Ramgai two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Ramgai here.

Walked from Rampton to Gainsborough, which completes my set of SlowWays involving Nottinghamshire settlements. Mostly excellent, but there are no facilities en route and walkers should expect a lot of long grass and possible wet and muddy conditions after rain, and a few stiles and lots of kissing gates. I walked it after a long dry spell and finished with clean boots. I had no problems following the east bank of Catchwater Drain all the way from Cottam Lane to the Trent, and staying on this side makes navigation very easy.

Rampton is not well served by public transport - there is a demand responsive bus service but it needs to be booked at least a day in advance. There are some scheduled bus services at South Leverton and Torksey, both just over 2 miles away - this time I chose to start at Torksey.

From Rampton, we follow Treswell Road a short distance then follow the footpath north (there is a side but it is being absorbed into the hedge). This leads to a horse pasture where the first stile on the direct path to Sundown Adventureland is missing - there is also a closure notice posted here which says that this path is currently closed due to an unsafe bridge. I used the more southerly path that leads to Treswell Road (as per this GPX plot, not RamGai one) - the line across the last field was just about visible but not clearly cut.

We leave the road almost immediately on a surfaced driveway that eventually turns right to pass a small pool. Just beyond the pool the drive enters a gated garden and here we stay to the left of the hedge to find the stile in the corner into the Sundown Adventureland site, which now has a path across it which is surfaced with stones. The stiles in the next fields guide the way out to Cottam Road/Green Lane. Here we turn left and follow the road to Catchwater Drain. Just before the bridge a signed public footpath takes us into the field on the right.

From here, we follow the east bank of the Drain all the way to the Trent. There is a short section of cow pasture to cross just south of the Cottam power station railway, which is currently disused, but has a level crossing without a marked footway (the gates and steps are obvious). I was able to stay on the path all the way past North Leverton (no problems at Magpie Lane farm). The West Burton power stations loom ever closer as we pass Sturton-le-Steeple, and the path bends to the east to follow the Drain. There is an access road with a new bridge across the Drain serving the power station. This section of the drain path seemed the least used, but there is always at least some trace of a path.

Eventually we reach the pumping station by the river, and climb onto the river's flood bank. The riverside path past the power station is not clearly marked - it s probably easiest to descend the bank (unless the river is flooded) initially, then follow River Road. Further on the path runs along a grassy flood bank before descending into a grassy area near a bend in the river. This path is well enough used to be easy to follow (but can be short-cut by staying on the bank - see RamGai two).

The track under the railway viaduct may be muddy, but was hard baked yesterday. Beyond it is a field where a shortcut can be taken to the bridge over Saundby Beck. We then follow the bank round wide bends to the bridge at Gainsborough, which has pavements on both sides - the south one is better because it is easier to cross the road at the lights at the junction with Lea Road (anyone in a hurry with a train to catch may choose to leave the route here). Here we follow Bridge Street north then follow Silver Street up to the meeting point in the market place.

Overall an enjoyable, undramatic and mostly quiet route.

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