Anyone used this book? Is it any good? Are teh directions/maps/info useful? I see they have a Notts circular and quite fancy it, so looking at buying the book or should i just get teh OS map out and join up as many bridleways as i can?

Ooooh… that’s a new one on me, I’ll have to try and find one to have a look, I thought you were talking about the old East Midlands guide, which is okay.

For the most part I just used an OS map and went out riding to find the good local stuff around Notts… a mild laissez-faire attitude to rights of way is helpful around here as well… ;o)

the way i see it, nick, is that in a built up area like nottingham, there are plenty of kids that will ride on what are technically footpaths without anyone saying anything. it’s when you get out into places like the Lakes or Peak District that staying to briddleways becomes more important. I try to keep footpath riding to a minimum but i dont reject it out of hand.

Nats is what you need 🙂

Not been a member for some time now – but a friendly welcoming bunch with a wealth of ‘local’ knowledge

Got the book, can be a bit hit and miss, it’s definitely got some bits where they’re actually directing you across footpaths.

http://www.mikkel.org.uk/myownlittleworld/map.html?f=TrentLockCircular.gpx

http://www.mikkel.org.uk/myownlittleworld/map.html?f=CotgraveCircular.gpx

http://www.mikkel.org.uk/myownlittleworld/map.html?f=NewsteadAbbeyCircular.gpx

The problem with the area round Notts is even if it’s a bridleway, there’s no guarantee it’s rideable, had to carry my bike after the clay mud has made even pushing impossible on more than one occasion. The farmers like to plough through a lot of them too, can make following one across a large field interesting.

The above routes are all from that book i think

swoosh.. oh I completely agree about the Lakes and the Peak, and generally stuff that’s not on my back door, I’m far more circumspect about where and what I ride.

But around Nottingham it’s pretty much all fair game as far as I am concerned, and just about every ride involves footpaths and cheeky riding to some extent or other, especially as all the good bits aren’t bridleways… :o)

ebygomm.. looking at those routes they seem to miss out even the legal good bits! But I’ll agree with you about some of the mud, especially after the horses have been out.

ebygomm, what’s that trent lock route like? I dont live too far from that loop so might give it a go but it just looks like it contains a lot of urban stuff which doesnt really get my juices flowing. got any others in the west nottingham area?

The Trent Lock route isn’t completely the one in the book, we lost a bridleway across a field and ended up stuck and having to retrace steps as it started to get dark, only one set of lights between us so we ended up going on the road rather than trying to find the right route. I can put up a link to the complete route if you like?

It’s ok, but nothing particularly great, a ride to do when you want to get out somewhere without getting in the car rather than anything else.

Never really been out round west Nottingham, used to live in Carlton and now we’re further North so local wanders tend to be round those areas.

FunkyNick: so what ‘legal good bits’ would you recommend? see if i can work them into next local ride i do

if you could post up the complete route ebygomm that would be grand.

yeah, funkynick, which are the best legal bits we should be looking out for?