Angela's 8.1 mile walk took thirteen of us around the Langford Lowfields RSPB Reserve , then alongside the River Trent to Besthorpe Nature Reserve and back across fields, making use of the Trent Valley Way at times. The area is dominated by old and current Tarmac quarries for extracting sand and gravel.
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| Here is one prepared earlier (in 2014) - birdlife in Collingham |
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| The Fleet between Collingham and the River Trent. It flows from Winthorpe to join the Trent at Girton, north of Besthorpe. It has been suggested that the Trent itself followed this course at one stage |
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| Conveyer connecting Tarmac Langford Sand and Gravel quarries |
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| Sluice gate, where the Trent Valley Way crosses Slough Dyke, used to keep floodwaters under control. |
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| Wobbly, floating bridge over Langford Lowfields |
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| Cromwell Weir, the limit of the tidal Trent. A proposal was made to install a hydropower station generating 1.6MW at its peak but this was rejected because of the impact on one or two fishing pegs |
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| Clapper Gates are a distinctive type of self-closing double gate, unique to the navigable reaches of the River Trent. They were erected along the towpath of the river in the 18th century, and allow people and horses to pass through the field boundaries on the river bank, but prevent livestock from straying |
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| Sand and gravel jetty on the River Trent |
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| Disused sand and gravel conveyor to take material from the processing plant to a jetty on the River Trent. Now replaced by a 25cm pipeline for hydaulic transportation (see to the left, hidden in the undergrowth) |
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| Back over The Fleet |
