Arnsou one

Verified Slow Way

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I walked this route from Arnold in February. The route out of Arnold is tricky to follow, partly because there are several alternatives to arrive at the same point, the end of Spring Lane. No footway along Spring Lane but its a short distance and a fairly quiet road. Once onto the right of way across the fields, the route is easy to follow and you soon reach Woodborough. (pubs and PO with refreshments). Across the fields and main road to reach Epperstone. The road is busy but the verges are wide. Epperstone also has a cafe and pub. The route is steadily uphill from here. The fields were dry on the day I did it, but would be muddy (I think) after rain. Once on the hill crest the route crosses pleasant rolling farmland nearly all the way to Southwell. This was an enjoyable walk with good views.

A very pleasant walk with some great views, adequate services along the way and well maintained paths with gates. Some minor issues but they didn't spoil my enjoyment of the walk. No mud or cattle on the frosty day of my visit but I anticipate there will be both at other times.

I walked from Southwell, no direct buses to Arnold but good services to Nottingham, Newark and Mansfield. The route misses any services at the start and takes a rather unnecessary winding tour along paths diverted around the leisure centre and school grounds and buildings. I missed the indistinct path by the goal of the Rugby field partly caused by the morning mist which hid the exit point.

Once in the fields it was easy walking with plenty of farm tracks or wide grassy field headlands. At Halloughton Wood on the public byway a large yellow notice with letters in red stating 'Important' and 'cattle walking back to grazing'. No cattle today but I was concerned that the byway is fenced on either side for a distance of 650 metres if we met the walking cattle where do we escape to avoid them? It was noted that the footpath along the drive to the farm had a segregated route exclusively for the cattle.

A twin blade wind turbine was casting a strobing shadow on Hill Farm, the tall tower offers a landmark that we will see from the opposite side of the Dover Beck. The valley of the beck, used by the busy road, was very apparent as I dropped down into Epperstone where I soon met the well walked dog circuit.

The path conveniently enters the village at the Cross Keys or if you prefer a short walk to Bumbles Tea Room. The exit from the village is interesting and appears to be along a private unsigned drive at the end of Parr Lane. A handy yellow topped waymark post soon offers assurance. Just one stile on the whole walk is here, I wonder why with easy metal gates elsewhere.

Yes the road crossing in this direction has limited visibility, stay on the north side until opposite the next footpath as the verge is better. Eyes, ears and care should offer a safe crossing. Had the path into Woodborough remained across the field it would have met the road at the imposition of the 30mph limit. The diverted route has a pavement but the traffic can be fast.

We pass or make use of, The Nags Head or the village shop before leaving the main street just before the church which may offer seating, I didn't investigate. Church Walk is a most interesting path which I compared to a path recently diverted away from a grand house, pushed further away from view of the wealthy owner for their exclusive privacy.

I didn't have a serious issue with Lingwood Lane which has a decent verge if required but it's always easier walking on the firm tarmac. An intriguing bus stop is located half way along and some distance from potential passengers, I guess another example of road safety over passenger convenience.

The next bridleway is more like a green lane and has an excellent view back across the valley to that wind turbine. I met some cyclists on the wide track but our paths part at the barrier to Lambley House where we take the footpath left.

The short section along Catfoot Lane was the least enjoyable part of the walk and crossing the main road at the roundabout was not easy because the already narrow verge vanished forcing me onto the road. Once across I was onto the safety of a pavement then one last field before estate roads into Arnold.

I walked this one from Southwell to Arnold. As far as Woodborough, the route was heading for 5 stars, but there are a few minor issues that could be improved on the route between Woodborough and Arnold.

Starting from the main gate of the Minster on Westgate, we head towards the church, then take the first paved track right onto Bishops Drive and go straight on as far as the war memorial. Here you can either continue down the road to the left or walk just inside the park on a surfaced path. At the bottom of the road, cross the stream and turn right along the edge of the Minster School grounds on another surfaced track. This takes you around the front of the school to the Leisure Centre, and another path on the left takes you up to the lane and the rugby club. The path here is not signposted but goes across just below the rugby pitch to a gap in the hedge on Park Lane. We follow this quiet lane a little uphill and take the path to the right, which leads up the hill to Nottingham Road, which has a surfaced pavement on its east side. Cross with care at the end of Stubbins Lane and follow this quiet lane towards a small wood, going straight on on a rougher track where the surfaced road turns right into Stubbins Farm.

The track proceeds along field boundaries and is a mixture of gravel path and unsurfaced but solid grass. In the last field before the wood the right of way goes around the left edge of the field, but there is usually nothing to stop a more direct diagonal line being used. We emerge on Cotmoor Lane, another surfaced track which we follow left along the edge of Halloughton Wood until the T-junction where we turn right towards a farm. The path goes left at the start of the farm buildings - there is an electric fence here with a removable section (the handle is not as well insulated as it should be). Beyond the farm buildings we turn right into a long open field, where we bear slightly right to find the exit. We cross a little bridge and proceed along the right edge of the field and past a house onto a lane, which ends at a T junction where we turn tight towards Bankwood Farm. Our path takes a farm drive left and then goes straight on where it goes right towards the houses. We continue down the hill and across the dumble, where there are a few steps (dumble is a local term for little wooded streams). At the far side we pass Lady Well Barn and continue down to another dumble, where we turn right along the field edges to find the bridge over the stream. The path goes over another hill (probably the steepest part of the walk, both up and down), then follows Order Beck to emerge in the large garden of the Cross Keys pub. We turn right past a cafe and turn left down Toad Lane opposite the bus shelter. At the end of the lane we turn right and cross Bland Lane, continuing along thick gravel onto a field path, where we encounter the first stile of the walk. This path leads past a garden to emerge on the verge of the A6097, which we follow as far as the footpath signs on the far side, where we cross with care (no central refuge).

The path opposite leads through fields and around houses to emerge on Lowdham Lane, which has a pavement on the north side. We follow the lane right into Woodborough, where there is a pub on the corner where we turn into Main Street and a shop/post office a little further along. Just before reaching the church we follow the signed footpath left along Church Walk onto a playing field. The right of way goes left around the football pitch and then right to a gap in the hedge. Here we go right along the field edge, crossing the hedge and emerging onto Lingwood Lane, which can be quite busy and has no pavement - the verges are mostly just about walkable but not comfortable, and we go up quite a steep hill to the junction with Hungerhill Lane.

I couldn't help feeling that a better route (with better views) is to take the path left above the playing field in Woodborough to find the bridlepath that leads towards Lambley and emerges on Green Lane - this doesn't entirely eliminate the road walking but does reduce it to a shorter flat section.

We follow Hungerhill Lane just past where the bridlepath turns right down the hill, following the signposted footpath into the wood and out onto a field edge. The route onwards to Catfoot Lane has a few twists and turns and ups and downs but is mostly easy to follow. Catfoot Lane has a verge, but it is not always easy to walk on because of the number of parked cars outside the crematorium. I crossed Catfoot Lane just before the roundabout, where we cross Mapperley Plains and follow a signposted footpath across a field to Crawford Drive. We follow residential streets down to Killisick Recreation Ground, then follow more residential streets with one short alleyway into the centre of Arnold and the meeting point.

Enjoyed this walk. There are lots of kissing gates and a couple of stiles - so not bike or wheelchair walk. Most of the walk is through undulating farmland. It passes through the villages of Woodborough and Epperstone. I stopped for a very nice coffee and cake at Bumbles cafe in Epperstone and sat in their secret garden across the road from the cafe.

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