Vale of Belvoir Ramblers

Rolleston, Morton and Fiskerton, 30th March 2025

Dave and Val led nineteen ramblers on a near nine-mile walk. Starting from the Holy Trinity Church in Rollerston, the walk crossing fields to the Trent Valley Way and the River Trent. Coffee was taken at river-bank tables and benches at The Bromley pub in Fiskerton. After following the river upstream, lunch was taken on grassy banks at Hazleford Weir and Lock. The walk then passed through Morton and back to Rolleston. The weather and paths were good.

The start

Holy Trinity Church, Wysall

Walk leaders

Staythorpe Power Station
For those of you with a special interest in this subject, have a look at this video of the recent demolition of a famous landmark

Coffee stop at The Bromley, Fiskerton

Hazleford Lock and Weir

Lunch stop near the lock

ITMA near Rolleston

Radcliffe on Trent and Shelford, 23rd March 2025

Angela's 5¾ mile walk took us from outside The Grange in Radcliffe and down Wharf Lane to join and follow the Cliff Walk overlooking the River Trent. After descending to the riverside, we then followed the Trent as far as Stoke Ferry Lane which we took to the church in Shelford for coffee. The route back took us across fields to the Cliff Walk as far as Rockley Memorial Park which we crossed to take Shelford Road back to the start.

Thanks John J for the photos and route.

The start outside The Grange

Wharf Lane and the start of the Cliff Walk

View from the Cliff Walk upstream towards Nottingham

Lily ponds below the Cliff Walk and close to Stoke Weir

River Trent's flood defences

Looking across the Trent towards the Ferry Boat Inn

First view of St Peter and St Paul's Church, Shelford

Coffee stop

Last view of the church

Shelford pinfold and war memorial

Rockley Memorial Park

Swinstead, Creeton, Edenham and Grimsthorpe, 16th March 2024

Scott's 10.5 mile walk started in the High Street in Swinstead and took six VBR members across the West Glen River and down along The Drift near the West Coast Main Line to Creeton for coffee at the church. Then we walked on to Edenham for lunch and afterwards across the Grimsthorpe Estate back to Swinstead. Good firm ground all day.

The start in Swinstead

An alternative start point, Church of Saint Mary, Swinstead, with a large car park

Crossing the West Glen River. Bridge almost swept away by a tree in recent floods

Train to London late as usual

Just south of here, on 3 July 1938, Mallard claimed the world speed record for steam locomotives at 125.88mph

Church of Saint Peter, Creeton - coffee

Elm Terrace, Edenham. Grade II listed building, formerly cottages built for estate workers on the Grimsthorpe Park Estate in the 1890s

Lunch - Saint Michael's and All Angels' Church, Edenham

Grimsthorpe Castle - woods and parkland landscaped by Capability Brown in 1722

Group on bridge over outflow from lake. Grimsthorpe Castle in the background

Back to Swinstead - the 15th century Village Cross

Wellingore and the Lincoln Edge, 9th March 2025

Dave's 8.7 mile walk today explored four villages which lie on the Lincoln Edge or Lincoln Cliff, a limestone ridge which runs for over 50 miles from the Leicestershire border near Grantham to the Humber Estuary and is broken only twice by river gaps at Ancaster and Lincoln. Starting at the Memorial Hall in Wellingore we dropped down to the Low Fields, a flat landscape west of the Lincoln Edge to Somerton Castle for a late coffee stop and then back up the escarpment to the villages of Coleby, Boothby Graffoe, Navenby and Wellingore along the Viking Way.

Ten members enjoyed glorious weather and dry tracks for a welcome change with fine views over the Witham Valley towards the Trent.

The start at the Memorial Hall, Wellingore

View to the west from the Edge

View down to the remains of Navenby Station on the disused Lincoln to Granham line (1867 to 1965) which ran along the base of the edge

Somerton Castle, a 13th century tower and a 17th century farmhouse with a moat and a mound

Well drained fields

View of Coleby

Climbing back up the Edge to The Tempest for refreshments in Coleby

Lunch outside the pub

Typical Edge paths

Just off-route this time, St Peter's Church, Navenby

What the people of Navenby get up to every Sunday

Following the Viking Way from the centre of Navenby - fine limestone buildings characteristic of houses along the Edge

Edwinstowe, River Maun and Sherwood Forest, 2nd March 2025

Anny's 6-mile walk took 18 members from the RSPB car park in Edwinstowe round the outskirts of the village before crossing the Mansfield road and dropping down to the River Maun for coffee. After ¾ mile, we then turned north to enter Sherwood Forest near Archway House, recrossed the Mansfield Road and headed to the Centre Tree. After passing the ancient oaks of Birklands some of the group diverted to the Major Oak before finishing at the Visitor Centre for a picnic and/or refreshments.

Good, dry paths and, at last, blue skies and sunshine. Who needs Lanzarote?

Setting out round the cricket field

Debris on the River Maun. The river is part of the Rainworth Water, Rivers Meden, Poulter, Idle, and Ryton catchment which together drain about a third of Nottinghamshire into the Trent at West Stockwith

Approaching Archway House

The Neutral Ground represents the boundary between the Thoresby and Welbeck Estates and has been traditionally managed as a holly-lined strip of acid grassland with patches of heather at the northern end of which is the Centre Tree. The 4th Duke of Portland had an ambitious plan to build 20 lodges from Welbeck to Nottingham but only Archway House was built. It used to offer views of the Centre Tree through its archway.