An Ingbirchworth Walk

A rare combination of blue skies and time to kill saw me take a walk around the lovely reservoir at Ingbirchworth – just over the border in South Yorkshire. I’ve always been slightly fascinated by Ingbirchworth, whose name always seems to me to have been formulated by a Committee. In fact, the meaning seems to be “meadow by the birch enclosure”, but the idea of an awkward compromise after a far too lengthy naming committee meeting, is a far more satisfactory explanation of its origin.

I am in danger of perhaps upsetting the good citizens of the village in saying that there isn’t much to the place other than a pub (which was closed on the day of my visit) and the nineteenth century reservoir. The latter provides a scenic and pleasant two mile walk around its circumference.

The reservoir seems to be surrounded by wind farm, which is something that will send many a country purist into palpitations, but I didn’t mind at all – these modern windmills can provide striking patterns as well as green power.