Vintage Rambles with rafaand Flake

This month we head to the area around Hardwick Hall. The countryside around the hall is beautiful and varied. This time of the year there is often lambs, so if you take your dogs, please take extra care.

6 Mile Circular Walk From Hardwick Inn And Around Hardwick Hall

A fairly easy walk for you and your dog which is relatively flat but has a few short stretches on country roads. The route should take around 2.5-3 hours. The terrain can be a little uneven so as usual a good pair of boots will help. And as Ever Follow the Countryside code!

Keeping

Inn on your right, cross the cattle grid and walk up the road into Hardwick Park. Stay with the road until it bends sharply left. At this point, go straight ahead to pass through a gate and into a field.

2. Follow the well-trodden path across the field to pass through another gate. You will begin to enter woodland. Follow the path up hill to a T-junction and turn right. Follow the path ahead and then down into a dip and up the other side. At the very end of the woodland, pass through a gate and onto a lane.

3. Follow the lane straight ahead passing a cottage on the left. Further on you will reach ‘Norwood Barn’ on the left. Here take the sign posted footpath through the large wooden gate to the left. The path will take you between the buildings, through a gap in a stone wall and on into an open field.

4. Go straight across the field and into a wooded area. Head down hill, cross a small footbridge and into another open field. Follow the path for a short distance and then into a small wooded area. Just inside the trees you will cross ‘Rowthorne Trail’. Take the path straight ahead signposted for ‘Rowthorne Village’.

5. Continue straight, passing through 3 hedgerows and eventually onto a road. Turn left along the road to reach a T-Junction and then turn right into Rowthorne Village.

6. Continue along the road until you see a footpath to the left signposted for ‘Ault Hucknall’. Take the path through a wooden gate and after a short distance through a metal gate into a field. Go straight ahead and then turn towards the bottom right hand corner of this field to pass through another metal gate. Keeping the hedgerow on your right, cross this field to pass through a wooden gate and onto a road.

7. Cross the road diagonal left and then go through a wooden gate into a field. Cross the field, then through a hedgerow into another field and eventually through a wooden gate onto a road.

8. Turn left on the road to pass Ault Hucknall Church on your right. Just past the church take the bridle path on your left signposted for ‘Hardwick Park’.

9. Continue straight along the bridle path passing a signpost reading ‘residents vehicles only’ and then onto a blue wooden gate. Pass through the gate and in a short distance where the bridle path bears right, go straight down to a road.

10. At the road turn left, cross the cattle grid and turn immediately right and head down hill, keeping a fence on your right. After a short distance turn right through a wooden gate. Follow the path passing four ponds on your left before turning left to pass between two ponds, heading for a kissing gate.

11. Pass through the gate and keep ahead across an open area to then pass by a wooded area with a metal fence. Keep the fence on your right and continue until you have reached the Hardwick Inn.

This walk is for illustrative purposes only. Voice Magazines Ltd takes no responsibility for anyone who chooses to follow this route and encourages all walkers to obey all byelaws and signs and to respect the area they are walking in, ensuring they pick up all dog mess and obey the countryside code at all times.