Binbot one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Binbot here.

Walked from Bottesford to Bingham on a dry spring Sunday, after a fairly wet week. I had already walked from Grantham and was getting tired by Whatton, so I will admit to omitting the detour into Aslockton. No major problems but there are some very wet and muddy sections, and BINBOT 3 is easier. The GPX file is rather lazily plotted, but it is not bad enough to justify a new redrawn version.

From Bottesford station, we go west a short distance then take the fenced surfaced path left towards the church, turning right at the junction by the corner of the graveyard. This takes us to the ford, which was impressively full, so I was glad of the footbridge. We turn left into the village centre, then follow the road around to the right into High Street. The continuation onto Bowbridge Lane starts with a right turn onto Pinfold Lane (not a straight line as the GPX shows). This leads us to Orston Lane, which is fairly safe as it is quiet and has wide verges, but is a dull walk, sadly unavoidable due to the lack of alternative footpaths. We cross the railway on a level crossing (again not a straight line).

Eventually we reach the edge of Orston, where we go straight on/half right down Hill Road. We turn sharp left down Lombard Street, so we don't pass the Durham Ox pub. At the end of the road it becomes a bridleway, which is a good track on which the puddles are avoidable. Before we reach the railway there is an improved raised section which passes between two large pools. The bridge under the railway is impressive for such a minor lane, but sadly the path deteriorates quickly beyond it. First there is a section through trees where the muddy puddles are unavoidable, then there is a gateway between fields which I found it impossible to pass without treading in a deep puddle, deeper than my boot. A little further on the path goes right through a gap in the hedge. Beyond it the right of way should go straight across the field, but it appears that it has been some time since anyone did this, as there is a well trodden but longer path around the edge (as shown on OpenStreetMap). The right turn over Moor Dyke is not signposted. Beyond this we follow a good lane, which does have deep puddles which are avoidable if one has the patience to keep crossing where necessary. Eventually we reach Whatton, where we go left along the far side of the playing field then right along Old Grantham Road, which is free of cars once the houses are passed.

This lane rejoins Grantham Road just beyond the river Smite footbridge. Here our route continues into Aslockton, but does not pass the pub, and since Old Grantham Road is shorter and has a good pavement I cheated a little by following it, so I didn't test the field path across the railway. The route rejoins the route by the east end of Whatton prison, and we are forced to follow the pavement of the busy A52 most of the way to New Lane, but it is worth using the unsurfaced path just before the junction which has a bench.

We turn right onto New Lane, then take the field path left, which is rather indirect thanks to the shape of the field boundaries and the school built across the direct line. Past the school the church is a good guide to the line across Crow Close (the path crosses two stiles here), and a mixture of quiet streets and alleyways take us past the church to the meeting point in Bingham market place and the bus stop.

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