Another field path takes us out of Caythorpe, round an arable field and across a sheep pasture to reach the well marked path that follows the edge of the hill to Hough on the Hill. We cross the East Coast Main Line on a bridge, then turn left at a T junction onto a busier road (again with verges), which we leave right to head into the quiet village of Hougham, where the main street has a pavement on the north side. Our path leaves the lane through a rather narrow kissing gate to the right, and the way down to the bridge and across the field to the left is clear and well trodden. We eventually reach a T junction and turn left, then cross the bridge right into a field, where the path was wet with very sticky clay. We follow the surfaced track most of the way across a large field, then turn right at a clearly signposted point where the well trodden path heads across the clay, crossing two further fields to reach a narrow fenced bridge across the Witham, that takes us into Westborough....

Hugh Hudson

Haven't walked this one, but the GPX is very badly plotted, which probably means the distance is underestimated. I will submit a fixed version but would like to test walk it first....

Hugh Hudson

From Fulbeck we head north on the pavement on the left/west side of the A607, leaving the village, crossing the A17 on a bridge and walking through Leadenham, a pretty village mostly strung out along the main road. Where the road bends to the right north of the village, the pavement appears to disappear, but fortunately a signposted surfaced track with street lights runs parallel to the road to the left, crossing the old railway on the level rather than on a bridge. We can't join the railway here as this section is fenced off, so we rejoin the main road briefly then head left on a lane between houses. The railway path is unsurfaced, but pleasant and grassy, and we follow it to its end on the edge of Welbourn, which is reached through a bridge under the old railway and a well used path round the edge of a field. At the memorial hall we head left past a playground into the fields, then follow the fenced path right along the top of the escarpment....

Hugh Hudson

Unfortunately this includes the short section from Barnby in the Willows to the river Witham where the direct route does not work - there are notices on the ground indicating that the permissive route is via the bridge south of the churchyard, and the direct route is blocked by locked gates either side of the house it belongs to. I have not walked the section between Newark and Barnby so I am reluctant to submit a fix for this one - see NewFul three for a walkable version of the route out of Barnby....

Hugh Hudson

I was planning to follow NewFul one but where the road bends right towards the church, that route was blocked by an electronically locked gate, and there is no footpath sign - which may be evidence of a historic dispute between Notts and Lincolnshire over the right of way status of the old lane - as far as I can tell the Notts side has never been a formal right of way. The permissive path ends where we turn right onto a farm lane, which sets the tone for much of the rest of the walk. The surface goes from a well surfaced farm track to an almost unsurfaced field path before a signpost suggests heading into the undergrowth to the right. Where we meet another farm road, the signpost is ambiguous, and I didn't see any the path to the right of it, so I just used the farm road to reach Mill Lane. The road walk into Fulbeck has no pavements until we reach the Hare and Hounds pub, where we follow the pavement straight on to reach the meeting point at the southbound bus stop on the far side of Cliff Road, where there is a bench and a wooden bus shelter with no seats....

Hugh Hudson

Very direct, and mostly good, but I will have to fail it and draw a new version because the direct route out of Barnby to the Witham is not a right of way and is blocked by locked gates....

Hugh Hudson

The most disappointing part though is a quite a large section of the route was on the side of Pottergate Road which has no pavement and is a fast road to walk along....

SpringChickens

A good walk with some lovely views and stretches....

RichP

This section of the route up the hill did feel somewhat unnecessary; not direct, adding gates and accessibility issues and a section of road-walking that didn't feel overly safe. Back down the hill to Welbourn, which had a good shop and bus stop, though the footpath into the village was overgrown. Overall a good straightforward route, but it did feel there were some unnecessary diversions, climbs and road-walking that could have been avoided by a more direct route....

JurassicWayfarers