Vale of Belvoir Ramblers

Thorpe, Dove Dale, Milldale, Bostern Grange and Gag Lane & Hartington and the upper Dove Valley, Sunday 27th September 2025

Elaine led this 7-mile down Lin Dale to the Stepping Stones in Dovedale and then followed the Dove upstream to Viators Bridge at Milldale for a late coffee stop. After a steep climb out of the valley we reached high ground with fine views all round before dropping down to Thorpe on Gag lane.

Setting out across Thorpe Pastures, Thorpe Cloud in the distance

Stepping Stones at the bottom of Lin Dale

Heading up Dovedale

One of several money trees in Dovedale

Ram pump converts high volume river flows to high pressure, low volume pipe flows using a water hammer effect

Tranquil Dove

Bridge near Ilam Rock

Approaching Milldale

Viators Bridge, Milldale

Looking back at Milldale

Lime kiln in quarry

Recently renovated Tissington Silo - not sure what it was used for

View towards the Trent Valley 30 miles away

Almost there - Gag Lane

On Sunday, Scott led the longer,10-mile figure-of-eight walk starting from Hartington and following the Dove upstream along Wall Pit Lane towards Pilsbury. Then it crossed the Dove into Staffordshire and climbed up the west of the valley with distant views in all directions before descending to Hartington. From there it took Reynards Lane to the head of Biggin Dale before dropping down to the Dove again and following it up Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale back to Hartington.

We were last here in 2017.

Here are some photos taken by Val.

The famour Charles Cotton Hotel in Hartington. Cotton (1630 – 1687), an English poet, writer and fisherman, was a friend of Izaac Walton and was best known for his contributions to The Compleat Angler and other authoritative books on fly fishing

Tissington and Parwich, Monday 29th September 2025

Starting at the Tissington Trail car park, Dave's 4.5 mile walk took us to see Tissington Hall before following the Limestone Way across the verdant valley of Bletch Brook as far as the pretty village of Parwich. After coffee on The Green near the church, we walked back through the village to recross Bletch Brook to the Tissington Trail which we followed back to the start.

Tissington Trail sign at the station

Approaching Tissington Hall

Parwich

Church of St Peter

The Green, Parwich - coffeee stop

Fine limestone cottages

Parwich Chapel

Returning along the Trail

East Leake and Gotham, 21st September 2025

Rab's 8.3 mile walk took 14 members from the East Leake village car cark on Gotham Road north out of the village, over the Great Central Railway and up past Rushcliffe Golf Club. After passing by the West Leake Hills, we reached the famous Cuckoo Bush in woods overlooking Gotham. From there we dropped down into Gotham before walking back over Gotham and Bunny Moors, originally fenland but now drained by Fairham Brook and associated ditches and drains. Then we recrossed the Great Central Railway, headed south, still on field paths, across the Bunny - East Leake road, past Hill Top Farm and back down to the start.

The start in the village car park

Rushcliffe Halt on the Great Central Railway

Up Stocking Lane near the entrance to the golf course

Approaching the Cuckoo Bush Mound for a coffee stop.
The Cuckoo Bush Mound is the alleged site for the tale of the Wise Men of Gotham's attempt at fencing in the cuckoo, but is actually a Neolithic burial mound. It's about 3000 years old and was excavated in 1847

Overlooking Gotham

One of six illustrated information boards on the Gotham Heritage Trail which was created to mark the passing of the Millennium in 2000. It consists of a circular walk taking in Gotham Hills and part of West Leake Hills, returning through some of the Gotham village streets, a distance of 4½ miles.
The boards cover some village folklore, past industry and a mention of early Gotham’s inadequate water supply

The Pump and Sun Inn, Gotham

About to cross both Fairham Brook and the Great Central Railway

Wansford and the Nene Way, 14th September 2025

Scott's walk started near the Haycock Manor Hotel just south of the bridge over the Nene. We walked across Wansford Bridge and then followed the Nene Way to Yarwell Mill for a coffee stop. We passed through Nassington and through forests and nature reserves in old quarries before returning to Wansford. Lots of interesting river scenery and lovely stone buildings as well as nature reserves. Good tracks and no stiles.

Haycock Manor Hotel

The Haycock was known as The Swan Inn, in 1571, when devastating storms washed away three arches of the wooden Wansford bridge which was followed by such flooding that “at The Swan Inn, three storeys high, the water flowed into the bedrooms”

View upstream from Wansford Bridge

Wansford Bridge (~1600), the ancient crossing of the river Nene on the Great North Road

River Nene flood plain

One of many locks and sluice gates on the Nene.
The River Nene, the tenth-longest river in the UK, flows through the counties of Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire into The Wash

Yarwell Mill - coffee stop

Fine building in Nassington made from local limestone

St Mary the Virgin & All Saints, Nassington

Old Sulehay Wildlife Trust nature reserve, managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire. It covers 210 acres of limestone quarries, grassland, woodland, and wetland and includes Old Sulehay Forest, designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its varied geology and woodland vegetation

Wansford - raining on the recce

View from below bridge

Return to Haycock Manor Hotel

Cossington and the Grand Union Canal, 7th September 2025

Angela took ten members on a 5¾ mile walk from Cossington and across fields to reach and follow the River Wreake from where it joins the Grand Union Canal. Then it was on to join and follow the River Soar past Cossington Meadows Nature Reserve as far as Sileby Marina where we turned up Mill Lane to Sileby and then back to Cossington.

The start - behind All Saints' Church, Cossington

Chestnut Farm Solar Farm (23MW). Disappointing that there has been no attempt plant trees to screen the panels from view, nor to co-crop beneath the panels, nor to provide new footpath signs when the ROW was redirected