Breedon on the Hill, 17th April 2016

A two-counties walk for 13 of us out to the Doomsday Book town of Melbourne, across farmland, a golf course, parkland and through the villages of Worthington and Wilson.  And up the carboniferous limestone hill on which stands Breedon’s St Mary and St Hardulph Church.

Thanks Gordon for the photographs.

 

Nether Broughton, 10th April; 2016

Steve D led 25 ramblers on this 8 mile walk  ...

... from Nether Broughton to Old Dalby and Upper Broughton on the border of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.  This was a 'stylish' walk with 48 styles not counting the gates!  The walk viewed the rail tracks at Old Dalby that were used to test the Advanced Passenger Train and tilting carriages and is currently being used to test the rolling stock for London's new Cross Rail project.

Lunch was taken at the children's playground in Old Dalby.

 

The first bluebells were seen on the green at Upper Broughton ...

... and a nearby shop front extols the virtue of 'service'.

Near the finish the walkers passed through Dickens (Deacons?) Dell where Steve and Phil dwelt a while.

Afterwards a pint was enjoyed at the Anchor Pub.

Bingham, Car Colston and Scarrington, 3rd April 2016

This 5½-mile walk ...

... explored the farmland between Bingham and Car Colston with a short excursion to see the famous horseshoes and pinfold in Scarrington.  At the end, the local branch of the NSPCC served tea and cakes in the WI Hut and raised £150 in support of this important children's charity.  Here are the instructions as published in the Nottingham Post on 2nd April.

The walk starts at the WI Hut ...

 ... near the railway station in Bingham (grid ref. SK 705400, postcode NG13 8AQ).  At the station, go over the footbridge, find the path onto the playing fields and follow the sign to the far right hand corner of the field.  Now take the wide footpath straight ahead, northwards over Parson's Hill.

  Go over both footbridges ...

... and take the path on the right and then immediately left to follow the field edge path in a north east direction to a yellow post. Cross the farm track and go through the gate continuing straight ahead for another 2km crossing more farm tracks until reaching a metal gate as Car Colston comes into view.

The original plan was to go half left across the pasture keeping the pond on your left and at the gate reach the edge of the cricket ground and the Royal Oak ...

... passing in front and then right again at a footpath sign through a gate onto a farm track up to a second gate.

However, we took an alternative to avoid the bull (probably harmless) ...

... turning northwest from the metal gate across the pasture to a distant metal gate, passing south of the pub (see route on map) to join the farm track.

Now head SW along the track and then follow the field edge path with the hedge on your left for about 1km.  Cross the stream and walk straight on towards the pylons.  At the distinctive mound of earth on the right, take the footpath sign to the left towards Scarrington Church ...

... climb over the stile ...

 ... and turn right to reach Main Street.

Turn left and follow the road until you see the horseshoes and pinfold.  Here are fifty thousand horseshoes on an impressive column erected by the village blacksmith.

 

Now retrace your steps along Main Street to turn right just before the Methodist Church ...

... and then left over the stile and back to the earth mound.

Take the left hand footpath south west with the hedge on your left for two fields until you reach a yellow post. Take a diagonal path across the field to a wooden footbridge.

Go over and continue in the same direction, following a faint path across the field towards another yellow post just visible in the distance. On reaching the post bear left to follow Car Dyke to a concrete footbridge with railings.

Go over the bridge and turn left to follow the hedge for 1km, ignoring the footpath on your left, to reach the Station and the tea and cakes.