Vale of Belvoir Ramblers

Belton Park, Syston and Barkston, 10th May 2026

National Trust Walk

John Beirne, assisted by another National Trust volunteer Lyn Bacon, led 16 ramblers on the 8½ mile walk starting in Belton Park. After a short excursion to look at some of the fine buildings near Belton House,we left the Park and took the Green Lane bridleway adjacent to Syston Hall, which was the home of Sir John Thorold and the home of Britain’s first road race circuit. The route took us up Whipperstall Hill, through Gashouse Plantation and past South Lodge before heading to the edge of Barkston Airfield, a former WWII bomber airfield. We then descended Minnett's Hill to Barkston Village to stop for lunch adjacent to the River Witham and then followed it for a short distance before heading up to and over Peascliffe Tunnel before returning to the Belton Estate via the grounds of Belton Hotel.

John briefs us at the start with a description of the walk ...

... and some history of Belton House

Former stables of the Belton Estate - now a cafe

Group examining a pond on the Syston Estate

South Lodge, visible from Bellmount Tower and vice versa

The edge of RAF Barkston Heath

Down Minnett's Hill to Barkston

St Nicolas's Church, Barkston

Lunch stop by the Witham

Family struggling to paddle up the Witham.
Click here to see the video

Air shaft above the East Coast Mainline Peascliffe Tunnel, source of noise from passing trains

And back to the Belton Estate

Doddington and Harby and the Notts Guided Walks Programme, 3rd May 2026

Starting in the overflow car park at Doddington Hall, Angela took just a few of us on an 8-mile, flat walk on paths and tracks through the Doddington Hall estate to Harby, across the old Lincoln to Fledborough railway line and back through Skellingthorpe Old Wood, an ancient woodland. Some visited the very smart Doddington Hall cafe and farm shops at the end.

Note that Chris Thompson and Neil Stafford have just published the 2026 version of Notts Guided Walks Programme, an excellent source of material for our own Group.

The start - three others behind the camera

Looking back at the rear of Doddington Hall

A bridge (photo) too far

Huge fields of rape in this part of Lincolnshire

Lunch in Skellingthorpe Old Wood - others behind the camera

Approaching Doddington

St Peter's Church

Doddington Hall

And on the way back, a careful choice of route just off the A46, will take you past this life-sized, steel sculpture of a Lancaster bomber called On Freedom's Wings near Norton Disney. There will be a weekend of events to celebrate its inauguration starting Friday 15 May. Thanks Paul for the photo.

Lambley Dumbles and Ploughman Wood, 26th April 2026

Starting near the school in Lambley, Howard, led 16 ramblers on a 7.3 mile walk on probably the hottest day of the year so far, taking good field paths and tracks with only two stiles to Lambley Dumbles and Bonney Doles. We stopped for coffee in Ploughman Wood but there was no suitable stop for lunch which a few took in the playground at the finish.

Thanks Steve, John and Terry for the photos and Howard for the route.

Howard's briefing at the start

Our Leader striding out

Ploughman Wood was donated to the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust by the Home Office in 1996. Covering over 32 hectares, this is one of Nottinghamshire’s few remaining ancient woodlands. Documentary evidence shows that it dates back to the 13th century and was part of an area of woodland covering more than 120 hectares. It would have formed part of the south-eastern extremity of the greater Sherwood Forest.

English not Spanish bluebells in Ploughman Wood

More striding out

Coffee stop

On the south side of the wood, two kilns have been installed recently to produce charcoal which is sold through local outlets

Bridge in Bonney Doles, an area of meadow and woodland developed by the Woodland Trust as a Millennium project. Bonney Doles is the traditional local name for this area

Kelham Hills and Averham Park, 19th April 2026

Dave's 6.2 mile walk took 15 of us from Kelham along the former route of the Trent Valley Way and past the Kelham Hills to Averham Park. From the impressive Equestrian Centre in the Park we turned north to reach Muskham Woodhouse Farm before dropping down Debdale Hill for lunch in the woods. Some road walking on the quiet Ollerton Road took us back to the Fox Inn and the start.

Thanks Steve, Terry and John for the photos.