Barefoot Walk in the National Forest

Staff at the award-winning Conkers attraction in the heart of the National Forest are gearing up for a bumper weekend of fun and activities on the 27th and 28th of March 2010.

The event sees the grand opening of a brand new barefoot walk that takes visitors on a tour spanning 200-years of the rich, industrial heritage of the local area – from when spa waters were being extracted from the local coal mines in the 19th Century, to the development of the railway network and the creation of the National Forest in more recent times.

Steve Hamilton, general manager of Conkers, said: ”This new barefoot walk is unique as it tells a story about the history of the site as well as offering an array of sensory surfaces to walk on that include things like coal, wood chippings, rocks, straw, railways tracks, slate, cobbles, a mud pit and bubbling waters.”

“Each of the surfaces has a relationship with the past and its own story to tell. The area is steeped in history and by highlighting what has gone on here over the last couple of hundred years, we can connect people back to the lives of their ancestors and give them some fun in the process.

“To launch this new attraction at Conkers and mark the start of British Summertime – an occasion we all look forward to - we’ve laid on a weekend of fun activities that will entertain the whole family.

“Along with all of the great things to do at Conkers, we’ve got a visiting fun fair; Dream Ponies children’s rides; an exhibition all about mining in the area; Misty, our resident barn owl will be making an appearance and we are delighted to announce that the National Brewery Centre’s new Shire horses will be visiting us, ahead of its opening on the 1st May.

“All-in-all, the weekend looks set to be great fun and we can’t wait to let people try out the new facilities.”

The National Forest Art Gallery at Conkers will also host a photographic exhibition that will feature the work of the East Midlands Monochrome Group, a photographic club that specialises exclusively in black and white imagery, to breathtaking effect.

The local community emergency services will be staging demonstrations throughout the weekend and this will include the Fire Service and Police.