in Nottinghamshire. John Chaworth-Musters was appointed High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for 1864–65. Structural alterations to the hall took place in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the addition of a service wing c.1880. Annesley Lodge, the former gatehouse to the hall, is also grade II listed.
It remained in the hands of the Chaworth-Musters family until sold by Major Robert Patricius Chaworth-Musters in 1972. The new purchasers carried out extensive internal alterations and removed many of the 17th century fittings. The hall suffered a fire in 1997 which caused damage to the structure, and it has not been lived in since. The hall is now in private ownership, in very poor condition and not open to the public. English Heritage have listed the building on the 'Buildings at Risk Register' as high vulnerability and deteriorating. Two of the three floors at the hall were severely damaged in a fire on 16 May 2015.
Annesley Old Church, near to the hall, is a grade I listed building and a scheduled ancient monument. It is on the Heritage at Risk register, but the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £450,000 towards its conservation. Fingers crossed they can both be returned to their original state at some point.
Look out for the full 'Moorgreen Reservoir Loop' video in a few weeks which links all sections of the healthy 16-mile loop in Nottinghamshire.
Check out all the sections of the Moorgreen Loop below:
