THE LOUISE SMALLEY JUNIOR WALK

SECTION ONE – BAKESTONE MOOR TO BELPH.

On leaving the Royal Oak car park, cross the road and turn right to walk along Bakestone Moor. After approx 75 yards, take the first turning on your left and proceed along Hillside. Continue along this road as it first rises gently, then drops more steeply. At the bottom of the hill, follow the road round to the right. At the junction, go straight across and turn right. After approx 50 yards a smaller road bears off left from the main road, take this left fork. After approx 100 yards, immediately after the Jug & Glass pub, take the footpath on your left. At the end of this path you reach a road, go straight across, turn left and then right onto Worksop Road. Follow Worksop Road as it rises gently and, at the brow, where the road bears left, GO STRAIGHT AHEAD and proceed along Doles Lane.

Continue along Doles Lane and, where you meet the garages, carry on straight ahead along a track. Continue along the track for approx 600 yards until you reach a footpath sign on your right. Follow this path as it takes you across two fields, the second having a hedge to your right. At the end of the second field turn 45 degrees right, heading towards a railway bridge. Go under the bridge and turn 45 degrees right across the next field. Cross the stile at the end of the field and head for a small copse. Walk with the copse to your left until you reach a metal gate. Cross the stile at this gate and head across the next field to another stile to the left of a tree. Cross this stile and proceed directly across the next two fields towards Hodthorpe village.

On reaching the road, turn right and head towards Hodthorpe. After approx 200 yards turn 90 degrees left onto Green Lane. Walk down Green Lane to its end and, at the junction, turn left, walk approx 50 yards then turn right onto another road. Walk along this road and, where the road bears right, take the lane to the left: Water Lane. As you cross the stream, turn left, following the path with the stream to your left. The path emerges at the small village of Belph and here will be your first watering hole.

SECTION TWO – BELPH TO SOUTH LODGE.

Shortly after the watering hole, at the end of the path, turn left and walk down the lane for approx 50 yards, until you reach a road. Go straight across the road, over the bridge over the stream and head for the stile directly in front of you. Cross over the stile, turn right and walk down the edge of the field with the hedge on your right. On reaching the main road, the A60, CROSS OVER WITH EXTREME CARE, turn left and walk for approx 25 yards until you see a footpath sign on your right. Here, go over the stile and walk 45 degrees left across the field. Go over the stile at the far end of this field and cross the next field heading for two “solitary” trees. On reaching the trees proceed along the edge of the field with the hedge on your left. On reaching the corner of this field, go through the gap in the hedge and bear slightly right across the next field. At the apex of this field you meet a footpath sign, turn left and walk with the hedge and trees on your right.

On reaching the stream, cross the footbridge, turn 90 degrees right and walk with the stream on your right. The stream turns to the left and then to the right. Where the stream turns right, cut across the corner of the field to the wood facing you. Walk around the perimeter of the wood, keeping the wood to your right. At the top of the field, turn left, and then right through the hedge. Walk along the edge of the field with the hedge to your left. After approx 150 yards, turn 90 degrees right and walk down the same field keeping the hedge to your left. After approx 200 yards you reach a gap in the hedge with a waymarked post. Go through the hedge and turn 45 degrees right across the next field. At the corner of this next field proceed into the next field and walk with the hedge on your right.

On reaching the lane, turn left onto the lane and then right, following the Worksop footpath sign. Go over the stile and walk down the field with the hedge to your right. Cross over the next stile and walk approx 20 yards to another. Go over this stile into the next field. Walk around the perimeter of the field, keeping the hedge and fence to your right. At the corner of this field, go over the two stiles into the next field. Walk down the edge of this field with the trees and stream to your left. At the corner of the field, cross the stile and turn 90 degrees right onto a tree lined lane. Where the lane meets another track, turn 90 degrees right onto the track. Continue along this track, which takes you through a wooded area before emerging at South Lodge. Here is your second watering hole.

SECTION THREE – SOUTH LODGE TO CRESWELL CRAGGS.

From the watering hole, retrace your steps and, just after where you emerged from the track, turn right, passing to the left of the lodge. Pass through the gate, turn right to the next gate, then turn left, joining the main path heading towards Welbeck Abbey. You are now walking alongside the tunnel skylights. At the end of the path you pass a pond on your right and, at the junction, turn right joining a road. The road swings left to a junction, here you turn right. Approx 75 yards on take the track on the left marked by a wooden sign. The track bears left to playing fields. Stay with the track, walking with a wooden fence on your left. At the end of the playing fields, carry on along the track, walking now with a fence to your right and a hedge to your left. At the concrete road, turn right and walk along the road. It swings left down to Oaksetts Lodge, where it joins a tree lined drive leading to the main A60 road. Follow this tree lined drive towards the A60 and, on reaching the road, CROSS STRAIGHT OVER WITH EXTREME CARE, and continue walking along the lane opposite, which leads you to the Creswell Craggs visitors centre. Here, at the picnic area / car park is your third watering hole.

SECTION FOUR – CRESWELL CRAGGS TO BAKESTONE MOOR.

From the watering hole, rejoin the lane and pass the visitors centre to your left. Keep on the lane as it rises gently to reach the lodge at the entrance to the visitor centre. On reaching the road ( the “old road”) turn right and walk up to the junction with the “new road”. Here you will see an area fenced off with stiles at either end. Pass through this area via the stiles and, at the far end, cross over the road and turn right. Walk along the road for approx 50 yards then turn left onto a bridle way ( known locally as Tommy Moore’s Lane). The path is quite wide and well defined and rises gently as you proceed. After approx 600 yards you reach the apex of the lane where you will see, to your right, an offshoot path. Take this offshoot – DO NOT CONTINUE DOWN THE MAIN PATH – you will have a wire fence to your right and small trees to your left. After approx 50 yards you will meet a wall, here the path turns right. Turn right on the path, now walking with the fence on your right and a wall on your left beyond which are trees. Continue along the path and, after approx 220 yards, you reach a fence with a stile at a point where another path joins from the left.

Cross over the stile and continue straight ahead, immediately leaving the bushes and trees behind, and walking along the top of several fields, taking you over more stiles along the way, until, at the end of the fields, you reach a rail line – part of the Robin Hood Way.

Here turn right and walk adjacent to the rail line, climbing the “Battiste” steps. At the top of the steps, continue along the track, with a wire fence either side, until you reach a gap in the wall, on the left, marked with a waymark sign (green background, yellow arrow). Turn left here and follow the path as it bears left and heads downhill. The path dips and swings right at the end of the quarry bund, follow it round and continue straight ahead for a short distance until you reach a right turn next to a seat. Turn right here and continue ahead for approx 100 yards until you reach a track to your left leading to a cottage. Turn left onto the track and, after approx 100 yards, cross over a stile and continue ahead to the road. On reaching the road, turn right and walk along the causeway, heading for Whitwell. Follow this main road into Whitwell and, after approx half a mile you will reach the Royal Oak, your destination.

WELL DONE!!