Connect Retford with Slow Ways

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Retford

Nottinghamshire


Slow Ways linking Retford and Bawtry, Bircotes, Gainsborough, Langold, New Ollerton, Rampton, Sutton on Trent, Worksop

England / Nottinghamshire / Retford

Retford’s eight Slow Ways are 56% checked

Drawn: 8/8
reviewed: 8/8
verified: 1/8
and surveyed: 1/8

Help connect Retford

Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.

Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.

Give a hike and help get a for every one of Retford’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Retford from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Bawtry—Retford
Bawret one

Double check Distance 23km/14mi Ascent 91m Descent 95m
Bircotes—Retford
Birret one Review me Distance 19km/12mi Ascent 106m Descent 88m
Langold—Retford
Lanret two Verify me Distance 19km/11mi Ascent - Descent -
New Ollerton—Retford
Newret one

Double check Distance 21km/13mi Ascent 149m Descent 111m
New Ollerton—Retford
Newret two Review me Distance 20km/12mi Ascent - Descent -
Retford—Gainsborough
Retgai one Review me Distance 17km/11mi Ascent 99m Descent 107m
Retford—Rampton
Retram one

Double check Distance 13km/8mi Ascent 97m Descent 104m
Retford—Rampton
Retram two Review me Distance 14km/9mi Ascent 107m Descent 114m
Retford—Sutton on Trent
Retsut one

Double check Distance 24km/15mi Ascent 129m Descent 136m
Worksop—Retford
Worret one Pioneer me Distance 17km/11mi Ascent 85m Descent 114m
Worksop—Retford
Worret two

Double check Distance 18km/11mi Ascent 109m Descent 138m
Worksop—Retford
Worret three Enjoy me Distance 17km/11mi Ascent - Descent -

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Retford and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Collective progress

58% of Retford’s eight route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

12/12

drawn

11/12

reviewed

4/12

surveyed

1/12

verified

6 people have contributed to Retford’s Slow Ways

1 people have pledged to walk and review a route

4 people have surveyed a route in Retford

203km out of 220km have been walked and reviewed

255km of reviews have been shared in Retford

Latest Updates

Hugh Hudson took this photo on Lanret two

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Unless you are intending to use any of the shops on the east side of the road, you can cross Doncaster Road on a zebra crossing from the Langold meeting point (which lacks seats unless you count the ones belonging to the Legion club. We head south down Doncaster Road into a wooded area. We use the vehicle entrance to the country park to return to Doncaster Road, and take the farm lane opposite. The GPX plotting of the next path is good - if there was ever a path to the south of the ditch where the right of way line is, there are no signs of it now! Beyond the crossing we go a few metres down the road opposite to find the entrance to Green Mile Lane, here just a narrowish path between nettles, brambles and other undergrowth....

Hugh Hudson

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A short section of road walking takes us to another good path, which heads north roughly parallel to the river Maun. The Robin Hood Way joins us from the right, and my original plan was to follow it down to the Maun/Meden bridge. Fortunately I met a couple of local dog walkers who showed my a diversion using unofficial forest paths that takes you round the east end of the flooded area, then doubles back on a good raised path to the bridge where the Bothamsall path starts. The path through the wood is fairly easy to follow as long as you note the two junctions - we go left at the first and right at the second, to find a bridge over the river Poulter and the field path up to Brough Lane. Here we go left a few steps, then leave the Robin Hood Way on an unsignposted but fairly well trodden path that takes us into Elkesley. We cross Ordsall Road and turn left, then right up Northumbria Drive then left on a signposted footpath that passes through a water works between fences then enters the Sandhills green space, where we take the first path right, following it to Manvers Road. The ramped bridge takes us over the East Coast Main Line railway and we follow Pelham Road out to the bridge over the Chesterfield Canal....

Hugh Hudson

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New Ollerton—Retford

Hugh Hudson added Newret two, a new walk from New Ollerton to Retford

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The pictures here are (i) looking down on the A1 where this route crosses it, from the bridge the route should use, (ii) and (iii) the flooded area that the Robin Hood Way "crosses"....

Hugh Hudson

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StephenWalker surveyed Birret one

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The route joins the canal bank a short distance from the town centre, and then heads across the cemetery to North Road. A short residential road leads to the old A1 (Gt North Road) - where the Blue Bell PH provides refreshment....

StephenWalker

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Hugh Hudson surveyed Retram two

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Hugh Hudson took this photo on Retram two

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No major issues, though the path from Meetinghouse Lane to Wood Lane is little used which makes it quite hard work to follow. Beyond the houses there should be two paths - the left hand one is easy to follow along the edge of horse fields, but the owners are clearly trying to stop people using the more direct right hand one - one stile was the only remaining trace of it, so I opted for the slightly longer field path and amended the GPX accordingly. We turn left down Town Street, passing the pub, then left again onto Church Street and right onto Meetinghouse Lane, which is almost unused beyond the houses. Above the church we take the lane right, which leads past farm buildings into the fields....

Hugh Hudson

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Retford—Rampton

Hugh Hudson added Retram two, a new walk from Retford to Rampton

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Anyone needing the pub at Ranby, which is the only refreshment option in the middle third, should note that the only canal bridge is north of the village, so it involves a more significant detour than it might appear at first glance. We cross the river Idle and the canal on ramped bridges, then head straight on to the railway, another ramped bridge that has no shortcutting steps. Eventually we cross the fairly busy Old London Road and continue out to the Chesterfield canal - the towpath is on the far west side and is accessed just beyond the bridge by a path on the left. Anyone planning to use the Chequers pub at Ranby should use the bridge on Blyth Road - there is no bridge further south, but the pub is clearly visible. At the lock by the bridge on the road to Scofton we leave the canal, either using a stile before the bridge or steps just beyond the bridge....

Hugh Hudson

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StephenWalker surveyed Lanret two

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At the T junction we turn left towards Bilby and at the top of the hill turn right on a gravelled lane. At the entrance to Hodsock Priory we turn off and follow first the tarmac drive and then as we approach the gatehouse take a green lane to the right. Cross the road and car park to reach the cafe, then follow the path to the right towards Langold centre....

StephenWalker

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Langold—Retford

StephenWalker added Lanret two, a new walk from Langold to Retford

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One thing that did strike me was the absence of places to sit and rest along the route (I must be getting old!), so people who like to stop for a rest might want to bring a portable seat, or groundsheet along if that's going to be a problem....

jbeckton

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StephenWalker surveyed Worret three

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After the road crossing and lane up the side of the Supermarket, it crosses over the river, through Kings Park and over the canal to reach a quiet residential street and (at the end) the ramped bridge over the main line railway. This brings us to West Carr Road, another quiet residential street, which is followed to the roundabout on the A620. As we enter Worksop, at the railway bridge (where Rayton Land joins Kilton Road) we pass straight ahead along a footpath (not really shown on the OS map) and then zig-zag our way through quiet residential streets (Dickens Drive, Longfellow Road and Kilton Crescent) before crossing the B6045 (Kilton Hill) at a pedestrian crossing....

StephenWalker

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Worksop—Retford

StephenWalker added Worret three, a new walk from Worksop to Retford

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I consider this route to be unsafe because of crossing two carriageways of the busy A1 on the level. I have devised Worret3 to use the best parts of the route without the A1 crossing....

StephenWalker

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The approach to East Markham just past Meadow Cottage suggest going off road on the left to follow the railway on a footpath for 3/4miles where there appears to be a crossing on the railway....

Skodaplus2

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Turn left when exiting the station and walk along Station Road. Just after Clumber Road on the right walk straight on into Queen’s Street, after about 280m turn right into Pelham Road and cross the canal bridge to gain the path on the other side. Turn right and walk along the canal side. The walk can be started from here or turn off the canal walk into the town centre on the left where there are many places to eat and drink. Exit the bus station either left from the bus stops on to Spa Road and then left along Arlington Way then right into Grove Street at the cross roads, or right from the bus stops and out along Beardsall’s Row then right onto Grove Street. There is also an entry path onto the canal side walk from the far end of the market square along Chapelgate, Spital Hill and then Leverton Road, however, this is a longer, more traffic heavy route. Descend to the canal side and turn left. After another 700m, at bridge 61, turn left off the canal path and up onto Bonemill Lane a partially unmade narrow road leading only to the few houses around the canal area. Walk over the steep humpback canal bridge and along the lane to Mill House on the right. At the driveway mirror turn left through the metal kissing gate and along the mown edge of the meadow. Turn right and walk along Big Lane to Main Street. Turn right and the route is back to a rough track. From the end of Muspitts Lane turn left along Sturton Road (the only shop is 100m to the right). (Turn left at the crossroads here, along Low Street, for the pub that is 700m on the left.) The route continues straight on into Church Hill. After crossing turn left and walk along the field edge. After about 500m the path leads round to the right but the route is to the left. After crossing the bridge turn left and follow the mown path around the edge of the fields. Continue to follow the mown path round the field to the left and this leads round the edge to the old road, now only an access way. Turn right and walk along the road. After another 250m turn right onto a small feeder road, then right again onto South Street and into the village of Bole. At the Flood Road turn right and cross the bridge over the River Trent At the traffic lights turn right and walk about 800m for the Lea Road train station, or left and walk 600m to the Gainsborough bus station and just a little further to the town centre...

Jacqueline

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After the there is a stream crossing via two timber planks that have been ;aid over it, no hand rail and too narrow for wheeled access. Another stile follows followed by crossing a field that is normally very rutted and poached by cows, it is not easy going for anyone with mobility issues....

Sightblinder

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Sightblinder took this photo on Retram one

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Retford

JoEd80 surveyed Retford

View facilities

This route follows unofficial paths through campsites / fishing lakes near Retford Also not very direct...

Skodaplus2

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Bawtry—Retford

Slow Ways added Bawret one, a new walk from Bawtry to Retford

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Bircotes—Retford

Slow Ways added Birret one, a new walk from Bircotes to Retford

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New Ollerton—Retford

Slow Ways added Newret one, a new walk from New Ollerton to Retford

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Retford—Gainsborough

Slow Ways added Retgai one, a new walk from Retford to Gainsborough

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Retford—Rampton

Slow Ways added Retram one, a new walk from Retford to Rampton

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Retford—Sutton on Trent

Slow Ways added Retsut one, a new walk from Retford to Sutton on Trent

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Worksop—Retford

Slow Ways added Worret one, a new walk from Worksop to Retford

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Worksop—Retford

Slow Ways added Worret two, a new walk from Worksop to Retford

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1

Retford, Sat 12 October

12°

Light rain

Retford’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

SK7054081154

Lat / Lon

53.32264° / -0.94246°

Easting / Northing

470,540E / 381,154N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Retford and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Facilities

Users have reported that the following facilities can be found within 1km of Retford's meeting point

Public toilet

Wheelchair accessible toilet

Supermarket or convenience shop

Restaurant, cafe or pub

Accommodation

Accommodation for under £50 a night

Campsite

Bothy

Free wifi

Mobility scooter hire

Off-road wheelchair hire

Disabled Parking

Train station

Bus stop

Ferry

Official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town

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