Gringley on the Hill, Walkeringham, Misterton, Misson, Newington, Austerfield, and Bawtry

After a couple of hours of dancing, jumping up and down, stamping my feet, clapping, singing, cheering and even screaming at the 'Killer Queen' concert, a Queen tribute act appearing at Sheffield City Hall last night, I didn't fancy an early start for the Peak District this morning so I caught the ten o'clock bus for Gringley on the Hill, which is on the way to Gainsborough.

The church was open, someone was already inside; it was very dark and not very good at all for taking photos with my camera...so I've only included this one outdoor shot.

I continued to walk through the village, following the route of the Trent Valley Way down the lane to the Chesterfield Canal, walking along the towpath for only a few hundred yards before taking the bridleway that goes past Leys Farm.

I crossed over the canal again before reaching the road that leads in to Walkeringham. There was more for me to photograph at the church there.

I headed across the fields to Misterton. At some time the footpath here must have been diverted around what looks like some well-disguised oil storage facilities - the area is just marked as 'Depot' on the map. There are several oil wells nearby which you can see as you drive along the main road from Bawtry to Gainsborough.

I left Misterton and headed north along the main road to reach the River Idle at Haxey Gate Inn.

I turned to the west and walked along the bank for three miles until I reached a track that leads into Misson.

My feet were hurting me a bit by now and the gravel surface on the track to Newington didn't help at all. My feet are alright now that I've got home - the boots I was wearing aren't specialist hiking or walking boots and aren't really suitable. I was glad that the final couple of miles into Bawtry were along a road with a causeway.

Clayworth, North Wheatley, Hayton, and Retford

Two consecutive days in the Peak District is a bit too much for me; it's not the walking, it's the getting there and back on public transport that's tiring. So...today I popped down to Nottinghamshire - the weather was forecast to be nicer anyhow. The bus to Retford goes from my local stop and only takes forty minutes, followed by a ten minute wait in the bus station, and then a short fifteen minute trip out to Clayworth. Total expected journey time...sixty five minutes.

Things didn't run to plan, but it wasn't a problem for me though. The number 99 was running about ten minutes late when it arrived at Retford meaning that I might have missed my connection; the number 97 Gainsborough service. However, since the same vehicle is used for both routes I merely got off the bus at the Retford Bus Station, went to the back of the queue and then re-boarded. All in all I arrived at Clayworth only about five minutes late.

I made my way through the village to the church and took some photographs before walking down Church Lane, heading east.

At the far end of the lane I picked up the footpath which led me across the fields to North Wheatley. A section of the route is part of the Trent Valley Way.

There were some good views of two power stations sited on the River Trent, West Burton, the nearer which wasn't generating any power today [I think it might be mothballed] and further away to the south is Cottam.

I entered North Wheatley from the west and walked through the village to reach the church. The church is actually a bit disappointing: it's nothing special to look at and is surrounded by trees and boxed in somewhat by modern buildings - so I found it difficult to find any interesting angles for photographs.

I headed off back in a westerly direction along farm tracks and fields until I reached Hayton. The church here was on the planned route I was taking anyhow.

I then continued down the lane to the canal and walked the final three miles along the towpath back to Retford.

Clarborough, South Wheatley, Sturton le Steeple, Fenton, North Leverton with Habblesthorpe, Welham, and Retford

The drivers, or conductors, on Northern Trains were on strike today so there were fewer trains than usual going to Sheffield - so that's a good enough reason for me to have chosen a walk that means just travelling on buses.

I caught the service number 99 to Retford and then only had ten minutes to wait for the number 97 and the short journey to Clarborough.

I got off the bus and walked down Church Lane, arriving at the church a few minutes later.

The route of the footpath across the fields towards the Trent Valley Way was difficult for me to find, and I actually went the wrong way, going about a mile and a quarter further than I'd planned. The path was quite overgrown in places with nettles, thistles, and brambles and wasn't signposted at all; there were just difficult-to-see kissing gates along the way. I didn't really mind about the extra distance though because I ended up quite high up with some lovely views.

As I entered South Wheatley I immediately turned right and headed for the ruined church, where I ate my sandwiches sitting on a bench in the well-maintained churchyard.

There's a footpath which runs alongside the churchyard and according to the map heads straight for the still active church at North Wheatley at the top of the hill. I followed the path across a field but couldn't find any way out, even after a complete circuit...so I returned to the road and headed off in the direction of Sturton le Steeple. As I left South Wheatley I took a photograph of the village's welcome sign, as I always do when I'm entering or leaving a village in Nottinghamshire. I really like these signs, and have photographed quite a few now - the ones for each village are unique and feature something associated with the place, either historic or cultural. I added three more to my collection today.

I chose to take one of the footpaths across the fields to Sturton le Steeple; I wish I hadn't though because just after I'd crossed the railway line which leads to West Burton Power Station I found myself needing to walk through a field of impenetrable rapeseed. I chickened out and walked around the edge, which was still difficult enough - somehow I reached the road without too much trouble, although my clothes were covered in seeds, insects and pieces of whatever vegetation had stuck to me.

Despite the name of the village being 'Sturton le Steeple' the church actually has a tower, not a steeple...although it is quite unusual and has some features which are maybe more like a steeple.

I popped in to The Reindeer pub across the road from the church and ordered a pint of Diet Pepsi; at only £1.20 it was the least I've paid for a very long time. Cheers!

I took the footpath across the fields to the next village, North Leverton with Habblesthorpe, which is the longest official place name in England, and the second longest in Europe...only beaten by Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch in Wales.

It's only a short walk along the lane to North Leverton Windmill, which was turning as I passed and took some photographs.

I continued to head due west across a variety of landscapes until I reached one of the back streets of Welham and then a lane which led to the outskirts of Retford, from where I caught my bus back to Doncaster, from the Market Place.