East Bridgford Evening Stroll and Skittles, 30th July 2025

Sue took seventeen members and guests on this 3½ mile Evening Stroll starting at the Royal Oak in East Bridgford. We first went past Stokes Mill and round the outskirts of East Bridgford to the edge of Springdale Wood before turning to pass through the lanes of the village.  After crossing fields to the north east, the route took us along Occupation Lane, Kneeton Road, through the village again and across Butt Field playing fields to join five other members at the Royal Oak for skittles, food and drink.

Thanks Sue for organising the Skittles and leading the walk, John for arranging the four (or was it five?) teams for skittles and Dave for keeping score.

The start in the Royal Oak car park

Stokes Mill

Sunflowers near Springdale Lane

John tries to explain the rules

John and Malcolm look on in astonishment as a skittle is knocked over

Start point: SK691431

Measham, Donisthorpe, Moira and Oakthorpe, 27th July 2025

Starting at the car park behind Measham Library, Sue and Dave took six members on an 8.4 mile trip through the heart of the Leicestershire Coalfield along Ashby Wolds Way, the Ivanhoe Way and Ashby Canal to the Moira Furnace, visiting the sites of Donisthorpe, Moira and Oakthorpe Collieries and Conkers Discovery Centre.

Ashby Woulds Heritage Trail, formerly the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway is now a multi-use trail in the heart of the National Forest

Group outside the site of Donisthorpe Colliery (1871 – 1990)

Ashby Canal Mine Underground seam marker-posts located on the Ashby Canal towpath indicating: the Mine Seam; the Seams Worked; Metres Below Ground

Donisthorpe Woodland Park, a 36-hectare former colliery site in the National Forest

Remains of a railway semaphore signal base structure

Moira Junction, formerly a railway junction and train depot, was transformed into a nature reserve starting in 1991 and designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1994

One of four sculptures located at key nearby industrial sites - Moira Junction South, Bath Yard Basin, Hicks Lodge and Thorpit Pit

Unusual triple-gated Moira Lock near the termination of the Ashby Canal

Moira Furnace (1806) one of the best-preserved blast furnaces in the country

Bridge near the end of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal which connected Moira with the Coventry Canal. It was opened in 1804 and a number of tramways were constructed at its northern end to service the collieries.  Around 9 miles passes through the Leicestershire Coalfield

Examining one of the two plinths where Oakthorpe Colliery shafts are capped

Returning to Measham across the A42

Start point: Measham Library, SK331119

Orston, Thoroton and Hawksworth Evening Stroll, 23rd July 2025

Starting at the church in Orston, Elaine's 5.4 mile stroll took twelve members across fields and over the River Smite to Thoroton and then on to Hawksworth Church for a drinks stop. Then, after struggling along an unreinstated footpath through a field of maize, we reached Longhedge Lane to recross the Smite at Oscar Bridge.returning through a second maize field to Orston and the Durham Ox for refreshments.

St Mary's Church, Orston

The start near the church

 Fortunately dry at  the start but not for long

First crossing of the River Smite

Thoroton Dovecote

Drinks near St Mary and All Saints, Hawksworth

Coat of Arms of Thomas Cranmer displayed outside Hawksworth church

Second field of maize

Refreshments for some at The Durham Ox

Start point: Orston church, GR: SK769411

Calverton and Oxton Five Woods Walk, 20th July 2025

Starting at Calverton Library, Paul's 8½ mile walk took eight members up to the high ground overlooking Woodborough with views over Calverton opening up gloriously (had the weather been good).  Here, the route passed Fox Wood, an Iron age settlement, and then followed the ridge to Ramsdale Hill, from where the path meandered through the green fairways of Ramsdale Park Golf Course.

Next, we entered the Foxcover Plantation which merged into Watchwood Plantation, a beautiful section of dense woodland.

After passing close to and then crossing the deep cutting of the old Bestwood to Calverton Pit railway, the trail then took us through Oxton Bogs, then Gorse Covert before reaching the picturesque village of Oxton for a lunch stop at the pub.

From there we headed directly to Calverton passing Thorndale Plantation and crossing Dover Beck for the second time.

Climb up to Fox Wood from Calverton.  It rained; a lot!

Fox Wood, site of an Iron Age hill fort and settlement

View over Calverton today and last week

Enercon E33, 330kW wind turbine. Oh, and some walkers!

Ramsdale golfers with golfing umbrellas

Crossing Oxton Bogs, drained by the Dover Beck

Lunch stop at Ye Olde Bridge Hotel, Oxton

Dover Beck on its way to Epperstone, Gonaltson, Lowdham, Caythorpe and the Trent

Start: Calverton Library, Grid ref: SK617493

Cropwell Bishop and Owthorpe Evening Stoll, 15th July 2025

Jan's 4.7 mile walk took five members south along the Grantham Canal for two miles to reach Colston Bassett Lane.  We then followed it into Owthorpe to stop for drinks at St Margaret's Church and then returned past Lime Kiln Farm and along  Kinoulton Road to reach the canal again.

Thanks Angela for the photos and Rab for the route.

The start at the Memorial Hall car park

Canalside Industrial Park buildings next to the canal

Bench showing the route of Grantham Canal

 Start point: Memorial Hall, Nottingham Road, Cropwell Bishop
 Grid reference: SK679355

Nether Langwith and Whaley Thorns, 13th July 2025

Starting at the railway station car park, Sue's 8-mile walk first took eight members across the nearby railway line and into the Poulter Country Park through which passes the 11-mile Archaeological Way which will eventually link Pleasley Pit Country Park and Creswell Crags. The redevelopment of the Archaeological Way has inspired some excellent community arts projects, many of which now form the Sculpture Trail in the park. This is situated on the site of the waste tips of Langwith Colliery which finished production in 1978 after 98 years of production.

Poulter Country Park Sculpture Trail
There are seven unique sculptures in, and near to, Poulter Country Park: 1 - Dragonfly; 2 - Scimitar Flower; 3 - Flint Flower; 4 - Industrial Fossils ; 5 - Top of the World ; 6 - Commemoration; 7 - Bridging the Gap

Flint Flower by Ewan Allinson, said to represent the shape of a flint tool found locally

Top of the World sculpture by Ewan Allinson, inspired by the area's stone-age past

Not seen this time - Industrial Fossils by David Mayne, black ferns that represent the coal of Langwith Colliery

In World War 1 there was a munitions factory on the site, it was dangerous work and six people were killed by separate explosions.  On a wet Saturday night during World War 2, a Canadian fighter plane crashed close to the pit tips, sadly both crewmen died. 

We then crossed from Derbyshire back into Nottinghamshire, stopping for coffee beside the River Poulter in Nether Langwith before walking south to Cuckney Hay Wood.

River Poulter emerges onto Nether Langwith Green

Nether Langwith Green

Cuckney Hay Wood

Lunch in disused limestone quarry

Almost derelict Langwith Mill on the Poulter downstream of Nether Langwith was a cotton mill built in 1786. It was powered by a large water wheel fed from a lake nearby

Langley Mill House being renovated

Back at the station car park ...

...and then welcome refreshments at the busy Jug and Glass after a hot and steamy but enjoyable day

Start: Langwith-Whaley Thorns station car park
Grid reference: SK530708