Laxton Village Circular, 20th September 2026

Fifteen VBR members and vistors on Howard's 8.9 mile, figure-of-eight walk starting in the car park at the rear of the Dovecote Inn, also the location of the very informative Laxton Visitor Centre.

The first loop took us through and around Egmanton Wood where we had a brief coffee stop overlooking the village of Egmanton.  Then onwards to visit the site of Laxton Castle which was the main seat of power for Nottinghamshire in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. King John often stayed here.  After returning to Laxton, we had lunch at the restored pinfold just in front of the Dovecote Inn.

The second loop took us along little-used footpaths that skirted around the South Field and then Mill Field before returning via the village fish ponds (disused) and the impressive St Michael's Church with its collection of dramatic gargoyles.

Thanks Howard, Val and Dave for the photos, route and explanations.

Laxton retains a significant part of the medieval open field system.  Fields, divided into strips, were farmed in common among the landowners of the village.  Today, there are three open fields remaining; the Mill Field, the South Field and the West Field.  In 1655, about 346 acres of West Field were worked as open fields in 412 strips.

More information about Laxton and particularly its farming heritage can be found at http://www.laxtonvisitorcentre.org.uk/index.htm

Leader's briefing at the start

The sort of thing we gentlemen do for ladies

Egmanton Wood

Round Egmanton Wood

Laxton Castle
The remains of a medieval castle built by a great Norman landowner Robert de Caux. In the 12th century, he was appointed hereditary Keeper of Sherwood Forest.  The size of the castle reflected this important role, and many royal visitors were received here.
In the 1230s, the castle and responsibility for Sherwood Forest passed to the Everingham family.  In 1286, Robert de Everingham was imprisoned at Nottingham for trespass on the king's deer – he had been poaching.
The castle fell out of use during the 14th century.  When the Roos family acquired the manor of Laxton in the mid-15th century, the old castle was no longer a desirable place to live.

On top of the earthworks of Laxton Castle

St Michael's Church, Laxton first time round

The pinfold as you see it now is a relatively recent construction. There was a pinfold adjacent to this spot up until 1897, when a replacement was built across the road.  Then, in 1969, the pinfold was rebuilt in its present position.  No fines have been collected since the 1930s, though a pinder is still appointed by the manor court (now one person acts as both Pinder and Bailiff).

Our Leader, appointed Pinder for the day

Bridge over Moorhouse Beck, draining eastwards to the Trent 5 miles away

Lincoln Cathedral

Just south of Laxton and along the valley of the local stream are nine fishponds made by digging out earth from the hillside and then banking it up on the streamside at each end

Gargoyle in St Michael's Church

Hoveringham Lakes, Thurgarton and Bleasby, 13th September 2026

Val and Dave took 14 members on a 8½ mile walk passing close to two lakes developed on mature gravel pits - Railway Lake and Sailing Lake, which are rich in bird life.  From Hoveringham, we headed towards Thurgarton Station across fields and wooded areas and then to the village of Bleasby for lunch. We then went down to the river near Hazleford Lock and along the Trent Valley Way back to the start.

The start next to the river at Hoveringham

Hoveringham Cricket Club Pavilion

First drinks stop

Second drinks stop.
Excellent poster on the platform of Hoveringham Station, designed by David Moore and erected by Friends of Lowdham and Burton Joyce Stations

Thurgarton Beck

Lunch stop in Bleasby

St Mary's Church, Bleasby

Before the building of the first Gunthorpe Bridge in 1875, Hazelford Ferry was an important crossing point over the River Trent and was the main route to Lincoln avoiding expensive bridges at Newark and Nottingham. This location was thought to be the point where King Charles I crossed the Trent on his way to negotiate with the Scots at Southwell

Hazelford Lock Moorings

Reflections on a very still river

Flood protection where Causeway Dyke meets the Trent

Hoveringham Sailing Club

Memorials to the crews of two Lancaster bombers which crashed in nearby fields in January1945 with the loss of all the men on board

The only boat on the Trent on a beautiful afternoon!

And back to Hoveringham

Frisby on the Wreake, Kirby Bellars and Ashfordby, 6th August 2026

Sue led 16 walkers including a few guests from other local Ramblers groups on a 6-mile walk without a lunch stop. Starting from Frisby on the Wreake, we walked on good field paths to Ashfordby, then on to Kirby Bellars passing St Peter’s Church. We finished along the River Wreake and by Frisby Lakes.

Thanks Steve for the photos and description.

Sue's briefing

Our Leader

Over the River Wreake

St Peter’s Church

Frisby lakes

Hungarton and Three Leicestershire Halls, 30th August 2026

Paul's 7.5 mile walk took 13 members and guests from the LDWG across pasture and rolling parkland to three Leicestershire halls, Baggrave, Lowesby and Quenby.

The walk also passed the sites of four medieval villages, now no more than a series of bumps and depressions in fields. There are many such sites in the East Midlands most of which have become deserted through a combination of epidemics and the spread of sheep farming which required fewer workers than arable farming.

Thanks Paul and Don for the photos.

The start near Hungarton Church

Baggrave Hall, an 18th-century Grade II listed country house

Baggrave Pond

Lowesby Hall in the background

Church of All Saints, Lowesby - "mainly constructed of Feruginous Limestone"

Cold Newton Manor

Sculptures in Cold Newton

Quenby Hall, a Grade 1 listed building described as the most important early-seventeenth century

Hickling and Vimy Ridge, 23rd August 2026

Angela led 21 ramblers on a 7-mile walk starting at Hickling Basin. We first walked along Grantham Canal to Main Street, Kinoulton and then along Owthorpe Lane to the track up to Vimy Ridge Farm. A coffee stop was taken as we crossed the canal before we resumed up a moderate climb to higher ground near Kinoulton Gorse. Lunch was taken in a grassy field corner with excellent views over the Vale of Belvoir. Then we crossed good field paths navigating a field of cows and a few stiles before finishing back at Hickling. A few of us had a pint in the Plough Inn, recently voted the No 1 pub in Nottinghamshire.

Thanks Steve, Bill and Rab for the photos.

Hickling Basin - the start

Nevile Arms, Kinoulton

Line of poplars replacing those planted after WW1

Emaciated alpaca  (they have small ears compared with llamas)

The original avenue of 184 Lombardy Poplar trees at Vimy Ridge, which runs between Owthorpe Lane and the Canal towpath here, had to be felled in 1998 for safety reasons. They were planted by Sir William Jesse Hind in memory of his son Lt. Francis Montagu Hind who was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The trees also commemorated the 187 other officers and men of the 9th Battalion The Sherwood Foresters Regiment who died between 7th July and 30th November 1916 (the official end of the battle).

Coffee stop near the Grantham Canal

Up to higher ground

Entering Kinoulton Gorse

Distant view looking towards Colston Bassett Hall