Mill Lane, Sturston, lies a couple of miles east of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. I frequently walk along this country lane with our dog ‘Star’ and feel very fortunate to live so close to it with distant views northwards over to the Peak District National Park. In this small oil painting I have portrayed the lane in early autumn, looking over towards Ashbourne with the tall stone spire of St Oswald’s parish church in the distance, an important landmark for people travelling from town to town in the past before accurate route maps were printed (or ‘sat nav’!). It also leads to the scoring place of the ‘Up’ards’ side (in the Henmore Brook near the site of the former Sturston watermill) of the annual Shrovetide football game that I have described in more detail on my ‘Background’ page.

oil on canvas

12 x 10 inches

£235