Shining Cliff Woods in, Ambergate, Derbyshire is a beautiful, magical place to visit, but if you like spooky stories, there are enough based in these woods to keep you occupied for some time...

I have visited Shining Cliff Woods countless times over the years, it has become one of those special places that I am at once innately familiar with yet also excitedly curious. There is always more to see and explore.

The first time I came to these magical woods, it was with the father of my eldest, about 20 years ago, in our courting days; so before we actually got together. He took me to see the Betty Kenny Tree and told me a story, which I have to say surprised me somewhat...

Here is what is left of the Betty Kenny Tree,

not particularly impressive as it now stands, a mere stump. As the story goes, some youths set fire to it a hundred years ago, which for many reasons was a shame. This ancient Yew tree not only had an interesting story attached to it but also was said to be over 2000 years old.

Betty and Luke Kenny were charcoal burners, living in these woods in the 18th and 19th century. The fabled tree was said to be their favourite place to shelter underneath and as Betty Kenny worked, she would keep her babies safe in the hollow of one of the boughs and sing to them. Have you ever heard the strange, spooky nursery rhyme;

"Rock-a-bye baby, in the tree top, when the wind blows, the cradle will rock, when the bough breaks the cradle will fall, and down will come cradle, and baby, and all"

Well, seemingly, this was what she herself made up and sang. It is not known how many children Betty and Luke Kenny had, but back in those days, infant mortality was high and those children of Betty's that didn't survive are buried beneath this tree, or what now remains of it. 

Shining Cliff Woods at that time was owned by the Hurt family, and Francis Hurt in particular grew very fond of the Kenny's. The Hurts had seemingly made their fortune over the preceding century by marrying into some of the wealthiest families in the region, most notable with Francis by marrying Elizabeth Arkwright, great-granddaughter of the one of the richest, self made men to come out of the Industrial Revolution; Sir Richard Arkwright. 

Francis Hurt, by all accounts was not a particularly pleasant man, believing that single mothers should be sent to prison, or at least some form of work house, so his affection for this poor, humble and somewhat eccentric couple, is intriguing to say the least. His affection extended beyond allowing them to live in his woods, he also invited them to his home in Alderwasley Hall to be painted by Royal Academy artist James Ward. 

The painting mysteriously was lost, when in the early 20th Century, the remainder of the Hurt family moved from Alderwasley Hall, and this photo of the painting is all that remains; Betty Kenny is thought to be 94 at the time this painting was done, in 1811 and is rumoured to have lived beyond the age of 100, outliving her husband and living alone in the woods by her tree. She is said to haunt these woods and be heard singing her nursery rhyme to her children around her tree... 

Francis Hurt lived in Alderwasley Hall and made his money owning and running an iron forge in the midst of his estate, the Shining Cliff Woods. He later sold this forge to Richard Johnson and Nephew who became a large regional employer with their wireworks factory for well over a century, only finally shutting up shop in the mid 90's. 

As I mentioned, I like visiting these woods as often as I can and the disused, dilapidated factory buildings from the old wireworks are fascinating to me. It has only been about 25 years since these buildings were in use but as can be seen in the following photographs, it has become a marvellous hybrid of nature, industry and urban art. 

Jumping back in time again, to the 19th century, Francis Hurt had 4 unmarried daughters (interesting seeing as he had quite Draconian ideas and views for single mothers). He decided to build and leave (in his will) a grand mansion for the 4 sisters to all live in together. A beautiful gesture but seemingly none of them wanted to live there and just used it as a weekend stay over, largely renting it out to the wireworks workmen. It was rumoured that unsavoury goings on went down in this house, including it being used as a brothel at one point. Eventually,  it ran into ruin and was boarded up. 

Years later, Oakhurst House, was turned into flats but again was left to fall in dereliction and apart, around the 1970s. So all that is left is this very eerie looking, house on the hill type spectre of a building. Built in 1848 in a Jacobean style, it would have been magnificent in its glory, but now it is a merely a shell. A husk containing memories and ruin. 

I personally don't believe in ghosts and my main feeling of unease wandering around this dilapidated building was that it might collapse on me, but some folks see this differently and have their own sense of dis-ease (and excitement) around visiting derelict buildings. I can almost see why to be honest, because it does have not only a spooky feel but the whole area, as I have explained, is steeped in history and bizarre little stories... Here is one paranormal investigators take... 

So... If you fancy an interesting and beautiful walk in the woods, get some good walking shoes, probably more appropriate clothing than I had on (white leather mini skirt was unnecessary and the opposite of functional, but hey, it looked good) and your camera - lots to see. If you don't know your way around though, be prepared to get lost... These woods are not necessarily huge but have a strange quality about them, I always manage to somehow loose myself in them... 

I have no personal photos of it, but there is also a small lake that can be dipped into, on a warm day at least. It is like a mini oasis in these woods, almost doesn't fit with the rest of it. I tend to go in Autumn or Winter, it is at its most atmospheric then, I think I've only ever been once and been able to swim... Here is one I found online.... 

And here are a few photos I found from years ago when I went with a friend and my children... 

My eldest in this last photo looks so wild, almost like some kind of Celtic tree spirit... It was the first time I had taken her there but she seemed immediately at ease and to already know it, who knows... Perhaps she did....