Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

Today, the Three Amigos met up and we did a 7-mile circular walk from Cotgrave Country Park to Holme Pierrepont and back.

This walk was found on the Vale of Belvoir Ramblers blog site https://vbramblers.blogspot.com/ and was guaranteed to avoid any mud. This was just perfect for us after a very boggy walk last week – that walk was so bad that I didn’t even do a blog about it!

Cotgrave Country Park is home to 200 acres of woodland, meadows and wetland areas. It is on the site of the old colliery which closed in 1993. Meeting in the free car park we set off through the park. The park is very popular and well used by local residents. Chris was wearing his shorts – a sure sign that summer is on the way!

Chris was suffering from the after effects of a bad cold but gamely marched on. Leaving the park we took the cycle trail along the route of the dismantled railway line.

The sun was warming up and it was very pleasant walking. We would have liked to continue along the cycle trail but there was a diversion in place due to concerns over a bridge further on. We dropped down by a pub with a splendid thatched roof.

We followed the busy, noisy road and crossed the A52 to head towards Holme Pierrepont. I didn’t enjoy being by the road – everything seemed so frenetic. The tranquillity we had enjoyed in the park was gone.

The walk took us past a handy bench that was just perfect to take a break and enjoy a cuppa- I enjoyed a Bovril 😊.

Mick was familiar with this area and took us beside Skylarks Country park – there were signs containing philosophical quotations along the way. I liked this one in particular

‘Its not what you look at that matters, its what you see’ by Henry Thoreau

Naturally this sparked a philosophical discussion among the Three Amigos😊 .

We were soon back at the busy A52 again and our previous worries about getting across proved unfounded – we crossed unscathed.

We headed towards Bassingfield to pick up the Grantham Canal.

It really was a beautiful day and the temperature was rising nicely. We were walking along the towpath back to the Cotgrave Country Park. We passed a couple of swans nest building and saw a solitary duckling with its parents – we wondered where the others were.

We passed ‘Skinners Cottage’ – an lovely former locksmiths cottage.

We were soon arriving back into the park – it was a lot busier than when we had left. Maybe because its half- term still.

I think we had all appreciated a mud free walk ( and in Chris’s case not much uphill walking!!) and enjoyed the warmer weather.

Happy Walking! 😊🚶‍♂️.