Get Lost Mountaineering

Skellingthorpe  Fledborough  Grassthorpe  Sutton  Carlton  Cromwell  N & S Muskham  Newark  Collingham  Besthorpe  Harby

Start/Finish

Skellingthorpe community centre where there is usually ample free parking. This is most easily reached from the Skellingthorpe roundabout on the A46 Lincoln bypass. Take the road into Skellingthorpe and the car park is roughly where the cycle track from Lincoln crosses the road.

Distance/Time

65 km/ 41 miles    About 4 – 5 hours

Introduction

This is a pleasant cycle although there are places where it is easy to go wrong From Skellingthorpe to the Harby junction, the sustrans route is a good tarmac track but less good from Harby to Fledborough where the sustrans track stops following the dismantled railway. and it is more like a path in places. After Fledborough, the route essentially follows the River Trent, often at a distance, into Newark passing through several villages on the way. A short section is on a cycle track on the A1. The return passes through two nature reserves then follows minor roads back to the sustrans track at Harby.

Route

(1) Follow the cycle track from behind the community centre in the direction of Harby. Soon leave Skellingthorpe behind. After just over 3 km, go under the Doddington Road bridge. Continue for about another 1.5 km to go under the Harby Road bridge. Continue, ignoring the sharp left tiun for Harby. Almost immediately, the track deteriorates and can be muddy in places. Continue ahead, passing some turbines on the right then crossing Wigsley Drain before passing under the Wigsley Road bridge then the South Clifton Road bridge soon after. Soon after, pass the only house next to the track which still has its old level crossing. Continue and go under another bridge, near Moor Farm, then another (on no road) before reaching the remains of Clifton on Trent station. One platform and a station sign remains but the former station buildings are now private and fenced off. Just after the station is the A1133 road bridge, part of the road from Newton on Trent to Collingham and Newark. Continue and soon pass the turn off for North and South Clifton then soon reach the start of the long viaduct over the River Trent. At the far end is an old signal, after which there is what is left of the formaer High Marnham Power Station on the left. Within a mile reach the old Fledborough Station. At the end of the old platform, the sustrans track leaves the track bed of the old dismantled railway and ascends to the road where there are signs.

(2) Follow the road south, immediately crossing over the sustrans track. Pass turnings for Skegby and High Marnham then reach a crossroads, with Low Marnham left. Continue ahead, passing a large factory which will have been in view for some time. Follow the road into Grassthorpe, a small hamlet. Continue on the same road to reach Sutton on Trent and continue ahead to reach the Great North Road (old A1). Turn left, south, and continue to Carlton on Trent taking the left fork into the village otherwise you will end up on the A1! Go through Carlton alongside the A1 after a while until the road crosses the A1 then a left turn takes you into Cromwell. Continue ahead, through the village, and continue even when it says there is no through road. You are actually on the road into Cromwell off the A1 for those cars heading south to north so watch out for fast cars. Just before you reach the obvious A1, there is a rough car park on the right often used by lorries. Do NOT go onto this and especially do NOT take the rough lane beyond it. Head for the A1, being mindful of cars coming off it to reach Cromwell. Just before reaching the carriageway, there is a cycle track with a cycle sign painted on the tarmac. This goes alongside the carriageway with the two separated only by a grass verge. Follow the cycleway for about a mile until you go right, off the A1 then cross back over it on the obvious bridge to reach North Muskham.

(3) Follow the road through North Muskham which eventually recrosses the A1, and leads to South Muskham. The East Coast main line is crossed at a level crossing just before the church. Continue through South Muskham but take a left turn, byway sign but not very obvious, about 100 m before rejoining the Great North Road. Follow the left turn to join the Great North Road further south at a five way junction. Turn left and use the pavement cycle track to head towards Newark. Pass a lake then cross a natural section of the River Trent – the section through Newark is largely man made. Reach a major roundabout which can be crossed using pedestrian lights and continue ahead into Newark on Trent. Pass Newark Castle station and level crossing, cross the river and pass the castle to reach a mini roundabout. Turn left, towards Lincoln, and follow the road, through traffic lights, until you reach a left turn signed “Riverside Walk”. Go left here and pass Aldi to reach the walk by a new bridge over the river. It is possible to reach this point by going left before the station and passing Waitrose then crossing the new bridge. Stay on the Aldi side of the bridge and follow the riverside walk north, alongside the river. Follow it to where it becomes a footpath then go right and follow the road through a new estate (some doubling back) to come out at a retail park where Homebase will be on your left.

(4) Join the main road and go left over the bridge over the main line. Newark North Gate station is off to your right. Reach the traffic lights after the bridge then turn left into Winthorpe Road. This road used to go to the village of Winthorpe but is has now been cut by both the A46 Newark bypass and the A1. Follow the long straight road to its end and fork left, signed, to pass under the A46. Come out and turn left then, a bit further on, pass under the A1. Come out at the foot of a hill which leads into Winthorpe. Turn left at a triangle in front of the Lord Nelson pub; this is Holme Road. Follow it over a level crossing then for some distance to a T junction. Turn right and head towards Langford but look for a cycle track going left about 300 m before the level crossing. Take this track, signed, and follow it past a sand quarry, across the quarry access road, then by the side of a nature reserve to emerge back onto a public road at a barrier. Go left and follow the lane into Collingham, being joined by a reverse left fork as you reach the main houses. Continue along Church Street to reach two grassy triangles. Fork left at each despite what the sign says at the second one. Reach a minor road going left for the River Trent which is opposite All Saints Church.

(5) Take the minor road for the River Trent but in about 100 m, turn right, onto a wide track and follow it for some distance, crossing a quarry access road. Look for a new section going off right signed Trent Valley way and going into a nature reserve. This is about where the track deteriorates if the turning is missed. The new track will soon have lakes on your left; if they are on your right then you have missed the turning. Follow the track to a gate then turn sharp right and continue out of the nature reserve, passing a rough car park. Continue to meet Trent Lane. Turn right and follow this into Besthorpe village where you need to fork left passing the 30 mph signs. Pass the chapel and clock tower then continue ahead and follow the road until it bends around to the right to meet the A1133 which is the road from Newark to Gainsborough.

(6) Turn left, towards Gainsborough. Almost immediately, turn right, signed for N Scarle and Wigsley. Follow the road, passing over a diagonal crossroads to the west of North Scarle; continue over two more crossroads then pass the left turn into Wigsley village. Continue and reach Harby. Take the left turn just before the village hall and follow this through and out of the village to reach the foot of the old railway bridge where there is a short spur on the left back to the sustrans track. Turn right to go under the bridge and follow the track back to Skellingthorpe.

Notes

(a) This cycle ride took place in July, 2020.