Bingham and Car Colston, 29th June 2025

Paul led seventeen Ramblers on this 4.9 mile walk starting at The Buttercross in Bingham Market Square.  After crossing the Nottingham to Grantham railway at the bottom of Moor Lane, we walked by Archers Lake to cross fields to the fishing lakes north of Bingham.  Emerging from the undergrowth, we crossed by Car Colston Cricket Ground and then stopped by the Royal Oak for drinks.  After a slight diversion to avoid cattle, we took the footpath back to the bridge across Car Dyke and then over Parsons Hill to Bingham.

Then to celebrate VBR's 30th Anniversary, members and friends enjoyed tea and cakes in the orchard at Appletrees provided by hostess Elaine and other members of the Committee.

The start under The Buttercross

Best avoided

A well manage crossing

Paths next to Archers Lake

Wildlife

Drinks stop outside the Royal Oak

Crossing Car Dyke (a tributary of the River Smite) before walking over Parsons Hill

Diversion to see the Roman Well, relocated from the old Margidunum settlement on the nearby Fosse Way

Lunch in the Garden

East Bridgford Woods and River Trent Evening Stroll, 25th June 2025

 Judy's 4.2 mile stroll took us through the village and down to the River Trent before returning to the village tennis courts on Butts Field for a brief and welcome drinks stop.  After passing Stoke's Mill we walked on good tracks to eventually reach Springdale Wood.  Returning along Springdale Lane, we stopped to view Judy's meadow and its wild flowers.

Dropping down to the River Trent

Distant view of Gunthorpe Weir

Fine paths on the return to the village

Stokes' Mill, built in 1828 was operational until 1912. The sails were struck by lightning in 1928 and the cap, machinery and second-floor gallery were removed in 1940.  The attractive mosaic can be seen near the entrance

Springdale Wood was purchased by the Woodland Trust as one of 250 ‘Woods on Your Doorstep’ to mark the Millennium and was planted in November 1999 by local residents

Judy's meadow

Kneesall, Kersall, Maplebeck and Eakring, 22nd June 2025

John's 7½ mile walk starting near the church in Kneesall took thirteen members past Brickyard Plantation, over Hare Hill and on to pass by Kersall and head to Maplebeck for a coffee stop.  We then headed north west towards Parkhill Plantation where we passed the memorial to a crashed Wellington bomber in WW2.  Continuing towards Eakring, we passed close to the National Grid Training Centre before stopping for lunch at a playground in Eakring.  After a morning in sunshine, rain came on the walk back to Kneesall after lunch.

John briefs the members

Saint Bartholomew's, Kneesall

Climbing Hare Hill on good tracks - the farmers having done a grand job, John

Coffee stop near Maplebeck

Looking at Lincoln Cathedral in the distance (allegedly)

Memorial to RNAF crew of the Wellington bomber which crashed here in 1942

Nottingham Young Farmers Tractor Run
See John Young's video at the bottom

National Grid's new T-pylons were built here in 2015 for testing but have only recently (2023) been connected to the grid in Somerset.  In January, however, National Grid abandoned plans to roll out new designs because of their high cost and noise complaints

Lunch in Eakring, famous for its WW2 nodding donkeys

Fields of lacy phacelia, used as a cover crop 

And then the threatened rain arrived

Flintham, Syerston and Sibthorpe Evening Stroll, 17th June 2025

Starting at The Boot and Shoe in Flintham on a beautiful Summer's evening, Tracy led this 5-mile Evening Stroll towards Syerston, across to Sibthorpe and then back along Longhedge Lane.

Thanks Howard for the photos.

The restored Pinfold at Syerston Village

The photo (now) clearly shows it is a deer, but at the time we walked past it was so still that only Jan said it was a deer. Everyone else said...no, its weeds growing amongst the crops. After we had passed by it suddenly jumped up, shot across the track and away

The late evening sun giving a dramatic light

And again

Honington and Carlton Scroop, 15th June 2025

Scott led ten members on a 7.1 mile walk by RAF Barkston Heath to West Willoughby, Carlton Scroop and Carlton Ashes, partly along the Viking Way.

Thanks John for the photos.

The start on Main Street, Honington

Approaching West Willoughby

Bridge over the River Slea near its source

Lunch stop in Carlton Scroop

Topiary at Carlton Scroop. Name that bird!

Scott manages the safe crossing of the Grantham to Sleaford to Skegness line

Brackenhurst and Westhorpe Evening Stroll, 11th June 2025

Howard's 5-mile Evening Stroll started in the NTU Brackenhust Campus car park and took ten members along the Robin Hood Way, over Cundy Hill and then to the village of Westhorpe.  After crossing Westhorpe Dumble, we turned west into landscape dominated by solar panels and newly planted screening trees before returning along Cotmoor Lane to the start.  A pleasant stroll on good tracks in fine weather.

Thanks Bill for the photos.

Brackenhust College - the start

Distant view of Southwell Minster from Cundy Hill

Heading down to Westhorpe

Crossing Westhorpe Dumble

RWE's 50MW Cotmoor Solar Farm comprises the West Southwell Solar Array (shown here) and the Halloughton Solar Array.  It covers 210 acres and its 132 thousand individual solar panels can provide electricity for 12 thousand homes.

Thousands of Oak, Beech, Birch and Hawthorne trees have been planted to screen the arrays

Buttercups

Sunset