Kinoulton and Colston Bassett, 3rd December 2023

 After a tricky drive to Kinoulton on icy roads, John took nine members on a seven-mile walk from the Nevile Arms across fields to Colston Bassett where we discovered the Village Hall serving breakfast.  After this welcome delay, a short walk to the ruined church of St Mary was followed by a section of road walking to the Grantham Canal and its level towpath back to Kinoulton.

The Nevile Arms - the start

Leaving Kinoulton and approaching Colston Bassett

Bacon butties and coffee

Market Cross, Colston Bassett

Passing St John the Divine, Colston Bassett

Across the River Smite for the second time

The ruin of St Mary's Church

Heading back down to the River Smite floodplain

Second coffee stop, this time on the Grantham Canal

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)

Almost back - St Luke's Church, Kinoulton