Bingham, Car Colson and Scarrington, 24th April 2022

The bi-annual Cake Walk started at the WI Hut in Bingham and 28 members and guests headed out on good tracks over Parson's Hill to Car Colston and Scarrington to visit the display of cherry blossom and the famous horse shoes before returning across fields to Bingham. After the walk, tea and cakes were served in the WI Hut by ladies from the local branch of the NSPCC raising £174 for the charity.

Thanks to everyone involved.

The start at the WI Hut near the railway station

Approaching Car Dyke, Parson's Hill in the background

Car Colston Hall - a Grade II listed building

Not stopping at the Royal Oak - for a change

Leaving Car Colston Common fortunately avoiding one of the residents who we decided to avoid on a previous Cake Walk in 2016 

Car Dyke - flows from near the Margidunum roundabout north of Bingham, past Car Colston, Hawksworth, Sibthorpe and Elston to enter the River Devon near Hawton

Cherry blossom in Scarrington - taken two weeks earlier in the year before the blossom started to blow away

The Church of St John of Beverley, Scarrington

Scarrington Horse Shoes

Scarrington Pinfold

More drainage ditches between Scarrington and Bingham

VBR report to Nottinghamshire Area Ramblers Council Meeting

Tuesday, 19th April at Bilsthorpe Welfare

Walks Programme

The group have just completed a twelve-month programme of walks, the main difference from pre-covid years being that fewer walks have been made in the Peak District and planning has been on a month-by-month basis.  We are well on the way however to going back to a 6-month programme.  No booking has been needed and there has never been a limit on numbers which have averaged 17 per walk.  Walks have been advertised only on our own website or blog though it is possible that we will resume advertising on the rebranded Walks Manager.  Social events will also resume and will include a 3-day trip to Derwent Water in September.

Publicity

One of our members has been working with Rushcliffe Ramblers to prepare a tri-fold leaflet to publicise the options available for walking within the Rushcliffe area with reference to Wellbeing Walks as well as the local Ramblers Groups, Rushcliffe in the west and VBR in the east.  We continue to advertise in ten local, free newspapers and this has resulted in a number of new members.

VBR Website

The website and this blog have been updated regularly with images of every recent walk.  Over 400 routes of walks, mainly in the East Midlands and the Peak District, are also available to visitors as .gpx files, OpenStreetMap raster images or links to OS Maps.

Access to rights of way

Our RoW Officer has been involved with the Area RoW Committee looking at the impact of solar farms in our area including two proposals just over the border in Leicestershire, another at Kingston on Soar, one at Costock and a new proposal being developed between Hawksworth and Thoroton.

We have also continued to press for a more coherent approach to the recording and dealing with rights of way problems in the county (in particular the replacement or improvement of stiles) which limit access to the countryside for many walkers.  To this end, we have published a review on our blog of the Ramblers’ Pathwatch app and desktop version and reported the results to Ramblers HQ.

Goadby Marwood, Eaton and Eastwell, 17th April 2022

An excellent turnout (21) for Susie's 7½ mile walk from Goady Marwood to Eaton and Eastwell returning along the edge of the Harby Hills.  Fine weather and fine views.

Thirteenth-century St Denys Church, Goadby Marwood - the start.  This is one of the seven Ironstone Churches of Leicestershire - at Chadwell, Eastwell, Eaton, Goadby Marwood, Scalford, Stonesby and Waltham on the Wolds

What you did not see behind the church, Goadby Marwood Hall

Fish pond near Goadby Marwood Hall

Very recent memorial to the crew of a Lancaster bomber that came down midway between Goadby and Eaton in 1942.  See here for an interesting story of the search for the crash site by the Goadby Marwood History Group

Climbing over the watershed between streams that flow into the River Wreake from Goadby and those that flow into the Devon from Eaton

 

Distant view of Eaton - fine coffee stop

Lots of deadwood here - and some fallen trees

St Mary's Church, Eastwell - lunch

 

Woolsthorpe, Brewer's Grave, the River Devon, Stenwith and the Grantham Canal, 10th April 2022

Starting in Dirty Duck Lane, off Sedgebrook Road near Woolsthorpe, Brian led 19 ramblers on a 6.5 mile walk firstly along the Grantham Canal to reach the Viking Way at Longmoor Bridge (Bridge 62).  Crossing the canal we walked up to Brewer's Grave before dropping down to pass the Chequers Inn in Woolsthorpe by Belvoir and then followed the River Devon towards Stenwith. Returning along the Grantham Canal, we stopped for lunch before passing the renewed Woolsthorpe Middle Locks and then walked back to the Dirty Duck.

Brian briefs us at the start

The Dirty Duck, aka The Rutland Arms

Longmoor Bridge

Coffee stop

Brian leads the way

Distant view of Belvoir Castle

Lunch by the canal

Woolsthorpe Middle Lock

Our leader at Lock 15

Whatton and the River Smite, 3rd April 2022

 

Dave C's 9-mile walk started next to Whatton Prison and skirted the Belvoir villages of Aslockton, Hawksworth, Thoroton and Orston before returning along the Smite and over Blackberry Hill to Whatton.

Oscar Bridge on Longhedge Lane just after leaving Thoroton

The Smite near Orston

Church of St John of Beverley, Whatton