We leave Rainworth along the south side of Southwell Road East, and beyond the houses take the signposted path then the fisermen's road out to the lake. There is a rough path immediately opposite which goes left to join the rerouted path which now goes through the fields above the trees. There is a liitle path in the verge of Coxmoor Road, and a narrow pavement on the north side of Kirkby Road, but the disadvantage of staying on the north side is that the crossing where the Robin Hood Way path heads right is a little awkward due to raised verges....

Hugh Hudson

Unlike other routes out of Rainworth this one quickly takes us into a very pleasant waterside area with a good path shared for access by anglers. The public path leaves the area via a kissing gate onto a farm track then crosses a minor road where the signed path is a little to the right. As the traffic noise increases a well defined path turns right then left to allow a direct crossing of the road without other close contact....

Ken

I agree with Stephen that this route is basicly good but has a serious fault at Papplewick so I must fail it and offer Hucrai-4...

Ken

Building work still closes the path at Blidworth and use of this would involve two more stiles that can't be avoided....

Ken

From Hucknall station, we cross the car park on the footpath, which is marked in red, turn right up Ashgate Road and use the pelican crossings to cross to the left side of Linby Road. We take the path right between the Ranges country park and the railway to Wighay Road, where we cross and turn right over the level crossing. Or turn right off the railway path a little earlier and use the path through the park to reach Hodgkinson Road....

Hugh Hudson

Leaving the meeting point at Hucknall station we go up the steps and turn left (if steps are a problem follow the ramped path through the car park). We follow Station Road then cross the pelican crossing to continue up Duke Street, then left and right onto Park Drive....

Hugh Hudson

One slight quibble with the GPX plot - the route from Valley Drive to Main Road should go up Salcombe Close, and there is no parallel path behind the houses. Leaving the Eastwood meeting point, we go east along Nottingham Road to the top of the hill, then left and right onto Charles Avenue, left and right onto Valley Road, then (ignoring the GPX) left up Salcombe Close, and right at the end along the path to Main Road....

Hugh Hudson

Much of the route uses the well walked Robin Hood Way and apart from some short missing bits the road walking has pavements. At Top Farm, by the Hall, we meet the Robin Hood Way which may explain the creation of the footpath that avoids walking the narrow road. OpenStreetMap offers a good choice of paths across the green open space leading to Preston Road but they are not definitive and an earth mound suggests this is another site awaiting more housing....

Ken

Starting at Hucknall station, we go up the steps and turn right, turning right again onto Wigwam Lane which we cross using a pelican crossing, then turn left into Kenbrook Road. We go right a short distance to find the new trail left through Moor Ponds Wood to Linby Lane, where we go left a short distance and cross into a small car park to pick up the path through another wood. The field path goes through a couple of gates to reach the narrow lane that leads to Papplewick church. Eventually it leads past a pig farm to Main Road (B6020), where we go straight on past the junction on the right, then turn right into a well marked field path that crosses fields and allotments to emerge on Field Lane. Beyond the Miners Welfare, we turn right along a signposted path that is surfaced but partly covered in mud, and descends a few steps before taking a straight line along the edge of the wood....

Hugh Hudson

They meet at another junction, where we follow the Robin Hood Way down to Alexandra Lodge and continue down the access road. Just beyond the bridge we leave the Robin Hood Way to take the wide cycle track right through the wood, turning left at an obvious junction and following the path under the railway bridge onto Wigwam Lane, once the site of Hucknall colliery but now an industrial estate (notably Lincoln Green brewery)....

Hugh Hudson

We use the pelican crossings to cross to Linby Road, which we follow past the leisure centre, turning left into Blatherwick Close and following the path past a few more houses to Linby Walk, where we turn right. We follow the main road until it turns right, where an unsurfaced but easy field path takes us straight on to the lane that serves the church at Papplewick. Where the second path rejoins the road it is possible to stay on the verge as far as the path right, which skirts the edge of the field then turns left along the edge of the wood, then taking a diagonal line right through the wood. We cross Mansfield Road on a bridge and about 100 yards further on follow another surfaced track on the right which takes a rather indirect line back to the road (a more accurate GPX file would help here). We follow Mansfield Road a short distance and turn right up Westbrook Drive, taking a surfaced footpath straight on where it turns left....

Hugh Hudson

Unless you want to view the locked gate (see first picture), just turn right along the far pavement of the A611 and follow it to the roundabout and turn left long Nabbs Lane then follow Whyburn Lane to the farm and continue up the hill on a well marked but sometimes muddy field path. We follow the right edge of the field to an obvious path through the wood, which crosses a couple of bigger tracks before emerging onto an open field with a wide gravel track around it - we follow that right and under the M1 through a bridge. A little beyond the bridge we turn left into Kennel Lane, which leads along the edge of the wood and past a farm to a T-junction where we turn right onto Weavers Lane. Cross the bridge and follow the track to Annesley Lane, which leads to Nottingham Road and the Selston meeting point, passing a large Co-op....

Hugh Hudson

I walked this route from Kirkby to Hucknall. Like other reviewers, I also encountered that the route as drawn from Derby Road to Warren Avenue wasn't quite accurate. Just south of Wighay Road, my only beef with this route is that you arrive at a junction of many paved paths at the park labelled The Ranges, and the route takes you up the steepest possible option!...

mtormey

The few muddy sections could be avoided easily. Once more the few muddy sections could be avoided easily....

StephenWalker

Finding the start was a little tricky, but interesting as it was an old railway....

John Hay

For navigation purposes, when walking from Hucknall, the only highlight is at Brooksbreasting Farm (W3W ///increases.lunge.user), where you take the path on the field to the immediate right of the Farm, once you are on the path it is clearly signposted....

Lynn Jackson

The only place that was slightly difficult to navigate was around Alexandra Lodges but, as most of the footpaths intersect, it is easy to get back on track without doubling back if you do go wrong....

clarefin

Nice route that now bypasses the footpath in Newthorpe that has been temporarily closed for the last 8 or 9 years....

Leigh

There is a pavement beside the roads leaving Selston....

StephenWalker

It is narrow, steeply graded and the section by the roadside falls away steeply....

StephenWalker

The section through Blidworth has been made trickier by building work, but there is a signed diversion. The approach to Rainworth centre is through a housing estate....

StephenWalker

Approaching Bulwell Hall Park on the good path head straight ahead to the bridge and then straight ahead up the worn grass trod to reach the car parking and club house....

StephenWalker

The walk began through a couple of streets out of Arnold but you were quickly walking next to fields and into Bestwood Country Park (BCP)....

Lynn Jackson

After crossing Moor Road it climbs up The Spinney and via the Robin Hood Way reaches Park Road leading to Bestwood Country Park....

StephenWalker

Most of the route is on firm gravel or tarmac route, except there are several stiles to cross in the farmland between Redhill and Bestwood Country Park, and three kissing gates with uneven and muddy surfaces in the three fields between Park Road and Bestwood....

StephenWalker

Turn right at the B6011 and walk down through Linby (pub and tea-room) before heading left across the fields to reach Papplewick (pub and tea-room), approaching the village along Church Lane. Opposite the gate to Newstead Grange Farm turn right and follow the public footpath alongside the hedge and through the wood to meet the A60 near Ravenshead. Eventually you emerge on New lane and turn right to meet the B6020 (Mansfield Road - shops). Turn left up Mansfield road and take Belle Vue Lane on the right....

StephenWalker

The section through Newstead Abbey grounds is on firm sandy paths (and a short section of tarmac drive). The section from Nomanshill car-park to the A60 is a firm forestry track, but after the A60 the tracks were very muddy (in January)....

StephenWalker

There is a stunning wide open access gate at point A see picture but at point B a large block of concrete leaves only a very narrow space to walk through suggesting it is not an approved route although interesting sculptures are mounted for viewing from the track....

Ken

This route is offered to avoid a section of path in the earlier plot that does not have public access. Back down to meet the easy path and a rail and road crossing to join Sustrans route 6 and a long straight drag with little to see but very easy walking. Slow Ways turns left or you may have left the track sooner and followed a path created by locals which avoids the double back. We cross over the Robin Hood line which has been followed from Hucknall and after a little more road walking take a strip of wildlife path that was one of many rail lines through Kirkby....

Ken

From Selston there is a mile along the main roads before a farm track path avoids field crossings. Approaching the A608 by junction 27 a footpath is signed in the field but it's better to use the roadside pavement because it's not clear how the east end of the the path joins the road. The next bridge has steps, stiles and mud then a narrow holly lined path around Misk Farm but it's short lived....

Ken

Disinterested cattle in one field and a tea shop at Greasley church hall. Greasley church tower soon offers a waymark and on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday you can get a coffee and cake between 10am and 3pm in the church hall. All too soon we are back on the urban fringe initially hemmed in but later the road has open views of Leiver's and Long Hills, neither huge but a pleasant outlook for the houses opposite....

Ken

Cafe about half way in Bulwell Hall Park at the Golf Club. The exit from Hucknall is not through but alongside Titchfield Park and perhaps the posh area of the town before crossing the bypass road. Here I nearly went wrong so follow the plot to arrive in Bulwell Hall Park where the golf club has an open to all cafe....

Ken

Very nice walk through housing estates and woods, although the last part is at the edge of a dusty industrial estate. Public toilets just before entering the woods. After exiting the woods, the footpath to the right is through a gap in the hedge which is only visible when you come close....

Seashaw

It's all paved or solid track apart from a small section across a meadow in the middle just outside Bestwood village and there is a small step to get out at the Arnold end of this meadow....

MagneticSpy