Claalf two

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Walked from Clay Cross to Alfreton. Quite a good route, let down a little by some of the stiles, poor signage on the golf course and the path through the wood having branches and brambles that need cutting. Also very wet (more water than mud) due to thawing snow.

From the meeting point on Bridge Street in Clay Cross, we go left onto Market Street, cross it and turn right down Broadleys and follow it down to Thanet Street, which we cross and go half left down Flaxpiece Road, then left again onto Penncroft Lane, which we follow for some distance as it twists and turns through a large housing estate to reach Cemetery Road, where we turn right, then left into Beech Way and right onto Lime Tree Grove, which becomes a track. We soon turn right onto another track, then take the enclosed path straight on. This becomes a track again and leads into a wood, and where we reach a T junction of tracks we go straight on on the narrow path through the trees, which could do with a little pruning in places as the brambles and branches are encroaching fast. The path is easy to follow and fairly well used.

We cross the surprisingly busy Morton Road and head straight on, leaving the wood to cross fields (plenty of stiles) an a well used path that crosses Higham Lane and continues into Stirland. Here we go straight on along Town End, continuing along Main Road (the A61). We need to cross somewhere, then turn left opposite the church and the Red Lion, across Hallfieldgate Lane and straight on down Pit Lane, which we soon leave on the path across the field to the right to reach the golf course.

The waymarking on the golf course is patchy. The GPX line is fairly accurate, but I cut the first corner and the waymark posts seemed to support that. There were no golfers out due to the melting snow and the wetness of the ground, so I could take a few liberties. I did have to deviate due to flooding at the bottom of Sheep Lane, so used golfers' tracks to get across the bridlepath. The last part of the path is the least well marked, and I found the wrong gap in the edge, seeing the signposted one a little further right. The rest of the route is fairly easy to follow, down the lane through the farm, then bearing left past a cottage to pick up the clear path that crosses the valley of Alfreton Brook (which was very swollen with meltwater) and up the hill past the church. There are a few more stiles (several of them next to locked gates) but you should reach Church Street without any further drama. We go straight on along High Street. I will admit to having skipped the last part of the route right down the pedestrianised Institute Lane to the bus station meeting point on Hall Street, because I was walking out to the rail station and didn't want to risk missing the train.

I walked this route from Alfreton northwards in June. I found it very enjoyable and no particular problems.

Much the same as route one because there is little choice but to use the path through the wooded area to head south.

I walked this route from Clay Cross on a hot September day after weeks of dry weather. The exit drags a little but there are lots of houses so plenty of potential Slow Ways users. After the houses it starts with a narrow path between bushes that create a tunnel path. A section of wider track then back to narrow path through woodland planted on former open cast coal mining, long gone. The good thing is no cattle but it was a rather boring drag and quite overgrown in places. I looked for an alternative route out but the path used here is really the only option to head south.

Now the good news. Once that is out of the way I took a field walk to avoid the road. Potential for cattle and stiles that are really low fences but it's great to be in open fields. The Inn at Shirland was open but closed, if you see what I mean.

The detour across the golf course avoids the traffic route to the club house although it is longer and the paths on the map don't match the waymark posts.

Now comes the best section as we climb through the former parkland of Alfreton Hall with cattle grazing and stiles to climb. Then approach the town via the churchyard and very quickly move from wide open fields to bustling town centre. I feel I did the walk the best way. I will upload my route so you can pick and mix.

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