Walks in Nottinghamshire by train

Canal, river, wooded track and roadside footpath.

2 lunch spots: Wilford Farm (1h30 in), or Dovecote Barn Café (3h in)

Warnings: Short stretch on busy A453.

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Good paths, nature reserve, canal and river.

Waterway: nine tenths beside rivers and canals.

4 lunch spots: Beeston Lock (1h in) — the Riverside Bar, Boathouse Cafe, or Canal Heritage Centre; plus Restaurant Sat Bains (2h in)

Warnings: Check for flooding.

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Village greens and countryside.

2 lunch spots: Caffe Velo Verde (1h30 in), or the Royal Oak (2h15 in)

1 end-of-walk reward: the Butter Cross

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

River, lanes and racecourse.

1 lunch spot: Southwell Minster Refectory Café (2h30 in)

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Countryside and river.

4 lunch spots: Gunthorpe (2h45 in) — the Anchor, or the Unicorn Hotel; plus the World's End (15 mins in), or the Red Lion (2h15 in)

3 end-of-walk rewards: the Wheatsheaf Inn, the Cross Keys, or the Lord Nelson

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Urban and suburban streets, golf-course path, woodland, abandoned canal towpath (partly waterlogged) and active canal towpath. Bennerley Viaduct gives expansive valley views — Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station is visible 10+ miles distant. Approximate walking time 4–5 hours.

Warnings: Heavy traffic at the dual-carriageway crossing near Nottingham; canal paths shared with cyclists.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Tranquil river crossing through gently hilly, wooded Sherwood Forest country. Suburban footpaths, parkland, field paths, woodland, riverside and gravel tracks. Newstead Abbey was Lord Byron's ancestral seat; Byron is buried at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Hucknall. Newstead Colliery (closed 1987) has a pit-wheel monument on the route.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Recommended: A quiet, mostly green suburban route on shared paths, cycle tracks and quiet streets with plenty of tree cover, plus small stretches of pavement by busy roads and a short field path. It is largely level and step- and stile-free, with one short and slightly rough and steep section descending through a wood east of the A611. Largely follows old railway paths and cycletracks. Kirkby and Hucknall are linked by the Robin Hood line and the Trentbarton Threes bus.

Warnings: A short, steep and slightly rough wooded section east of the A611, with side paths to ignore, may be tough for heavier wheels.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Recommended: An excellent route; very enjoyable. An off-road and peaceful route using byways, the Chesterfield Canal towpath, farm tracks and with some walking through housed areas on safe pavements at either end. The canal section can get hemmed in by bracken and undergrowth; no serious hills. Follows the Chesterfield Canal towpath; passes Babworth Church, linked to the Pilgrim Fathers, with a display board; few benches in the middle third.

Mr Straw's House: An Ordinary house, an extraordinary home (National Trust; 1h to visit).

Lunch: The Chequers pub at Ranby is the only refreshment option in the middle third and needs a detour off the towpath; stock up at the start otherwise.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

An exceptional walk over the meadow. A typical country walk with a few stiles but lots of easy gates, following the delightful Trent riverside path on a good surface shared with bikes and horses, with meadows where cattle may graze, an in-summer overgrown woodland path. There are quiet lanes and bridleways and a path alongside the Ouse Dyke; the riverside may flood in extreme conditions. Follows the River Trent riverside path. Carlton and Bingham are linked to Nottingham by rail and frequent buses.

Lunch: Services in abundance at Gunthorpe.

Warnings: The riverside path may flood in extreme conditions. Cattle may be grazing the meadow. A summer-overgrown woodland path. A narrow no-pavement bridge on Chandos Street, though the road is fairly quiet.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Superb view of the Trent Valley. Mostly quiet field paths, some surfaced and free of stiles and with a final short climb up to The Cliffs above the River Trent. Some muddy patches when very wet. Uses parts of the Trent Valley Way. A substantial housing development at Newton means the bridleway nearby may be subject to temporary closures. Both ends are served by trains and a frequent bus service.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A most enjoyable walk. A long, pleasant but indirect walk through quiet arable farmland, mostly on good unsurfaced field paths with mown grass headlands and cross-field paths and plus quiet roads and riverside sections. Clay soil is sticky when wet; there are stiles and one short flight of steps. Passes Beacon Hill, Cranmer's Mound, a motte and bailey, the Elston Old Chapel and 3-metre green-man sculptures at Screveton; the riverside finish passes Newark Castle. A community shop at Elston (mornings, serves coffee); cafe/tea room at Screveton; garden centre cafe near the A46. Pubs bypassed at Flintham and Elston.

Lunch: A cafe/tea room at Screveton and a garden centre cafe near the A46; pubs at Flintham and Elston are just off route and may not be open midday.

Warnings: The unavoidable road section into Bottesford is the busiest, with a constant stream of large lorries and no pavement, only a narrow verge. There is one short flight of steps south of Flintham, and a level footpath crossing of the railway at Bingham. Cross-field paths are often not reinstated by farmers, so the plot is essential. The route avoids a A46 crossing.

Walk details: Slow Ways.