Stabol one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Stabol here.

Reviewed Bolsover to Staveley. This was the last walk of three, Staveley, Clowne, Bolsover, Staveley and turned out to be the major challenge. Inspecting this route at home and knowing the area slightly I could see little benefit in the walk around the castle at Bolsover, it fails to offer a view of the landmark.

The footpath from Shuttlewood Road gave me encouragement, someone had been along with a strimmer and made a good job of clearance along a path fenced in to one side. There was a very wet section which was a surprise as we had had no rain for weeks. The strimming abruptly stopped where the path turned into a scrubby area see satellite view from Google. Had I seen this before setting out I may have attempted to find a way through but there had been little evidence of use along the path so this wasn't looking good as a Slow Way. I gave up.

I managed to find an alternative down Blind Lane, closed to traffic and pouring with water, a spring or bust pipe? This leads to Woodhouse Lane which has no pavement but a mown verge which I could escape onto as traffic approached I didn't feel this was a possible substitute.

Chesterfield Road at Woodthorpe does have a pavement which I used to pick up the route again. The track the footpath follows soon became overgrown but here there was signs of use which passed into the scrubby field to the west. I used this land which may have been mining spoil.

To the south of Woodside farm the path crosses a stream and here I located a footbridge which confirmed I had returned to the path. Beyond the farm it was a track but the path east across the field was not apparent so I stayed on the track to discover a walked path leading to the motorway crossing.

Beyond the motorway again there was a cleared path but it's not in the correct place see the maps. Hitting the cycle track I was back on my outward Staveley Clowne route and ignored the loop to the church.

I can't recommend this as a Slow Way but I can't currently see an alternative. Derbyshire CC have a proposed cycle route on the old rail line to the west which looks good if and when it opens.

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