My Walking Journeys

Explore a Scenic 9-Mile Circular Walk by the River Trent

Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

Today, Mick and I enjoyed a 9-mile circular walk starting at Gunthorpe by the river Trent in Nottinghamshire. We followed the river Trent for a few miles before turning away from the river and then took paths and tracks back to Gunthorpe. This was a walk that we last did in August 2025, so it was overdue a visit – its one of our favourites.

A map displaying a route through the areas of Hoveringham, Caythorpe, and Kneeton, highlighting bodies of water and surrounding landscapes.

It was a chilly autumnal morning as we set off passing Gunthorpe lock and weir.

A scenic river view with blue skies and scattered clouds, featuring a dock extending into the water, surrounded by lush greenery and partially visible boats in the background.
The weir at Gunthorpe

The grass river bank is broad at this point. The sky was blue and no one was around.

A serene riverside view with a clear blue sky, lush green grass, and trees reflecting in the calm water.
River Trent

It is surprising how quickly the weather can change. As we strode along the river bank the clouds were gathering.

A serene view of a river surrounded by lush green grass and trees under a partly cloudy sky.
Gathering clouds

As we were walking along I got to thinking about Karl Bushby who has recently completed an epic 28-year walk from the southern tip of Chile back home to Hull. https://karlbushby.world/ Apparently, there will be a documentary film produced (by Werner Herzog) so that should be interesting to see. How does he adjust back to normal life I wondered – I doubt that he could, he will need a new challenge. I can’t help but admire his achievement.

We passed through what we have previously known to be a muddy section unscathed and then took paths towards Caythorpe. Autumn colours delighted us on our way.

A path leading through lush green grass toward a wooden gate, framed by a large, vibrant tree with orange and yellow autumn foliage against a bright sky.
An open gate
A scenic pathway bordered by trees displaying autumn foliage, with a grey sky overhead and a green field in the background.

As there were no benches on this stretch of the walk we took a break standing on a small wooden bridge. A coffee and a scotch egg boosted energy levels ready for the next few miles. Doing the walk at different times of the year is interesting – last time we did the walk the fields were full of crops, today they were mainly fallow.

We came to a favourite part of the walk where we crossed the ford by Hoveringham Mill. Its always a delight to admire the old mill building.

A small footbridge over a shallow pond, with a stone and metal railing on one side and foliage surrounding the area. A pathway leads to the bridge, bordered by grass and a dirt path.
The Ford

A charming red-brick house with a thatched roof beside a tranquil pond, surrounded by autumn foliage.
The Mill

As we followed the meandering stream walking along the top of a grassed bank towards Caythorpe the light rain started falling – was this in the forecast we asked ourselves? We thought not.

A grassy pathway bordered by trees on a cloudy day, leading through a rural landscape.
On the way towards Caythorpe

Should I get my rain jacket out of my rucksack I asked myself – No, I decided the rain is not that bad. After walking through the village of Caythorpe we took a path to Gunthorpe passing ‘The Gloves’ – a local ‘landmark’ missed by many I expect, a pair of gloves between the bricks in a culvert 😊.

A circular drainpipe leading into a shallow stream, surrounded by overgrown vegetation and grassy banks.
The Gloves

As we arrived into Gunthorpe the rain had stopped and blue sky could be seen in places. I expect it will be sunny this afternoon, I said to Mick, and indeed it was!

Happy Walking! 😊🚶

oldblokewalking

, , , ,

Leave a Reply