Perlethorpe's Annual Hayride

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9390803.post-52309625094358811472008-06-22T11:16:00.000-07:002008-06-22T11:42:42.831-07:00Perlethorpe's Annual Hayridehttp://www.nottinghamshirenotes.com Perlethorpe is the little hamlet not far from Thoresby Hall, near Ollerton. It sits amidst over 1,000 acres of parkland and farmland - none of which is accessible to the public. Therefore it's a real treat to go on the Annual Perlethorpe Hayride as this gives access to places normally impossible to visit.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6YvYrwyII/AAAAAAAAAuk/ujiMPSh_-Ps/s1600-h/Thoresby+-+tractors+set+off.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 118px;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6YvYrwyII/AAAAAAAAAuk/ujiMPSh_-Ps/s320/Thoresby+-+tractors+set+off.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214773358388889730" border="0" /></a> The Hayride started some 11 years ago when the villagers decided they wanted to raise money for a Millennium Party and charging to ride round the estate seemed a good way to do it. It proved such a success that it's become a popular, much anticipated, annual event. It now raises money for charity and over the years thousands of pounds have been collected in this way, and they reckon they can cope with around 200 people participating. This year the charities were the Lincs. & Notts Aitr Ambulance and St. John's Perlethorpe. The hay wagons behind the tractors are gleaned from a number of sources - the one I went in had been borrowed from Brackenhurst Agricultural College in Southwell. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6Y9jE89jI/AAAAAAAAAus/ehjrPZMF65s/s1600-h/Thoresby+map.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 125px;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6Y9jE89jI/AAAAAAAAAus/ehjrPZMF65s/s320/Thoresby+map.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214773601697068594" border="0" /></a>The procession of tractors leaves from Home Farmyard and it's nice that each person is given a map - so you have some idea where you're going and what points of interest to look out for! For example 2. Whitemoor - the line of Lime Trees marks the route of the old highway (A614) 8. Norman's Oaks - planted with trees grown from seed taken from the veteran Oak Trees. 10. Old Oaks at Buck Gates - there is a bigger concentration of veteran Oak trees in Sherwood than anywhere in Europe - the Longhorn cattle are grazing the woodland to control growth of bracken and other invasive vegetation. The ride was fantastic - helped by the most perfect weather. We saw not only the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6aRQ8CVcI/AAAAAAAAAu0/TGa53tdi6d0/s1600-h/Thoresby+-+winding+thru+trees.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 100px;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6aRQ8CVcI/AAAAAAAAAu0/TGa53tdi6d0/s320/Thoresby+-+winding+thru+trees.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214775039936845250" border="0" /></a>longhorn cattle, but deer, in every shade from creamy white to almost black, a wild hare scampering across a field and high above in the clear blue sky, a beautiful bird of prey. Sometimes we were in wide open spaces with cultivated fields, sometimes squeezing through narrow woodland paths. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6a5Z6VqRI/AAAAAAAAAu8/0fLUvKFFcOs/s1600-h/Thoresby+-+picnic+time.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 101px;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6a5Z6VqRI/AAAAAAAAAu8/0fLUvKFFcOs/s320/Thoresby+-+picnic+time.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214775729540409618" border="0" /></a>Then we got to the picnic site - a really beautiful location overlooking the lake. Each person was given a carrier bag containing a large cheese cob, a bag of crisps and a small kitkat. Some people had taken their own picnic, but this snack suited me fine. (There were also much needed port-a-loos at this stop!). After an hilarious charity auction if was off again. The reverse of the map gave interesting facts about the produce from the farm - like Pre Pack Potatoes 6,000 tonnes - 3,000,000 x 2 kg bags Sugar Beet 6,822 tonnes - 1,090,000 x 1 kg bags of Silver Spoon Sugar Reluctantly we headed back to Perlethorpe, to go to the Community Hall for a drink and the drawing of the raffle. It had been a fantastic evening - it's just a shame I'll have to wait a year before I can do it again!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6cg1QfpOI/AAAAAAAAAvE/MxGdbpX4HR0/s1600-h/Thoresby+-+heading+home.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 182px;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_xALeGBov1kw/SF6cg1QfpOI/AAAAAAAAAvE/MxGdbpX4HR0/s320/Thoresby+-+heading+home.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214777506407621858" border="0" /></a> Nottinghamshire Noteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10494955663830081502noreply@blogger.com