Binnew two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

A most enjoyable walk, I guess it was timed just right, a fine sunny day with a moderate breeze which had dried up any mud on cropped fields. Pasture was still a bit soft but not a problem. Yes stiles but also lots of gates and some cattle but they ignored me. Road walking was not an issue and crossings were all fine. The route unfortunately avoids much contact with villages at the south end. There is a Community Shop at Elston, open morning and serves coffee otherwise not a lot.

I walked from Bingham the meeting place is good and it was a busy market day. The exit is good, there is a level footpath crossing of the railway but the visibility is good. The paths to Car Colston are excellent on mown grass headlands or undisturbed cross field paths, a shining example of how it should be. As stated the route misses the village and it's impressive green by which stands an inn but at only two miles it's not in the middle third.

Approaching the road the path has been diverted from the plotted route. You can't go wrong as it's fenced and signed. Heading north there is still good evidence of use but the cross field paths have not been reinstated by the farmer as required by the Highway Act sec. 134, they are only tramped out by previous walkers, so if you are the first the plot is essential.

From Screveton the route heads east on a detour so you may be tempted to take the direct road to Flintham which would then pass the pub, which may not be open midday. What the airfield did to truncate the ancient Longhedge Lane the improved Fosse Way has finished, so there is now no chance of it being reinstated to the Trent.

At Syerston the route again does its best to miss the village but perhaps there is little to miss. So onward to Elston which is about half way. The route fails to pass The Chequers Inn, "a closed, traditional country pub and restaurant located in the small village of Elston", so says the selling agent in 2021. For my sandwich I choose a seat in the churchyard out of the wind and facing south, it was the perfect lunch stop, followed by a visit to the shop for a chocolate bar.

I think I'll call Thorpe a hamlet although it does have a church and I was tempted to take a look as the footpath approach which crosses the front of an imposing house. The road from here was rather a drag being straight but fairly light of traffic. Hugh warns that the path from Thorpe church alongside the A46 is overgrown and would be noisy.

The there and back of the plot was off putting when signs and steps offered what appeared to be a direct and better route. But no, road safety trumps walker convenience and I have to climb the safety barrier without stepped assistance. This short bit of road was the busiest on route without a pavement, a narrow verge could offer some escape.

The walk by Farndon church was a bit of a tour but very pleasant . A car park with loo and an inn as we pass a bend in the river. If you feel the walk needs extending there is a riverside path passing Averham weir. Our direct route passes a marina busting at the seams with flashy boats, I wondered what the total value of all that fibre glass might be.

When we meet the river again it's debatable if this is the Trent because the main channel crashes over the weir and passes under Averham bridge. This branch serves Newark and is soon joined by the River Devon. The strange double gates were once a common feature along the riverside but many have now disappeared. It was all very nice passing safely under the bypass road then along the backs of houses with riverside gardens.

A pavement walk beside the old Fosse Way takes us over the Devon at another marina where we branch onto Millgate crammed with interesting houses. I deviated at Mill Lane to use the Waterside Walk still signed to the long defunct Millgate Museum. A tour here is essential so I don't object to the plotted waterside walk with a view of the castle.

What I did find strange and disappointing with so much of interest to explore in the town why does the Slow Way enter via a dismal passageway. I was also taken aback that it then passes through the Town Hall, well worth a look but not always open.

With two rail stations and a bus station all in different locations the meeting place is best suited to the town centre, I'm not sure this is the best spot, but it works.

I walked this route starting at Newark. I took an interesting wander parallel to Millgate to explore the old warehouse district on the way to Farndon marina. Leaving Farndon and climbing towards the A46 crossing there is a garden centre cafe for light refreshments. I agree that the minor road between the A46 bridge and Thorpe is the most effective route. The footpath is wet underfoot and overgrown. From Thorpe to Elston the route passes the Elston Old Chapel, which is open most of the time and an interesting disused church. After Flintham I took the decision to use the quiet minor road to Screveton. I had started in overcast conditions with light drizzle showers and it was now raining. I know from experience that the field path towards Hawksworth is muddy, so the road is a shorter and cleaner alternative. Arriving at Screveton look out for the 3 metre green-man/green-woman sculptures. There is a cafe/tea room in Screveton. After a couple of muddy field paths leaving Screveton the rest of the route is across grassy pastures or on a grassy field-balk path. Despite the poor weather I enjoyed this countryside walk.

This route is mostly the route I actually took when attempting to walk BINNEW 1 yesterday, from Bingham to Newark. The most important change is that the route from Thorpe to Farndon now uses a road bridge to cross the A46 - I have also modified the route out of Bingham to reduce the number of steps. There is still one unavoidable short flight of steps just south of Flintham, and there are a few stiles and a lot of unsurfaced field paths, but all of the ones on this route are fairly well maintained and easy to follow, though the clay soil is sticky when wet.

The route out of Bingham crosses the railway and crosses a small park, then a field path goes over a small hill to a junction of drainage ditches - the path crosses these on bridges and takes a fairly direct line bypassing the villages of Car Colston and Screveton to the Hawksworth road.

Another field path takes us to Flintham (there is a pub just off route here), Syerston and Elston. Another pub is bypassed at Elston but the route goes past a small village shop. Note that there are a few steps on the path south of Flintham, but the only way of avoiding these is to use much more road walking.

Beyond Syerston most of the route to Farndon is by quiet roads, via the small village of Thorpe. Note that I used the field path to get from Thorpe to the A46 bridge, but that is too overgrown to be recommended, so I chose to remain on the road at this point when designing this route, and to avoid the steps up to the bridge.

A mixture of quiet back streets and paths takes us along the river from Farndon into Newark. The riverside path from Mill Lane to Newark Castle goes through a few gaps in the buildings and is not well signposted, but if you get lost you can always go straight along Mill Lane.

For the most part this is a pleasant and enjoyable walk through quiet arable farmland. There is one small flight of steps, and a few stiles, and because of the number of unsurfaced field footpaths I can't recommend it for wheelchairs, buggies and bicycles.

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