Sousel one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

Walked from Selston to South Normanton on a bright summer day after a lot of rain. This route is quite walkable and fairly direct, but I don't think I'd walk it again for pleasure. Still, it does the job, so I am happy to snail it.

The first part of the walk out of Selston is entirely on pavements, up Mansfield Road and over Commonside, which does at least offer a view. Beyond the junction with Church Lane we continue down Station Road, then take the fenced path left that goes steeply back up the hill. Another tightly fenced path takes us along two hedges towards Pinxton, and we cross the hedge to follow an open field down to the level crossing. I have walked through Pinxton several times over the years but have never seen a train on this line. An enclosed path takes us over the Erewash and dumps us in an industrial estate - fortunately the roads and tracks go in the right direction to get us to Brookhill Road (there is a cafe serving the industrial estate here). We turn left down Brookhill Road and eventually right to find the access track for the miners welfare club, beyond which we follow the grass strip, then take the little alley just left of the big fence that appears from a distance to block further progress. Church Street West has no pavement where we join it, but seemed fairly quiet. Queen Street (an impressive name for a short residential dead end) leads us to a small area of parkland, and more residential streets take us down to Storth Lane,

Storth Lane has no continuous pavement, so a little care may be needed here. We cross under the A38 then take the path left parallel to the main road. From here the route takes some believing on the OS 1:25000 map, but the paths are all there, and the logic becomes clear when we reach The Chine, which the path passes underneath. It eventually emerges in a fairly large park, from which there is a choice of routes to Storth Lane - the one we use is not visible from below but does work. Storth Lane takes us to the old main road, which we cross and follow more residential streets (why this is a footpath when the streets look like they have been there for years is a bit of a mystery) to Downing Street, from where paved and enclosed paths lead us to the South Normanton meeting point (Market Close is probably a better route choice than the narrow and less direct alleyway).

No real problems, but not many highlights, so three stars seems fair.

I walked this route from South Normanton. The first section joins residential roads with footpath links. Careful navigation required but a good line. At Pinxton there is a section through the Industrial Estate (A good cafe here). At the Selston end there is a long length of pavement up the side of a road. Like Ken, I would favour the Alfsel2 route from Pinxton to Selston.

Good plotted GPX but challenging snickets between houses from estate roads, navigate with extreme care. Mostly through housing and enclosed paths. The Welly at Pinxton ex MIners Welfare, miners long gone along with Mansfield Brewery. Brookhill Industrial Estate not pretty. A railway crossing on the level but not a busy line. Suggest looking at Selalf as alternative route Pinxton to Selston.

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.