Ripleas two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

A mix of walking surfaces, some stiles but also gaps and gates, can be muddy in places, no stock seen in January. Services along the way but not in the middle. Views provided by the ups and down of this route.

From Ripley this walk starts along the town's main shopping street then a mix of enclosed urban paths and quiet roads to Waingroves. Here there is a shop and it was good to see that the surface of the next path has been improved along the edge of recent house building. A field waiting for more building has not been improved and the link to Codnor is well used so can be muddy.

Codnor also has services plus buses to both end points if you need / wish to give up. The path, signed to Codnor Castle, is again well used along a field edge and in the dip it looks like the stream can flood. From here most users appear to head off into the trees so the wide path up the side was better than I have seen it in the past.

A recent change of ownership has resulted in major changes ahead, the paths are well signed and often now fenced so a short detour closer to the castle is less convenient. The surface is now good along a restricted byway, restricted to those and foot and in the saddle by a locked gate but the mud of earlier farming activity has now reduced.

It's a lane with pot holes and limited traffic, I saw nothing all the way to Stoneyford, don't get excited if your map still shows an inn, it's long gone. The route crosses the river Erewash into Nottinghamshire and after a brief crumbling raised causeway it's back on pot holed tracks to Brinsley. Here there is an inn which the sign claims is open from 8am and on the main road a tea room.

I'm not happy about the narrow path which is provided into the next fields, less than one metre wide just to retain private vehicle access for the owner across the bridge. A few fields then another track which serves Coneygrey Farm which is or was a farm shop but again I met no traffic on the footpath / drive.

Cutting across a park to an area known as The Breach we are now in the heart of D.H.Lawrence territory, the faded blue line on the pavement offers a tour of locations from his life and stories. A footpath could offer an alternative route but the roads are quiet as we climb to the meeting point in Eastwood.

Walked from Eastwood to Ripley on an overcast mild winter day. A good and enjoyable route, mostly on quiet roads and tracks, a little muddy and a few stiles but easy to follow.

Leaving Eastwood, we head east along Nottingham Road and head left up Walker Street. Rather than taking the footpath past The Breach (D.H. Lawrence's house) as per SELEAS 1, we stay on Walker Street and turn left down Lynncroft. We cross Lower Beauvale and take the second path half right which leads across the edge of the park to a bigger path, where we go half right, then turn left up the farm road at the crossroads. Where the farm road turns right up the hill, we go straight on and follow the field path to reach Brinsley on Mansfield Road. Note that the path through the last field has been straightened and is now enclosed between fences, which slightly shortens the route. We head right up Mansfield Road, then straight on along Hall Lane, which leads out of the village into fields. We follow it past Hall Farm and down to Gin Farm (where I was surprised to see an old bus and a red telephone box).

Here we turn sharp left along another farm road which becomes a track and then a field path, crossing the Erewash and going up half right towards a row of houses. We turn half left up Boat Lane, following it over the railway and turning right up Castle Lane. We follow the bridlepath along the lane, passing Codnor Castle. Beyond the castle we turn left (the path is fenced off left of the road) and follow the path across some muddy fields and steeply down, then up into Codnor. We turn left onto Alfreton Road, take the right turn beyond the car park and use the pelican crossing to cross the busy High Street. We go left a short distance then right onto Mill Lane, which we follow to its end, taking the enclosed path straight on which leads to a newish housing estate. Here we go right, along the edge of the estate on unmarked grass to reach another obvious path which heads left between fences to emerge on Steam Mill Lane. More residential streets and surfaced shortcut paths lead us easily into the centre of Ripley.

I walked this route from Ripley. The first section is on quiet roads with short lengths of footpath to link them. After Codnor, the next section is across country on foot paths. There were some muddy/slippery sections but could be walked with care. The views in this section were excellent. Approaching and after passing close to Codnor Castle there is a lane which is at first gravelled and later on tarmac.
After the railway bridge at Stoneyford farms, we are back onto footpaths across the fields to reach Brinsley Gin Farm. From here a quiet lane with extensive views leads through lower Brinsley to reach the A608. A short length of roadside pavement before turning off (just past the entrance to Headstocks Nature Reserve) on a footpath through horse pastures, which takes you to another farm lane. The Approach to Eastwood is once more on quiet roadside pavements. A very enjoyable walk.

Share your views about this route, give it a star rating, indicate whether it should be verified or not.

Include information that will be useful to others considering to walk or wheel it.

You can add up to 15 photos.