Orston, Alockton and Whatton, 17th November 2024

Starting at Orston Village Hall, Dave took 24 members past St Mary’s Church, along Smite Lane and onto the embankment of the River Smite to Aslockton for coffee at the recreation ground. Then we went through Whatton to take Orston Lane, Moor Lane and Lombard Street back to the Village Hall for a picnic and the VBR AGM.

Briefing at the Village Hall

St Mary’s Church

By the Smite

River Smite

Cranmer's Mound is named after Archbishop Cranmer, who was born in Aslockton in 1489.  It was originally a motte-and-bailey castle but  only the earthworks now remain.  These are visible from the footpath.  Zoom in for more information

A History of Thomas Cranmer on Main Street, Aslockton

St Thomas's Church, Aslockton.  Click here to hear for the bells

Aslockton Station

Coffee stop

St Mary's Church, Whatton

VBR Committee at the AGM

South Hykeham, Aubourn and Bassingham, 10th November 2024

John J led 16 members on an 8-mile stroll across the flatlands of Lincolnshire, criss-crossing the Witham and visiting the villages Aubourn and Bassingham (just) and Haddington after a start in South Hykeham.

Briefing at the start

St Michael and All Angels Church, South Hykeham
(on a better day)

Crossing the Witham for the first time (out of four)

Aubourn 'Old Church' is just a fragment of a much larger medieval building.  In 1862 a new parish church was built to the west of the village and most of the medieval church was demolished, leaving the chancel standing as a mortuary chapel

Early coffee stop

Aubourn Hall dating back to around 1628

Fine village sign

Mainly good tracks and field paths

Lunch stop next to the weir on the Witham

Earthworks on the banks of the River Witham between Haddington and the river represent the remains of a considerable manorial complex.  The complex consists chiefly of one more or less square moated area 30 by 40 metres, surrounded by water-filled ditches

Recently restored Haddington Dovecote dates from around 1420

Commemorating the Millennium - Haddington 2000 outside the village

On the way back this time

Waltham on the Wolds, Bescaby and Stonesby, 3rd November 2024

Steve led 12 ramblers on a 7 mile walk beginning at the north end of Waltham village.  The group crossed fields to the NATS radio beacon tower then alongside Bescaby Gallops.  From Bescaby we followed stone paths looping around woods for a coffee stop at duck ponds at Bescaby Farm. Onwards to Stonesby and through the village churchyard we reached Stonesby Quarry (now a Nature Reserve) for a lunch stop. Finally we crossed fields back to the NATS tower and returned via the first walk leg to finish.

Thanks for the photos Paul and Steve.

Briefing in Waltham

Steve leads the way

NATS (National Air Traffic Services) tower

Bescaby Duck Ponds

Convenient stones in Stonesby Quarry - lunch

Stonesby Quarry, a 3.2 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest is part of a 4 hectare nature reserve managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

Skillington, Buckminster and Sproxton, 27th October 2024

Christine led 19 ramblers on an 8.6 mile walk starting in Skillington. She gave a short history of each of our walk route villages explaining the Viking origin of many of their names. Also, that Maggie Thatcher's father from Grantham used to preach at the Skillington Baptist Church. The weather was glorious with blue skies and sunshine.  We walked on good paths reaching Buckminster for a coffee stop at the village church. Crossing fields, we stopped at the churchyard in Sproxton for lunch. returning via paths near the Saltby airfield where we saw Buckminster Gliders Club craft in the sky.

Thanks Steve for ...  everything!

Christine's briefing

Heavy going in places

Christine leads

Coffe stop in at St John the Baptist, Buckminster

St John the Baptist, Buckminster

Located in the grounds of the church is this Grade II* listed Mausoleum

 St Bartholomew Church,  Sproxton - lunch

Lunch again ...

 ...and again

One of many massive banks of straw bales on the site of Saltby Airfield and destined for the 38MW Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant.  Annually this plant burns 240,000 tonnes of straw (approximately 55 bales per hour), sourced mainly from farms local to the Sleaford plant

Newark's Heritage and Riverside, 20th October 2024

Starting in the car park of Sconce and Devon Park, Dave's (surprisingly dry), 5-mile mornng walk took eight VBR members to the four corners of the Queen’s Sconce earthworks before following the River Devon for a short distance.  Then we crossed Fardon Road to Millgate (the old route of Fosse Way) and then on to view the stonework of Newark Castle.  After passing along The Wharf and a short section of North Gate, we walked along the right bank of the Trent to Newark Nether Lock for a coffee stop.  After retracing our steps for a few hundred yards, we crossed the river and followed the left bank upstream to Riverside Park, Newark Town Lock and the Grade II listed Longstone Bridge.

Queen's Sconce is an earthwork fortification that was built in 1646 during the First English Civil War to protect the garrison of King Charles I based at Newark Castle.  It was built using gravel from the River Devon

Bridge over the ditch surrounding the Sconce

Plaque located on the top of the Sconce showing Newark's defences

Royal cannon monument on one of the four arms of the Sconce

River Devon in flood

One of many fine houses in Millgate.  Millgate was developed as a dockland area as trade increased along the Trent with houses and businesses mixed together

The Watermill, first licensed in 1794, the last of seven on Millgate

The local blacksmith in Blacksmith Lane and a large pile of horseshoes similar to the one in Scarrington

Otter Park next to the river - sculpture created by Judith Bluck depicting two bronze otters poised on a large piece of limestone rock

Newark Castle

3-D map of Newark town centre on display in the Castle grounds.  Note the river at the top and Queen's Sconce on the left

Civil War statue showing a roundhead and cavalier, one a drummer, the other a soldier

Here is one prepared earlier!
View looking downstream from Newark's Trent Bridge of the Grade II listed Clock Tower (1860) and other fine buidings

Panoramic view of the weir just upstream of Nether Lock, the Britsh Sugar Factory just visible in the background

A 70kW, Archimedes Screw turbine, installed next to the weir in 2020, provides enough power for about 175 homes

Coffe stop at Newark Nether Lock, the last on the Trent before Cromwell Lock

Heading back on the left bank

The King's Marina

View of Castle Barge moored on The Wharf, Newark Castle and Trent Bridge

Newark Castle from Riverside Park

Town Lock and Thorpes Warehouse

Another example of the fine brick buildings alongside the river - Trent Navigation Wharf & Warehouse

Grade II listed Longstone Bridge (~1827), an old towpath bridge upstream of the Town Lock.  The main flow of the river, by-passing the lock, flows under this bridge and then over a weir.  It was built by the Newark Navigation Commissioners, replacing a timber bridge.  There used to be a flour mill just downstream.