This collection brings together photographs kindly shared by residents of Donisthorpe, documenting the Hobneys and the many ways the land has been used, enjoyed and loved by the community for at least the past 35 years.

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People have photographed the Hobneys for generations, not only to record family days, community events or winter adventures, but because the landscape itself is something they want to remember. Its open hills, woodland edges, wildflowers, changing skies and seasonal colours offer a sense of visual relief from the roads, buildings and pressures of everyday life.

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For many residents, the Hobneys provide breathing space. A walk through the fields, a familiar view across the hills or a few quiet moments spent photographing nature can offer calm, perspective and a chance to slow down. At a time when many people experience stress, anxiety, loneliness and poor mental health, accessible green spaces like this can be an invaluable source of comfort and connection.

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Photography encourages people to stop and notice the details: sunlight moving across the grass, flowers returning in spring, changing autumn colours, frost settling on the hills or wildlife appearing along the hedgerows. These small moments can help people feel present and connected to the natural world around them. The fact that residents repeatedly choose to photograph the Hobneys demonstrates how visually and emotionally important the landscape has become.

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The images also capture decades of community life. They show children playing and sledging, families walking together, people exploring the countryside, historical events taking place and successive generations enjoying the same familiar landscape. Many contain deeply personal memories of parents, grandparents and loved ones who are no longer with us.

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These are not simply photographs of fields. They are photographs of childhoods, relationships, traditions and moments of happiness. They show a place where people have gone to think, breathe, grieve, recover, exercise, reconnect and feel part of something familiar.

Together, the photographs form a valuable visual record of the Hobneys’ long-standing recreational, social and emotional importance. They demonstrate that this land is not an empty space waiting to be used. It is already being used, as a place of recreation, refuge, creativity, connection and wellbeing.

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Every photograph tells part of that story. Together, they reveal a living landscape woven into the identity of Donisthorpe, a landscape that has supported the wellbeing of its residents, connected generations and helped make the village feel like home.

Once a view like this disappears, it cannot simply be recreated somewhere else. The buildings may be new, but the landscape, memories and sense of peace that have been lost would be irreplaceable.

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If you have photographs or memories of time spent on the Hobneys, we would love to include them in this growing community archive.