Hucrai two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 75.00% of reviewers

A functional country walk with a mix of field paths, Robin Hood Way and improved cycle tracks. Some pleasant county views, steps and two stiles but both were avoided on the day of my walk. A filling station for cars and humans at Ravenshead plus shops at Blidworth. Sandy soil so only one patch of mud which can be avoided. Building work still closes the path at Blidworth and use of this would involve two more stiles that can't be avoided. Both ends of the route are uninteresting so at Hucknall I would suggest using Hucrai or the redrawn version.

Walked from Hucknall to Rainworth as the second leg of a three route walk from Arnold to Mansfield. A good sound route apart from the ongoing building work in Blidworth, which is easiest to avoid by staying on the main road. I am not going to flag the route at this stage, but it may need to be reviewed once the building work is completed.

Leaving the Hucknall meeting point, we cross the car park and use the ramped path up to Ashgate Road. We use the pelican crossings to cross to Linby Road, which we follow past the leisure centre, turning left into Blatherwick Close and following the path past a few more houses to Linby Walk, where we turn right. Our route takes the good surfaced bridleway parallel to the railway (on a fine day a good alternative follows tracks over the old spoil heap at The Ranges).

At Wighay Road we turn right over the level crossing and half left into Linby, where there is a pub and a cafe. We follow the main road until it turns right, where an unsurfaced but easy field path takes us straight on to the lane that serves the church at Papplewick. We turn left onto Main Street, using the pavement on the west side, until we meet the Robin Hood Way at Top Farm. We continue up the road, using two little paths that go parallel to the road through the woods - the first of these has a flight of steps. Where the second path rejoins the road it is possible to stay on the verge as far as the path right, which skirts the edge of the field then turns left along the edge of the wood, then taking a diagonal line right through the wood. At the far side of the wood the GPX file is correct - it is no longer possible to follow the old right of way line across the field, but the way forward is signposted and leads us to the A60.

Cross the main road with care, and go straight on along Kighill Lane, going a short distance left on Longdale Lane (where there is a garage with a small shop) to find the path right along the edge of the field. This leads easily past a pig farm (the path is not surfaced but the soil is sandy so not too sticky when wet) to the B6020. We go straight on past Calverton Road then take the clear path right through fields and allotments. Just when you think you can reach Field Lane without any stiles, a locked gate forces you to use a stile to reach the road.

We follow the road left up the hill to the junction. The route here follows a footpath over an awkward stile and down the hill to Marriott Lane, where the way forward is currently blocked by the aforementioned building site (see photo 7). At this point I followed Marriott Lane back up the hill to the main road (resist trying to use Cottage Close as a shortcut - this does not work). We rejoin the route on Mansfield Road, turning right onto the optimistically named Belle Vue Lane and following it past the industrial area on the left. There are pubs and shops just off route in Blidworth.

At the end we continue onto the clearly signposted cycle track which we follow around onto the old railway, which we follow up to Mansfield Road. We cross Mansfield Road on a bridge and about 100 yards further on follow another surfaced track on the right which takes a rather indirect line back to the road (a more accurate GPX file would help here). We follow Mansfield Road a short distance and turn right up Westbrook Drive, taking a surfaced footpath straight on where it turns left. Another surfaced footpath (not marked on OpenStreetMap) takes us down to Sherwood Road where we turn left, then turn right back onto Westbrook Drive, which we soon leave to take another surfaced footpath that leads down to Kirklington Road, which we follow left down to the Rainworth meeting point.

Most of the route is across farmland on good tracks. The section through Blidworth has been made trickier by building work, but there is a signed diversion. The approach to Rainworth centre is through a housing estate.

The route leaves Hucknall town centre past the Station Hotel on Linby Lane and soon joins Blatherwick Close on the left to meet the public footpath alongside the railway (known locally as the Black Pad). Turn right at the B6011 and walk down through Linby (pub and tea-room) before heading left across the fields to reach Papplewick (pub and tea-room), approaching the village along Church Lane. At the end of Church La follow Main Street to the left, walking on the pavement past Papplewick Hall to reach Top Farm. We now join the Robin Hood Way. Cross the road and follow the footpath into the wood (avoiding the narrow road) [including steep steps] through the woodland to the top of 'Walters Hill'. Opposite the gate to Newstead Grange Farm turn right and follow the public footpath alongside the hedge and through the wood to meet the A60 near Ravenshead. (Ravenshead has pubs and shops, but not close to this route)

Cross the A60 (care) and walk down Kighill Lane to the end. Left and right across the junctions to pass through a narrow gap onto the public footpath. The path heads straight through fields to reach the B6020. Follow the road (verge and pavement) to the right before the kissing gate on the right marks the start of the next footpath. Straight on through the fields, with stiles and kissing gates, to join Field Lane and turn left uphill to reach the Black Bull (pub). Almost opposite is the entrance to the public footpath through the houses. The direct route between Marriott Lane and New Lane has been temporarily diverted onto adjoining rights of way because of building work. Eventually you emerge on New lane and turn right to meet the B6020 (Mansfield Road - shops). Turn left up Mansfield road and take Belle Vue Lane on the right.

Follow this right to the end and continue on the track before reaching the footpath entrance into Tippings Wood Country Park on the left. At the first junction take the left fork (not uphill onto the former 'tip') pst the ponds and eventually reach the surfaced NR 6 cycleway. After crossing the bridge over Mansfield Road, cut down to join the road on a zig-zag track. On reaching the kerbside, turn right and then turn right onto Westbrook road entering a housing estate. At the first bend pass straight ahead into an alleyway, to join Diamond Avenue. Turn left and follow the road round to the right (where it becomes Sherwood Road) and along to the junction with B6020 Kirklington Road. (There is also a path through the houses from Diamond Avenue which comes to a similar place.) Turn left downhill to Rainworth centre.

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