Home Care In Nottingham, PA

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Located in southeastern Pennsylvania, about a mile north of the border with Maryland sits one of the state’s most unique landscapes: the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens.

Declared a National Natural Landmark in 2008, the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens represent a unique, desert-like environment, where rare plants grow and animals thrive. The barrens are protected inside Nottingham County Park, a 650-acre park which offers all the usual community park amenities, in addition to some fantastic trails through the barrens.

A hike through the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens offers a great way to see this unique landscape and is one of the most enjoyable hikes that I’ve done in the Philadelphia suburbs. The barrens are crisscrossed by over 10 miles of hiking trails that allow outdoor loves to get a closer look at this landscape.

I recently had the chance to visit Nottingham County Park and hike to the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens after I toured the nearby Herr’s Snack Foods Factory. I started by parking my car on the eastern edge of the main parking area near the restrooms and a picnic pavilion.

I started my hike along the yellow-blazed Chrome Trail. While the trails are fairly well marked and there are signs indicating major trail changes, there are no maps that I could find.

Make sure to take your phone with you and have the park’s digital map open. This will make sure that you don’t get lost while hiking at the park.

The Chrome Trail follows through a fairly normal woodland area before quickly changing into the barrens.

After hiking for a few minutes, there is a marker denoting the site as a National Natural Landmark. Shortly after this marker, the Chrome Trail dead-ends into the Doe Trail.

The Doe Trail runs in both directions, enabling a loop no matter which way you head. I opted to head uphill to the left and straight into the heart of the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens.

To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect during my hike. I couldn’t find much information about the difficulty of the trails here or even exactly what type of plants I’d see.

The trails that I took through the park were fairly easy, though very rocky in places. There were also a few hills, with one hill in particular along the Buck Trail that was particularly steep, though fairly short-lived.

As for the type of plants, it’s honestly a bit hard to describe, as the landscape seems completely out of place.

To be honest, it struck me as the type of landscape you’d expect to see on an African safari or in some parts of Texas. While there is a lot of green to be seen and many places have thick undergrowth, the plants look like they belong in a more barren landscape.

The Doe Trail takes you along the eastern edge of the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens. While the entire area is of a similar makeup, a large field in the middle of the park contains the most unique portion of the landscape.

At the top of a small hill, the Doe Trail meets the red-blazed Buck Trail. This is the longest trail in the park, running 2.73 miles along the park’s southern edge.

Turn right on this trail to head west along the southern edges of the barrens. This trail features some of the park’s most rugged terrain and seems a world away from the parking area.

Following this trail is fairly straightforward, but not all of the turnoffs from this trail are well marked. Case in point, despite my desire to continue along the Buck Trail until it reached Firebreak #10, I accidentally turned onto the orange-blazed Lonesome Pine Trail (Note to trail designers: Don’t intersect orange and red-blazed trails. The colors look too similar when painted on a tree).

The Lonesome Pine Trail travels along the western edges of the barrens, eventually entering into a forested area that seems like a mix of barrens and more typical Pennsylvania forest.

I hiked along this trail for several minutes and didn’t realize my mistake until I reached the white-blazed Doe Trail again. Confusions like this are why having access to a map is important, even if it’s just on your phone, as it makes figuring out where you are and how to get to where you want to be a much simpler process.

My original plan had me hiking the Buck Trail to Firebreak #10 so that I could see the Mystery Hole, a former quarry that’s marked on the western side of the park map.

Not to be deterred from my goal, I opted to turn left on the Doe Trail and head towards the Mystery Hole. Should you want to do a shorter loop of the Pine Barrens, heading right on the Doe Trail will bring you to the Chrome Trail and back to your car in just a few minutes.

Heading west again on the Doe Trail, I hiked along the trail until it ended at the Feldspar Trail.

Along the way, I crossed a bridge and passed a veterans’ memorial in the middle of this beautiful forest. At the Feldspar Trail, I turned left to head north. After crossing another bridge and walking up another short hill, I reached the Mystery Hole.

I couldn’t find any information online about the hole, but it was obviously an old quarry that has now filled with water. A chain-link fence keeps you from getting to close of a look at the Mystery Hole, but it’s close enough that you can still see in without too much trouble.

After a few minutes at the Mystery Hole, I retraced my steps back down the Feldspar Trail. Turned right onto the Doe Trail, and, when I reached the Chrome Trail, turned left to return to my car.

Had I done the hike as I had originally intended, I would have stayed on the red-blazed Buck Trail until I reached Firebreak #10 and taken that to the Feldspar Trail.

These firebreaks are common in the park and noted on the maps. However, they are narrow and very overgrown, though from what I can tell, not difficult to follow. Bear this in mind if you are adding a firebreak to your hike.

If I visit again in the future, I’d likely stay on the Buck Trail until it intersects with the Feldspar Trail. The hike would be a bit longer, but it would stay on the well-maintained trails of Nottingham County Park.

Figuring out the exact mileage hiked is a bit of a challenge as the trails continue on beyond the routes taken. However, I’d guess that the shortest loop of the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens would be about two miles, while the longest loop would be about three and a half miles.

Since the trails don’t have a significant amount of elevation gain, each loop offers a great way to spend a few hours in this park.

Having come into my visit to the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens at Nottingham County Park without much knowledge of what was there, I was blown away by the uniqueness and beauty of the park. If you’re looking for a great hike through one of Pennsylvania’s most unique landscapes, take the time to visit Nottingham County Park in southern Chester County, PA.

How to Get to the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens

The Nottingham Serpentine Barrens are located in Chester County’s Nottingham County Park.

The park is located just off of Route 1, a very short distance north of the Maryland border. The address for the park is 150 Park Road, Nottingham, Pennsylvania 19362.

To get to the main parking area, turn into the park’s main entrance and take the first left. Drive to the back of the main parking lot, near a bathroom area, and park here. The best place to park is located at the following coordinates: 39.739873, -76.037153.

The hike starts along the Chrome Trail, which is just below the parking lot. The trail map can be viewed here, or click here for the website of Nottingham County Park.

Looking to enjoy more of the natural beauty in southeastern Pennsylvania? Stop at Longwood Gardens or the Chester County covered bridges on the way. Getting a little hungry? Stop at the Herr’s Factory for a tour or stay after dark during the holiday season for the Herr’s Christmas Lights.

[Click here for information on how to use the coordinates in this article to find your destination.]

The Portuguese has returned to English football after two years away following Cooper’s sacking on Tuesday.

New Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo wants to build on Steve Cooper’s legacy at the City Ground.

The Portuguese has returned to English football after two years away following Cooper’s sacking on Tuesday, which came after a run of one win in 13 Premier League games.

Cooper was the man to end Forest’s 23-year exile from the top flight, taking them from the bottom of the Championship to promotion in nine months, while also delivering generation-defining runs in the FA Cup and League Cup.

And Nuno, who says that owner Evangelos Marinakis has not put any expectations on him, wants to be the man to take the club to the next level.

“We didn’t mark ourselves to expectations. That’s a day-to-day process,” he said of his conversation with Marinakis.

“What he told me was that what Steve did here is huge. Getting Forest back in the Premier League is fantastic work. We are trying to improve his legacy, which is amazing.

“What Steve did here at Forest is amazing – getting Forest back in the Premier League and keeping Forest in the Premier League.

“It’s normal (to have that popularity) and it shows how good Forest fans are with the respect they showed Steve even when things weren’t going well. That says a lot about our fans.”

Nuno returns to work after leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November and takes over at Forest with the club five points above the relegation zone.

His last job in English football was at Tottenham, where he lasted just 10 games before being sacked.

He says he has no regrets about his time in north London and has learned from his time there and a more successful spell at Wolves.

“No, no regrets, it happened,” he said. “It was a pleasure to be at Spurs. Things didn’t go well so we move forwards. But no regrets.

“We learn everything, ourselves everything, you learn everything every day. Different situations.

“What we did in Wolves is totally different to what happened at Tottenham. In Saudi Arabia it was a new experience for me, new learning process for me, new culture, so we are always learning.

“I think we have to prove ourselves every day, as players, as coaches, everybody, it is a constant pressure to prove.

“What I expect is to help, try to transmit my knowledge and work ethic.”

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Pennsylvania is home to many great factory tours. While many of these tours are concentrated in York County, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t great factory tours in other regions of the state. Recently, I had the chance to take the Herr’s Snack Factory Tour in Nottingham, Pennsylvania, and had a great time learning about how their popular snacks are made.

Herr Foods began making potato chips in 1946 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. After a devastating fire at their factory in 1953, the company moved a few miles away to Nottingham in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Since then, they’ve expanded their factory many times over, but they still make snack foods in this corner of southeastern Pennsylvania.

In 1989, Herr’s opened a visitor center next to their factory and have been offering tours of the facility ever since.

The one-hour tour takes visitors through a variety of production areas and showcases several different types of snack food made in the factory.

Tours start with a 10-minute video that highlights the history of the company. While it’s a bit dated, the video does offer great information about the company’s history and the products that they are currently making.

From the theater, visitors are led through five different areas of the factory. It’s worth noting that parts of the tour are conducted outside, as you make your way from building to building. Therefore, you may want to dress for the weather should it be cold or rainy.

Stops along the tour include the chance to see pretzels, tortillas, popcorn, and potato chips being made. There’s also a chance to see the factory’s warehouse from above and watch as Herr’s snack foods are packaged. This is definitely a very impressive sight.

Along the way, guides give visitors information about what they are seeing and explain the process of making each snack. Viewing of the process is primarily through windows. While it would be nice to be on the factory floor like on the Martin’s Potato Chips Factory Tour, you can still get a great view of the factory through the windows, and you don’t have to wear a hairnet.

Despite the large group size, guides do a good job of being heard and the windows are large enough that everyone can get a good view of the factory floor. At several stops, videos highlight aspects of production that can’t be seen, and the guides narrate these videos, offering a nice peek into an otherwise hidden area.

Without a doubt, the highlight of the tour are the hot potato chips right off the line. Guides duck onto the factory floor and pull chips directly from the processing line. These hot chips are a real delight. If you’ve never had a hot and fresh potato chip, you’re in for a real treat.

Overall, I very much enjoyed my tour of the Herr’s Factory in Chester County. It offered a great overview of how their snack foods are made, and it was neat to see onto the factory floor. I also greatly enjoyed my free bag of chips that they handed out at the end of the tour.

If you are visiting during the holiday season, make sure to stick around after dark for the fantastic and free Herr’s Christmas Lights.

Looking for more to do in the area? Check out the Julius Sturgis Pretzels tour, go hiking in the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens, or tour the area’s covered bridges.

Herr’s Factory Tour

See map for other area attractions.

Photo by Richard L. Gaw The Butler family celebrated its 80th family reunion on July 10 at Nottingham Park, a tradition that dates back to the early 1940s.

By Richard L. Gaw

Staff Writer

Soon after the death of their father William Henry Butler in the early 1940s, his 10 children made a decision that they would celebrate their mother Emma’s upcoming birthday by bringing the entire extended family together in Concord, Pa.

Nine decades later, in a bond formed by tradition, 67 siblings, sons and daughters, cousins, aunts and uncles enjoyed the 80th Butler family reunion at Nottingham Park on July 10. Beneath sunny skies, they arrived at Pavilion #7 from Chester County and Delaware, as well as from New Jersey, California, Tennessee, Virginia and Arizona for a long day of food, conversation and a cornhole tournament.

Two of the three surviving Butler children – 99-year-old Lillian Weeks and 84-year-old Henrietta Coulborn – were in attendance, while their 97-year-old sister Irene celebrated from her extended care facility in nearby Elkton, Md.

For the first several years of the reunion, events were held at family homes and at Clayton Park in Glen Mills, but Nottingham Park has played host to the family for the past 30 years. The reunion has a nearly perfect record; they have held the event every year except for 2020, which was postponed due to COVID-19.

“The day after this reunion, I will reserve this pavilion for next year,” said Irene Ferguson, who reunited with her sister Emily Boulden, who traveled 10 hours from Tennessee. “Everybody knows that the reunion is always the second Sunday in July.”

Ferguson said that the strength of what has become a yearly ritual was first formed by the unbreakable bond of the 10 Butler children.

“There were seven girls and three boys in the family, and after they left my grandparents’ home, they all raised their families nearby and remained very close,” she said. “Eventually, there were 31 cousins, and at some of the earlier reunions, we as kids would play as many as 10 traditional games, and we all loved it.”

In retrospect, the logistics of both organizing and attending a large-scale event such as a family reunion – one that has reached as many as 120 in attendance in past years and drawn relatives from around the country – seem relatively simple when measured against the common denominator of family, Ferguson said.

“We all love each other a lot, and we have done this for so long that it has become a part of our lives,” she said. “Soon, we’re hoping that the next generation is going to take over and keep our family tradition alive.”

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If you find yourself looking for a festive and free drive-through Christmas light display in Pennsylvania, look no further than the annual light display at Herr’s Snack Factory.

The Herr’s Christmas Lights are located on the company’s corporate campus in Nottingham, in the southwestern corner of Chester County, Pennsylvania. This display is located roughly 45 minutes from West Chester and Lancaster and 75 minutes from Philadelphia. It’s also only two miles north of the Pennsylvania/Maryland border.

Herr’s has been setting up Christmas lights on their corporate camps for over three decades, making this one of the oldest light displays in the area. Over time, the display has grown to include more than 600,000 lights.

Since the display is free, there’s no ticket window to drive past. Instead, follow the signs along Route 272 (West Christine Road) just east of Route 1 to find this festive spot. Because this is a drive-through display, visitors are asked to stay in their cars and not get out for a closer look at the lights.

The Herr’s Christmas Lights start as soon as you turn off of Route 272 onto Herr Drive.

You’ll notice as you drive along the roughly one-mile route that the lights here create a magical and festive forest on either side of the road. This is most evident in the second half of the display that goes around the corporate office.

From Herr Drive, the route directs you onto Old Baltimore Pike and past the Herr’s factory and the entrance for the Herr’s Snack Factory Tour. As you drive through this area, you’ll notice that both the factory and the homes and other buildings near it are decked out with lights for the holiday season.

After doing a circle around the factory, the route returns to Herr Drive before turning onto the road that leads around the corporate offices.

In my opinion, this second half of the route is much better than the first as you are surrounded more by lights.

It’s worth noting that the majority of the lights are static lights wrapped around trees, as opposed to holiday scenes or even flickering lights. While these trees are no doubt beautiful, unique, and create an almost magical forest setting, don’t come expecting movement within the display.

Also, unlike some displays, there is no music that accompanies the Herr’s Christmas Lights. I’d definitely recommend bringing some holiday music along with you to listen to while you drive through the lights to help create a festive mood in your car.

However, despite these shortcomings, this is a great Christmas thing to do in Pennsylvania, especially for those looking for a free drive-through light display or who live a short distance away from Nottingham, PA.

While the Herr’s Christmas light display isn’t, in my opinion, worth a long drive just to do on its own, it would be a great way to end the day after touring the Herr’s Factory (which is closed until further notice), exploring the covered bridges in Chester County and Lancaster County, or hiking at the nearby (and very unique) Nottingham Serpentine Barrens.

Visiting the Herr’s Christmas Lights

The Herr’s Christmas Lights are located at the Herr’s corporate campus at the following address: 20 Herr Dr, Nottingham, PA 19362. When you get near here on Route 272, look for signs for the light display.

The display is open from dusk until dawn (roughly 5pm to 7am) from November 22, 2023 through January 2, 2024.

It can be quite busy here on weekends and close to Christmas, so I recommend visiting early in the season (but not on Thanksgiving weekend) and on a weeknight. Of course, since this display is lit up all night, you could also visit very late at night or very early in the morning and would likely have no traffic.

More information can be found on Herr’s Community events page.

Looking for even more great things to do this Christmas season? Check out the holiday display at Longwood Gardens, the best Christmas things to do in Lancaster, and our favorite things to do in Philadelphia during the holiday season.