IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Swigert Close, NOTTINGHAM, NG6 7AP

The curving road is Apollo Drive, the spine road of the estate. All the other roads are named after astronauts who took part in the Apollo space missions.

This footpath, between the busy A610 route into Nottingham, and the Hempshill Vale housing estate, traverses what was once land belonging to the erstwhile Babbington Colliery. The footpath leads to the Phoenix Business Park, which is built on the old colliery site. Also on the site are a park and ride site and the tram terminus. See Image and Image

This used to be part of the parkland surrounding Hempshill Hall, hidden behind the trees at the right hand edge of the picture.

The vegetation to the right of the picture hides a secluded pond, probably unknown to most of the thousands of commuters who speed daily into Nottingham along the busy A610 which is just beyond the trees on the right. The reeds and thistles had attracted many butterflies, such as ringlets, gatekeepers, meadow browns and a few large skippers. For pictures of the pond, see Image, Image and Image

The Large Skipper is one of the commonest species throughout all lowland areas of England and Wales. It is the only common skipper with orange and brown patterned wings. It lives in distinct colonies in a wide range of rough places where wild grasses, on which the caterpillars feed, grow unchecked. The adults fly only in sunshine and will frequently land on shrubs, especially the male, which will often return to the same leaf between flights.

Seen here on reeds besides a pond, the Ringlet breeds in damp, but not waterlogged, places. The largest colonies are to be found in woodland rides and glades where the underlying vegetation is left to grow tall and lush, but they may also breed amongst scrubby grassland and along overgrown hedgerows and verges. They are however, generally absent from open dry grassland. Numbers vary from year to year but in general are higher after wet seasons, such as the summer of 2008 has been. The Ringlet is one of the few butterflies which will fly in very overcast conditions and it may even venture forth during light showers.

This small area of countryside lies between the A610, one of the busiest commuter routes into Nottingham, and the Hempshill Vale housing estate. Yet it is so quiet and secluded it could be miles from anywhere. The reed beds and thistles at the edge of the field hide a pond, ( see Image, Image and Image) and at this time of year are home to various species of butterflies, including ringlets, meadow browns, gatekeepers and skippers.

This is the spine road of the Hempshill Vale estate. All the other roads are named after astronauts who took part in the Apollo space missions.

These were propbably planted as part of landscaping of the Hall's park.

Mostly hidden from view by bushes on its northern side, this pond is to be found beyond a small strip of woodland beside the busy A610. Bordered by the trees on its south side, at the western end it is fringed with reeds and thistles where we saw ringlet, meadow brown, gatekeeper and large skipper butterflies. A moorhen swam lazily across the water, and a heron flew over. Heron have often been observed in the vicinity. The best view of the pond may be obtained from its eastern end, alongside which the footpath passes. See also Image and Image