It is difficult to see a better alternative unless the path that crosses Pinxton Lane at Crow Trees Farm is viable. Our path leaves down steps from the second roundabout (not before it) and as Ken says, at the bottom of the steps the easiest thing is to head right to pick up the surfaced track/lane parallel to the main road. I followed the GPX plot and took the path that starts on the surfaced path on the near side of the second pool then leaves it to head up grass into the field, and down to the gate (picture 7), where there is a stile in the undergrowth over the little fence right of the gate, so it is possible to reach Pinxton Lane on the right of way. The path continues up the right hand side of the old railway, which is behind a barbed wire fence that cannot be crossed where the right of way crosses it, but a field track a little higher up allows us to cross. Where the path leaves the field to enter Cowpasture Lane (no pastures or cows now), most locals seem to stay in the field, but I had no problems following the slightly overgrown lane which becomes a surfaced road lower down....

Hugh Hudson

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

I only walked the section from Kirkby to the end of Cauldwell Road today, but the rest of the route is almost identical to the Sutton-Rainworth route I walked last week, which is more enjoyable than this one. Cross the main road with care and continue down Southwell Road East to reach the Rainworth meeting point. It is a great shame that there is no pavement on Blidworth Road east of the A611, which blocks any safe pleasant route from Kirkby to Thieves Wood, as there is a good green route from Thieves Wood to Rainworth. For pictures of the route from Cauldwell Road to Rainworth, see my review of SUTRAI 2....

Hugh Hudson

Road walking is fair with pavements or quiet lanes but crossings need care as there is little if any help from lights. This main road route does offer a buffer space by using the service road where the houses are set back. The narrow track suddenly becomes an incredibly wide road, further along the route another wide road stops abruptly all suggesting an unfulfilled plan. It's a quiet cul-de-sac and a cycle route so there is a central refuge to help us across the next road to meet the other side of the truncated Cauldwell Road....

Ken

The Mansfield and Pinxton Railway (M&PR) that we cross here for a second time claims to be the oldest railway line still in use but the current line has been amended from the route of the original tramway and currently very few trains use the route as can be seen from the unpolished rails. The road through the industrial estate was the original line of the M&PR it's not recorded as public highway which explains the potholes....

Ken

Where the road forks, we take the dead end straight on, then take the path to the left of the last house that leads down to the old railway. Where the path splits it is not necessary to take the rising right fork, as the left branch wastes less energy and leads to the same footbridge over the Robin Hood line, which has steps on both sides. A short path leads to an industrial road which we follow left up to the B6020, which we follow right to the meeting point or left to the station....

Hugh Hudson

This leads to West Park, which we cross diagonally right on a surfaced path which continues alongside the railway. Just before Southwell Lane the path turns left and goes up a flight of steps....

Hugh Hudson

Cross the road and turn left along the wide excellent pavement which has bollards as well as yellow lines to prevent unauthorised parking. There is no finger post where the footpath leaves the road, perhaps because the road is unadopted and the footpath is recorded sort of along the pavement. I left at the bridleway sign, that's not the route but a mown path along the field edge is very helpful. At the footpath sign there was no sign of the path across the large cropped field. At the next boundary crossing a mile and a half from the road an official sign tells me the path is closed due to an unsafe bridge and adds that there is no suitable alternative route. I met a couple dog walking along a well used field edge path....

Ken

Old rail route may feel a bit isolated in such an urban location and is unlit....

Ken

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

I walked this route from Sutton to Kirkby....

mtormey

The route starts on the wide pavements of a busy road. Map reading is important in the next section to negotiate the route across arable fields where the farmer has not reinstated the line of the path. Alongside the boundary fence of the busy A38, and then at the underbridge spot an overgrown path leading up steeply onto the bridge....

StephenWalker

There is a wide grass verge alongside the busy road before turning down the footpath track leading to the rail crossing....

StephenWalker

Straight ahead (almost) takes you onto Old Newark Road, which is a pedestrian route along a gravelled track. After the Main road crossing the route was temporarily blocked by water excavations (March 2022) causing a detour left to the roundabout and then back to the right on Bellamy Road to regain the route....

StephenWalker

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

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 Woodhouse a short section of narrow busy road then across fields to the edge of Selston. Forest Road is a busy cut through for traffic and when it becomes Salmon Lane the pavement disappears. Crossing the motorway the path uses a farm track before meeting Salmon Lane for a pavement walk to the Selston meeting point....

Ken

A good way to get from Kirkby-in-Ashfield to Sutton-in-Ashfield....

Annemarie Blumentritt