Sneinton Walk

A two hour circular walk from Green’s Mill to Hermitage SquareWalk No. 2

Coverimages,GreensMill,statueofWilliamBoothoutsideNotintonePlaceandColwickWoodsProducedbytheNottinghamLocalAccessForumwiththesupportofNottinghamCityCouncil

POINTS OF INTEREST

MAP

Green’s Millwasbuiltin1807andthemillhousein1817.Themiller’sson,GeorgeGreen,whooriginallyusedthemill’sthirdfloorasastudy,isconsideredamathematicalgeniusby,amongstothers,AlbertEinstein.Green’sgravecanbeseeninthenorthsideofStStephen’schurchyard.Themillcomplexwasrestoredin1986andincludesasmallsciencemuseum.

Sneinton Hermitagewasfirstrecordedinthe16thcentury.Alargecomplexofcaves,builtintothesandstonecliff,wasinhabitedaspartofrockhousesuntilthe1860s.Twopubsincludedcavesuntiltherailwayexpansionofthe1890sand1900smeanttheirfrontagewasremoved.Theremainingcavesprobablyincludedabreweryanddipwell.

Colwick Wood isaLocalNatureReserveanditssandstonecliffisaSiteofSpecialScientificInterest(SSSI).Covering125acres,itwasoncepartofalargeestate.Muchofthepresentwoodlandisancientsemi-naturalwithremnantsofparklandfromColwickHallestate.Thisareaofwoodlandandmeadows,withviewsovertheTrentValley,ishometoawiderangeofwildlifeandplants.ThesiteisownedbyNottinghamCityCouncilandmanagedtogetherwiththeFriendsofColwickWoods(www.friendsofcolwickwoods.co.uk).

June2014

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LegendLong walk (4 miles / 6.4 km)Short walk avoiding steps and steep gradients (2.5 miles / 4 km)

THE FACTS

Area: Sneinton,NottinghamCity

Distance: 4miles,(6.4km)(shorterwalk2.5miles,4km)

Duration: About2hours

Maps: OSLandranger129,OSExplorer833

Travelinformation: Busno.43betweenCityCentreandBakersfield

Terrain: Pavements,steps,reclaimedrailwayandwoodlandtrackswithsomemoderate/steepslopes.Partcouldbemuddy.Somesectionsareunsuitableforwheelchairs,mobilityscootersandprams.

Startingpoint: Green’sMill.ParkingoffWindmillLane. BusonSneintonRoad.

Refreshments: Green’sMillcomplexisopenThursday-Sunday,provideshotandcolddrinksandtoilets.Thereareothereatinganddrinkingfacilitiesinthearea.

Sneinton was originally a village on a hill above the Trent Valley. This circular walk takes in some local landmarks, interesting urban and railway architecture, a greenway and part of Colwick Woods. An alternative shorter route, avoiding steep gradients and steps, is given.

After30mbearleftattheSneintonGreenwaypublicfootpath.Continueonalevelsurfacewithbuddleia,birch,andcherryamongsttheplantsonthisgreenway.Partofthe1997ShaneMeadows’film“247”wassethere.ThefootpathfollowstheroutetheGreatNorthernRailwaytookintoLondonRoadstation.Thelineclosedin1967whenSkegnessandGranthamtrainswerereroutedintoMidlandStation.KeepwalkingalongthegreenwaypastthefootbridgeovertherailwayatMeadowLaneandthenatTrentLanecrosstherailwayonyourrightbythefootbridge,passingtheremainsofabrickbridge.ThiscarriedtheNottinghamSuburbanRailwaytoStAnn’s,SherwoodandDaybrook,closedin1916.Fromtherampofthefootbridgecontinuestraightaheadalongthegreenway.AtRacecourseRoadturnleft.Afterthelevelcrossing,crosstheroadtotheentrancetoColwickWoods,bythepublicfootpathandinformationboard.

Fortheshorterwalk,continuealongColwickRoadthenturnleftdownKimberleyStreetthenrightalongWhittierRoadtoTrentLane.TurnleftandthenrightontotheGreenwayandretraceyourstepstoManversStreet.Turnrightandrightagain,continuingalongSneintonHermitagefor437yards(400m)toHermitageSquare.RejointhelongerwalkatpointG.

ForColwickWoods,headupthesteepfootpathwithwoodenretainingstepsandironrailingsonyourrightfor437yards(400m).Ignoreallpathstotheleftuntiljustafterthebrowofthehillandbeforethepathstartstodescendsteeply.Turnleftatthefootpathwaymarkandcontinuefor328yards(300m)keepingtotheleft.Turnleftatthenextfootpathwaymarksign,around50mbeyondaseat,upasteepgrassyvalleybetweenwoodland.Attheendofthewoodland,continuestraightaheaduntilreachingastonetrack.Turnleftontothistrack,headingtowardsthecoveredreservoirsandtelecommunicationsmast.Turnleftbeforethereservoirgate,thenrightpassingthemastonyourleftthenrightagaintogoaroundthereservoir.Carrystraightonforaround251yards(230m)andtakeadetouralongthefirstpathonyourright,bearingleftforapanoramicviewofSneintonandNottingham.Retraceyourstepsbacktothewalkandturnrightandcontinuepassedtheschoolonyourright.AsharprightbringsyoutoSneintonBoulevard.Takethenextfootpath,immediatelyonyourleft,downthewoodenstepstoColwickRoad.

FollowtheroutedescribedinpointDorturnrightdownColwickRoadtowardsHermitageSquarepassingStChristopher’sChurchafter273yards(250m).On8thMay1941duringtheNottinghamBlitz,thechurchwascompletelyburntoutfromanincendiaryoilbomb.Inspiteofdevastatingdamage,servicesandweddingscontinuedatthechurchsoonafter,andthebuildingwascompletelyrestoredtoitsoriginalcondition.

AtHermitageSquarethestatuecommemoratesWilliamAbendigoThompson,knownasBendigo.Abare-fistfighterbornin1811,hewastheEnglishchampionfor20years.TurnrightintoThurgartonStreetandleftontoCastleStreet.HomesherewerebuiltbywealthyVictorians.Itissaidno.10,‘TheTowers’wasbuiltbyamanwhoownedallthebargesontheTrentandsatinthetowertokeepaneyeonthem.Thethreestoreybuilding,betweenCastleStreetandSneintonHollows,wasapubcalled‘TheOldWrestlers’.TurnrightatthejunctionwithSneintonHollows.CrossSneintonDaleandretraceyourstepstothewindmilldirectlyahead.

THE ROUTE

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Takethepathacrosstheopenareasouthofthemill,goingleftofthechildren’splayarea,todescendontoBelvoirHill.TurnrightontoDaleStreet.Continue,crossingWindmillLane,totheentrancetoNotintonePlaceandtheWilliamBoothCentre.WilliamBooth,thefounderoftheSalvationArmywasbornherein1829.Theredevelopmentoftheareainthe1960sincorporatedthreeoriginalhousesatthecentreofamemorialcomplex,whichincludesamuseumandstatueofBooth.

CrossSneintonRoad/DaleStreetandcontinuedownNotintoneStreet,withStStephen’schurchonyourleft.Thefourthchurchtostandonthissite,thetowerandclockfromthe1838replacementwereretainedintheearly20thcenturyrebuilding.TheparentsofD.H.Lawrenceweremarriedhere,hismother’sfamilylivingnearby.TurnleftontoStStephensRoad.(Alternatively,toavoidstepsturnright,continuealongNewarkStreetfor125yards(115m)thencrossoverandturnleftdownLowerEldonStreetthenleftontoManversStandcontinuetowardsSneintonHermitagetorejointhewalkatpointC).Mostoftheterracedstreetswerebuiltoflocalbrickattheendofthe19thcentury.Noticethedecorativebrickworkandtiledporcheswithcarvedheadsoneithersideofanarch.TurnrightontoLeesHillStreetcontinuefor164yards(150m)thengodownthesteps(apublicfootpathcalledLeesHillFootway)onyourrighttoSneintonHermitage.TurnrighttolookattheremnantsoftheHermitagecaves.CrossSneintonHermitageatthepedestrianrefuge,continuetothejunctionwithManversStreet.Onyourrightthesculptureofthe‘SneintonDragon’byRobertStubleywasunveiledin2006.Turnleftattrafficlights.