Clockwise from above: The bridge over the Meden near Meden Vale ... ice cream opportunity at Edwinstowe ... the Major Oak, which requires just a short detour.
topographical feature. At 587702 the footpath veers south, parallel to the old colliery railway, and re-crosses Netherfield Lane before veering ESE to bridge the River Meden at 588697. From the bridge, where my chorizo and cucumber sandwiches were enjoyed, the footpath runs WSW under the colliery railway and through Assarts Farm (where there is a disappointing lack of waymarking) to a junction of lanes at 578691. Turn acutely left on a bridleway running on Broomhill Lane, over the railway. The lane kinks left and the bridleway runs ENE towards Gleadthorpe New Plantation. Continue into the woodland to the crossing
of ways at 599695. Here, turn right and go south, and eventually SSW, on a public footpath following the line of Hanger Hill D r ive .
At this point I found myself amid a long line of puffing, wheezing orienteers, not all of whom were map-readers of SAS standard. Several asked for reassurance that they were
on the right track. One asked when he should turn left for Edwinstowe and showed me his map with route marked in purple ink. I told him the turn was one mile distant. In fact he turned left after a few hundred yards and disappeared into the Forest. For all we know he may still be there. The left turn he should have made was at 591666, where a bridleway runs east then ESE to meet the A6075 about a mile west of Edwinstowe. On your map you will see the word Cross. The monument marks the site of St Edwin’s Chapel, which commemorated Christian convert King Edwin of Northumbria who perished in battle at nearby Cuckney in 633. Our route runs parallel to the A6075 along a short stretch of traffic-free cycle route until we meet the bridleway running north from 607664. At this point I began to hear a strange racket. As I continued it became louder. One Scottish piper was teaching the another to play Amazing Grace and as I passed they tried hard to assume the manner
that this was perfectly normal behaviour for an English woodland on a hot Saturday afternoon in May. As they gave their bagpipes a fresh squeeze and another Scottish air was rendered in Clipstone Old Quarter, I continued northwards to 607671 and took the bridleway running ENE along the southern edge of the section of forest known as Birklands. The spire of Edwinstowe Church confirms that you are on the home run. At 621676 you can either take a detour north to admire the historic Major Oak or you can take the bridleway running SE back to Edwinstowe cricket ground. If you need cooling down, I can recommend the up-market vanilla ice cream at the craft centre. The sketch map accompanying this article is intended to be only a rough guide. We recommend walkers to take the Ordnance Survey sheet specified in each article.
Jeremy Lewis NOTTINGHAMSHIRE TODAY 129
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