Vale of Belvoir Ramblers: March 2024

Stragglethorpe, Cotgrave, Bassingfield and Holme Pierrepont, 31st March 2024

Today's walk was changed due to adverse ground conditions on the original walk from Wymondham. Steve D led twenty two ramblers on a 7¼ mile walk starting from the Shepherds Park and Ride car park. The walk headed south on the line of the disused railway, past the new Rushcliffe Oaks Crematorium and into Cotgrave Country Park. An early coffee stop was taken at good seats and benches before taking the hard-surfaced towpath along the Grantham Canal to Bassingfield. The busy A52 was crossed and the walk entered Skylarks Nature Reserve before reaching the lunch stop at a memorial area on Holme Pierrepont Lane. Finally the walk re-crossed the A52 to finish back at Shepherds.

Thanks Steve and John for words and photos and for a walk with guaranteed dry conditions underfoot.

Shepherds Park and Ride

Good tracks for once on the track of the disused railway

Incidentally, had we turned towards Holme Lane instead of Cotgrave, we would have found the path blocked (actually demolished) by unauthorised excavation on the outskirts of Radcliffe. Thanks for the photo, Jan

Coffee stop in Cotgrave Country Park

Grantham Canal approaching Bassingfield

Skinners Lock

Lunch at Holme Pierrepont

And back to the start

Londonthorpe Wood and the Bellmount Tower, 24th March 2024

Starting at the Woodland Trust's car park on Five Gates Lane, Scott's very muddy 5½ mile walk took twenty one members through Londonthorpe and Alma Woods and on to Londonthorpe itself. Leaving the village, we first dropped down towards Five Gates Lane before climbing up to the Bellmount Tower to appreciate the good views towards Belton House and across the Trent Valley. The route back took us on paths next to Five Gates Road (orange route below).

The start in the car park

Wellingtons were recommended, from Barbour, Hunter, Laura Ashley and one from what looks like Lidl

Good tracks (at first)

Entering Alma Wood

Navigating the mud next to the Alma Park Industrial Estate

Evidence of the army camp during the first world war

More mud

Early coffee break in Alma Park

Approaching Bellmount Tower

View towards Belton House

Thieves Wood, Fountain Dale and Newstead Abbey Park, 17th March 2024

Paul's 9.2 mile undulating (250m ascent!) circumnavigation of Ravenshead took seven VBR members and one guest (and dog) from Thieves Wood, through Harlow Wood and on to Fountain Dale, the course of Rainworth Water, most of it along sections of the Robin Hood Way. Then, after walking through open country towards Papplewick, we turned to enter a good track next to the grounds of Newstead Abbey to climb back up to Thieves Wood.

Paul briefs us in Thieves Wood car park

Wet above and below in Harlow Wood

Harlow Wood - one of many fallen trees encounted this year

Crossing Rainworth Water and leaving Fountain Dale

And this little piggy went...

"Wee wee wee" all the way home ...

... to Mum

Lunch at the edge of Gilletdale Wood

South Lodge, Newstead Abbey Park

Distant view of the Abbey - no access from this direction

And back to the start

Images of VBR, 2005 to 2007

Our older members might be interested in some of Eileen's photos of days gone by.

Ashover, 2007

Belvoir Challenge, 2007

Gerald about to make a splash at Bolton Abbey, 2007

Derwent Valley Way. 2005

Start of the Robin Hood Way, Nottingham Castle, 2003

End of the Robin Hood Way, Edwinstowe Church, 2003

Major Oak, near the end of the Robin Hood Way, 2003

Up'ards Way, Ashbourne, 2005

And more recently ...

Rushcliffe Round, 2013

Edwinstowe, and Sherwood Forest, 10th March 2024

In inclement weather, Elaine's 8¾ mile walk took ten members from the RSPB car park in Edwinstowe to walk past the old Visitor Centre, across Budby Heath towards Ladysmith Plantation before cutting back by Hanger Hill Wood to join the Robin Hood Way and pass by St Edwin’s Chapel Cross. After crossing the Mansfield Road, we dropped down past Archway House to the River Maun before leaving the RHW and returning to the forest near the Centre Tree, past the ancient oaks of Birklands and then on to the Major Oak, finishing at the Visitor Centre.