Arnrai one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Arnrai here.

I walked part of this route while attempting to find a more direct route. The walk along Moor Road south of Papplewick while part of the Robin Hood Way is in my view unsafe for walking with little if any verge and fast moving traffic. It may have been acceptable when the RHW was devised but recent development has no doubt increased vehicle use of the road.

We walked the section of this route from Arnold to Papplewick Lane as part of a test walk for a possible alternative route from Arnold to Rainworth that would have combined that with the new HUCRAI 3. In our view the road section south of Papplewick on the B683 (between Goosdale Lane and the first houses on the east side), which has no pavement and only a very narrow uneven verge, cannot be recommended to walkers concerned about road safety (see Photo 1, but this is not the narrowest section). This is a shame, as having walked most of it in the past I know that the route from Papplewick to Rainworth is a good one, though it is rather short on facilities.

I am investigating options for an alternative route via Calverton, but won't upload that until I have test walked it.

This route is mainly on tracks, quiet roads and woodland paths and takes in a few small hills. There are some stiles, steps and narrow paths.
This route starts in the centre of Arnold and the first mile takes you along the streets of Arnold and Redhill. The next mile is surprisingly undulating on paths next to open fields with nice views. At the top of a hill you go under trees and descend past an equestrian centre to a wide track where you join the Robin Hood Way.
Turn right along this track which meets a quiet road which you follow straight on. When you reach a caravan park, bear left and go quite steeply downhill on a road. When you reach trees turn left along a track. Turn sharp right after 300m and follow this track for a mile until reaching the B683 (Moor Rd) where you turn right. Stay by this for 800m towards Papplewick, turning left off the B683 when reaching woods on the left.
The official route now stays on quiet roads and tracks into Linby but you can cut a mile off this by turning right along the Papplewick Trail just after leaving the B683. There is an information board showing the Trail which is a nice path in woods that meets the official route again on the path from Linby to Papplewick.
There are pubs in Linby and Papplewick very close to the route.
The official route follows the road out of Linby before bearing left onto a path across fields and into Papplewick. Turn left along the road for 400m where you bear left onto the wide track into the grounds of Newstead Abbey. After reaching the main Abbey buildings go on into woodland and after 1km out of the grounds.
Soon you reach Thieves Wood where you follow wide, firm woodland tracks. Crossing the A60 takes you into Harlow Wood and more decent tracks with two small lakes close by. Leaving the wood near Fountain Dale you pass Friar Tuck's Well on the right with fields on your left. After 1km cross a road to reach a path going by fishing lakes and then leave along the surfaced entrance driveway from the lakes to go into Rainworth.

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