Cliwes three

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Walked from Clifton to West Bridgford. An enjoyable route, with no steps and stiles but a few short unsurfaced sections (nothing too muddy or slippery). It is designed for those who favour green spaces, but is still reasonably direct. There was a large area fenced off at the north end of Clifton Playing Fields but a gap has been left for the footpath, which is still useable.

Leaving Clifton Central tram stop, we go uphill then cross Clifton Central Flower Park on a well used but only partially surfaced track, then stay on the right/south side of the stream as far as Farnborough Road. We cross the road and use the surfaced track past the skateboard park, and continue through the field to the second bridge, where we pick up the public footpath alongside Fairham Brook, which we follow through the playing fields.

At the far side of the playing fields the brook turns left and the path becomes less well defined, as the locals take their own shortcuts. There is some sort of building work going on here (possibly a pipeline), but a gap has been left for the footpath, which takes us under the tram bridge, and beyond the bridge there is a choice of routes back up to the path by the tramlines.

We follow the tram route as far as the Compton Acres stop, crossing sides at Wilford Road. Beyond the tram stop we turn right then almost immediately left. We cross a footbridge and follow the path around the north side of a small pool, then cross Compton Acres and continue alongside a stream to a T junction, where we head right over the bridge and left on the surfaced path that meanders through a green space and past another pool. Ignore the many right turns into the housing estate - the whole Compton Acres estate is a maze of little footpaths making it very pedestrian friendly for those who know the routes.

Just before Rushcliffe Arena we turn left and follow the wide surfaced path out to Wilford Lane (ignoring the sign for the slightly shorter cycle route into West Bridgford). We cross Wilford Lane using a pelican crossing then use the footpath at the end of Bede Ing, turning left where the Becket School fields end. If no sports matches are in progress a diagonal shortcut is possible to reach Gresham Park Road. There is a choice of routes here - I have used the direct one which crosses a marshy area on duck boards, but it is a little rough and potentially muddy at the far end, so some may prefer to use the cycle track further left by the Emmanuel school. Either way we soon reach the popular riverside path.

We follow the river round to the Wilford Suspension Bridge, then turn right down Welbeck Road and left on Loughborough Road, which we cross using a staggered pair of pelican crossings to reach Millicent Road, which leads us across Musters Road (cross with care if busy) and on to Bridgford Road, where the West Bridgford meeting point is a short distance right at the bus stop opposite the Co-op.

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