The pavement walk from the shopping street is easy to follow and eventually leads to a well used path that crosses the A57 with no assistance for walkers. From here the route loops into Creswell but if services are not required it should be possible to continue along Morven Street and take a footpath which meets the route at the old rail route. The route along Duke Street meets Elmton Road, the high street, by the church here there is a good selection of shops plus buses and the train station but I saw no public loo. The approach to the old rail route needs a little care but once on this track it's more easy going which continues onto the Archaeological Way an old hedged lane now a bridleway. From the car park it's a climb to join another old rail route which takes us to Shirebrook and the site of the once extensive Langwith Junction station renamed Shirebrook North in 1924. From Station Road we take a footpath opposite across a green area then follow Stubbin Wood Lane which become Thickley Close where we leave to cross another green park to arrive at Aldi just a short walk from our meeting place in the large Market Square....

Ken

Back on the plotted route and into countryside the narrow walked path in June was easy to locate but tall side vegetation had flopped so vigilance was needed to avoid nettles. The old lanes named Green, Balkham and Water are all traffic free but retain their original hedged width although the walked or riden path is narrow....

Ken

On the plus side, the route makes good use of three excellent former railway paths, and visits a country park and Creswell Model Village. Eventually we reach a quiet road and enter the Poulter Country Park, following a surfaced track around the west side of the park to the north car park, where we use quiet roads to reach Whaley Common....

Hugh Hudson

My immediate reaction to this route was to make it shorter but I'm pleased I stuck with the original because it's easy to follow, well plotted and good surfaces. The old rail route is popular with dog walkers being a firm wide track often between high rock cliffs. We are soon back on a different old rail route the extension of this northwards may offer a more direct route in the future. From the car park we climb a fairly steep slope to join yet another rail route high in the sky or so it appears....

Ken

From Shirebrook, we head south then follow the B6031 west to a footpath which goes through a new housing estate to Long Lane, which we follow west to its end and continue on a surfaced path, taking the left fork up the hill where it splits. Here the route follows the road to the roundabout, but it is pleasanter (and slightly shorter) to head straight across and take the diagonal path across Brook Park, to reach Green Lane a little earlier....

Hugh Hudson

I walked from Shirebook a fairly quick entry to Shirebrook Wood, Sookholme Road would offer a more direct route avoiding a wasted climb. We continue close to the railway on a well walked path then turn to cross the line by those stiles and steps which are the only obstacles on route, annoying because we cross the line again later by a bridge....

Ken

From Shirebrook the roadside pavement climbs gently to the edge of town before crossing a road to make a sudden change into fields along an unsigned but well used footpath. Joining a track our route first skirts the south of Langwith Wood then enters on a signed and well used path. On the approach to the village the path crosses a wide bridge, east of here the old rail line is proposed as a cycle route which if developed will upgrade our next footpath. The inevitable pavement walking is broken up by a surfaced path alongside ancient earthworks but only the map tells me of this feature....

Ken

Crossing The road onto the pavement which also has a grass buffer strip between us and traffic it's a short walk to the next path which is a well surfaced but quiet cycleway into the site of what was Warsop Main Colliery, only old maps will confirm this as the area is now green and covered in trees....

Ken

We go a short distance right on the roughly surfaced road, then left along the lane/bridletrack which goes along the edge of a former quarry, then crosses the railway and the river Meden and turns right towards the railway. We cross Portland Road and take another surfaced path onto Sookholme Road, then turn right down Market Street, cross Portland Road and go straight on to reach the meeting point in the square....

Hugh Hudson

Beyond a wooded section we turn right up Little Lane, then half left onto Elm Avenue and left onto Hawthorne Road, taking the path straight on where the road turns right. We cross Mansfield Road and turn right, crossing Langwith Road at the pelican crossing at the junction and turning left, then following the surfaced path right that follows the earthwork round Hornscroft Park and leads to Moor Lane, where we turn left....

Hugh Hudson

I walked this route in November starting at Shirebrook....

StephenWalker

This should be a sound route and an easy walk if a little muddy in places, but the GPX plotting is wayward and approximate, in some cases to the point of ambiguity. I have drawn a more accurate version and submitted it as BOLSHI 2....

Hugh Hudson

I rewalked this route starting at Glapwell....

StephenWalker

From the town centre the route quickly takes to the Clowne Greenway, a cycle route with a firm surface following the course of an old railway. At Whaley we join the quiet country road towards the Poulter Country Park....

StephenWalker

This section of route through Whitwell has few shops or refreshment places, but a brief detour will give access to supplies if required. Leaving Whitwell there is a short section of surfaced paths around the quarries before approaching Creswell. The section from Whaley Mill into the wood was a muddy crossfield path, but we have had a lot of rain recently....

StephenWalker

Since I was starting from the station and had a long walk ahead of me, I missed out the short street walk from the centre of Shirebrook, but I have done that before and know that it is fine....

Hugh Hudson

The navigation is tricky at first, but the route does work - a progression of roads, footpaths and tracks takes you to the outskirts of town....

StephenWalker

There is no exit due east from the station, and the route out of MW is excessively long. I have posted an alternative....

StephenWalker

After crossing the wide track/bridleway the path continues alongside the railway to reach an overbridge. There is a made path in the Brook Park around the industrial units to reach the houses at the edge of Shirebrook on Sookholme Road....

StephenWalker

It begins on quiet residential roads and after crossing the river Meden rises to reach Carter Lane....

StephenWalker