Sorta big and sorta round

• Walked: 4th Feb 2007.
• Distance: 13m
• Walking time 5 hrs
• Terrain: flattish
• Summary: From Tutbury, circular walk taking in the Fauld crater.
• map: Explorer 245

"Hole in the ground... Sorta big and sorta round it was"

One of the earlier walks came close to the large crater at Hanbury but we didn't manage to see it then. This walk starts in the beautiful village of Tutbury with its commanding ruined castle.

We walk along the river Dove at first; on this particular day the water was as smooth as a millpond and we had a clear view back to the castle.



You often walk past cows when walking, and they tend to mind their business as long as you mind yours. When you realise that the cattle in the field are boystrous males rather than females, it gives more cause for concern!


Some minor roads and footpaths take you to Banktop wood - a beautiful spot for lunch. We could hear a woodpecker having his lunch too.


After passing through Draycott and Hanbury, you can't miss the crater of the Fauld explosion, or at least signs telling you not to go any further or be blown up. You'll see from the map that the public footpath follows the circumference of the crater. A high fence protects you from the unexploded bombs.


This is the best picture that I managed to take of the crater. It really doesn't show the hugeness of the hole, but you can see the tops of very tall trees which are growing in the bottom of the crater. The sign tells the story better than I can.

The route and distance statistics above were generated using Meander.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Map image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.