Re: Bob's Bits.
Because my adventures don't start until it gets warmer (Wuss) I thought you might like to read a previous report.......
Gringley to Clayworth
For eight years I drove round the country delivering parcels and other miscellaneous items as a self employed courier, it was ‘the’ best job I have ever done. Along with sandwiches and a drink, running kit was also considered an essential item to carry in the back of the van, and upon a successful delivery, I would study the map to find interesting places to fit in a cheeky five mile run. But the job always came first, and as I sped around the network of roads to deliver a time sensitive parcel I would pass places that would call out to me to explore. One such place was the Chesterfield Canal at Worksop. I would gaze down at the towpath as I drove over the bridge and wished that I could walk along it. Where did it go? What interesting things could be seen along it’s meandering course?........ But at that time it was just a dream. Jobs came and went, and an opportunity to retire presented itself on my sixtieth birthday, so I accepted.
I still had the desire to walk the full length of the Chesterfield Canal, and so it was on Thursday 21st March 2013, that I set foot on the first five mile stretch. I would walk ten miles each week, five out, and five miles back to the car. It was cold and muddy along this first stretch, and the running shoes I had selected to walk in didn’t grip so well in the mud and I was slipping and sliding most of the five miles. It was a very scenic route that started in West Stockwith on the banks of the River Trent and followed the path where two walks merged: ‘The Cuckoo Way’ and ‘The Trent Valley Way’ and the GPS watch had notched up five miles by the lock at Gringley-on-the-Hill....Just a walk back then......
The next week, with the sun streaming through the window, I set off to join the canal where I left off last week at Gringley-on-the-Hill. The canal banks were a lot firmer today, and going was good, in fact so good, I felt guilty not running, sometimes it’s just nice to dawdle and take in the view though. The canal winds it’s way through woods and farmland, until you arrive at the road bridge that carries the A631 Bawtry to Gainsborough road. You can not pass through the tunnel, so instead you take a dirt track over Cuckoo Hill and then back down to the side of the canal. The shorts I brought might have been okay for running, but it was too cold to walk in them. Although the sun was poking out from behind the clouds now and then making it very pleasant, when it went in; Monkey’s and welder’s sprung to mind. A couple of bridges later you come to Wiseton, a very nice little meal stop, there’s even a seat to watch the world go by, whilst devouring a Tesco Tuna and Cucumber Sandwich, I doesn’t get much better than this. But it was too early for lunch, so I’ll stop here on the way back. Carrying on, you arrive at Clayworth, you see the church on the hill first, and the building in front with the conservatory is Royston Manor, where, in the past, on several occasions, I have sampled their fine cuisine and entertained many a young lady. Pressing on, you pass by the boat people, an assortment of occupied narrow boats, eventually arriving at the Retford Boat Club. This is as far as we go today, GPS says 5 miles. With a good off road car park, and toilets, this will be my starting point next week. I did jog, all the way back to Wiseton, the seat, and Dinner, but I was beaten by three walkers and a mangy Jack Russell. Bugger.....
To be continued........