During the recent warmer weather I have not done any long walks, but quite a few walks of between 4 and 6 miles. When I say long walks, a walk of 10 miles is just about my limit these days.
Some interesting walks local to me have been along some of the old railways to the south east of Mansfield. Being close to home I have often done short sections of the Southwell Trail as part of other walks. A few weeks ago I walked the whole length of the trail from Bilsthorpe via Farnsfield to Southwell which is around 8 miles. It‘s a very pleasant walk and unlike some old railway trails, much of it, especially between Southwell and Farnsfield, is on small embankments or on a level with the fields with good views of the surrounding countryside, rather than hidden in a cutting. Much of the trail follows the old railway that ran from Mansfield to Rolleston Junction, just south west of Newark, on the Nottingham to Lincoln line. It runs through very nice quiet rural countryside. Southwell is a small historic town always worth visiting, tucked away in rural Nottinghamshire with the beautiful Minster which is so easily overlooked in favour of the better known cathedrals. The Chapter House in the Minster with the stone carved Southwell Leaves is well with seeing.
Another walk, starting in Bilsthorpe, this time behind some houses just off Eakring Road in the ex mining part of the village, I did a 5 mile walk along the railway trail to Vicar Water Country Park at Clipstone near Mansfield, an old branch to carry coal traffic away from Bilsthorpe Colliery. This trail passes through the Southern Edge of Sherwood Pines Country Park. With a long section through the forest I was expecting this to be a bit boring but actually it was very pleasant. It was very much mixed woodland with lots of birds around rather than the forestry commission conifers I was expecting. Vicar Water at the end of the walk is an interesting area developed on the site of the old Clipstone Colliery with its huge preserved headstocks nearby.
I’ve also done the walk from Blidworth to Vicar Water along the old line from Blidworth Colliery. All of these lines, in a once very industrial area are now very quiet and seem extremely rural and unspoilt.
All of the above walks along old railway tracks and therefore are linear and not circular walks but can easily be reached by bus, mainly from Mansfield but some locations can be reached by bus from Nottingham and Newark too.
During short breaks away from home during the last few months I have completed a number of interesting walks in various parts of the country. Most of these have been between 5 and 8 miles in length.
In North Yorkshire I did a great circular from Helmsley taking in Rievaulx Abbey and Rievaulx Terrace. I loved the setting of Rievaulx Abbey and Village and the sections of the walk by the River Rye.
At the end of last month I had planned a 10 day holiday in the North East of Scotland staying in a hotel in Aberdeen. This had to be cancelled due to the rail strikes during the week that I was to travel back. I had planned quite a few walks on Deeside and by the coast. Instead I quickly booked a few nights in Liverpool before the strike days and a few days in North London just after the strike days.
The weather was so good whilst in both places that I spent very little time in the cities and got out walking in the surrounding areas.
I visited Ness Botanical Gardens by bus from Liverpool over on the Wirral, although just over the border into Cheshire, just south of Neston. I really enjoyed wandering around Ness Gardens and was there for well over 2 hours as they were far more extensive than I had expected. From the gardens I turned right out of the entrance, and walked down a lane near the village of Burton onto the edge of the Dee Marshes with good views over the estuary towards Wales. I then walked north along a very well surfaced cycle route which skirted right along the edge of the marshes, stopping for a drink at The Harp in Little Neston. A lovely place to enjoy a pint sitting outside overlooking the marshes. From there I continued along the shore towards Parkgate. This section of footpath included some very difficult sections to pass along due to boggy ground on the marshes. I thought Parkgate was nice place with good ice cream for the hot day, and the history of the whole area is interesting to read. I got a bus back from Parkgate to Liverpool changing bus in Heswell.
On another day whilst in Liverpool I got the train out to Crosby and then walked up the coast to Hightown. I’d been and seen the Antony Gormley Another Place Statues in the sea near Crosby a few years back but good to see them again. I just love the location and difficult to believe it’s so close to Liverpool. I thought the walk along the cycle trail up the coast to Hightown Station was lovely but it was a hot day for walking. Interesting to see the masses of sea weathered red bricks along the shore all dumped there following the destruction of the terraced houses during the bombing of Liverpool during WW2.
Whilst in North London I visited the very interesting Battle of Britain Museum at Bentley Priory, just to the north of Stanmore. A very good museum in an impressive setting. Really friendly knowledgeable volunteers running the place and the tearoom. After visiting the museum I went for a walk on Stanmore Common and back through the Bentley Nature Reserve to Stanmore. Part of this was through a deer park along a lovely section of the London Loop Path. So rural and difficult to believe the location so close to London.
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