Worksop Woodsetts RFM Blue Line

 Worksop Woodsetts 

RFM Blue Line

25/09/24

After a walking trip to Lapland and 2 days on the Pennine Way including Hadrian's Wall I was not highly motivated to do this walk but I am glad I did.

The walk started in the nice modern estate in Gateford (Worksop).It took a while to get to Gateford Hill the start of the countryside but everyone I passed was friendly and some willing to chat. One lady with 2 dogs and a baby in a stroller left me with the phrase 'Its not winter yet'. She was right and actually though overcast again it was quite warm and still.

Through the pleasant and dark Owday wood onto Owday Lane with its huge bare autumnal fields stretching over the northern horizon. 

Following the lane over the hill at Cotterhill Woods, the woods have been replaced with bare grain prairies.

The final field before the road had horses in it but they were round the bottom end in the trees so it was easy to cross.

The lane up to the golf course past Cotterhill Woods Farm was pleasant with the roofs of the visible buildings being covered in the ubiquitous red pan tiles. There is a dutch story here but its in a previous blog.

There were lots of green keepers active on the golf course and the nearby ones did say hello.

Woodsetts is a quiet rural village just visible in the distance.

The area around the golf course was one of very upmarket houses.  I got to Cross Lane and followed the lane for a few miles.

I met a lady with an old alsatian called Charlie. I mentioned we lost our dog called Charlie. This Charlie was very friendly and well looked after. His fur was soft as silk but his back end was going. She said whilst ever he wanted to go for a walk she would keep him. Charmingly she called him Charlie Pie and I continued on my way. 

The lane was quite easy to follow and was obviously a popular dog walking route.

The farmers were raking and seeding and the birds were following.

Big machinery now a days.

Off the track towards Holme House farm a group of rabbits seemed oblivious to my presence until a clicked at them. 

On the other side of the lane were several horses. In fact this farm seemed to be full of horses. Past the farm through the buidings and into the next field I came a cross a couple with 2 dogs, a young husky and a giant fawn coloured mastif of some kind. The big dog was frightening and unmuzzled. I just carried on after a hasty hello. The dog looked as powerful as a bull. Hardly a pet in my view.

A brief road stretch and then into the small wood at Hardwick Ashes.

In the photo on the right you can just see a squirrel on the ground eating lost grain but not leaving his tree.

The same tree from lower down. Lone trees are always impressive if a little sad.

The final stretch back to the start in Gateford was happily along well walked tracks and paths rather than streets. The only people I saw had dogs but all were happy to say hello.

A lovely walk through the northern part of rural Nottinghamshire. Not many hills so relatively easy. Hats off to the local farmers there were some very good paths and some excellent, though, the path towards Cotterwoods Farm was unpassable as a kissing gate needed repair.. I climbed over it.