Erewash Valley Trail ride

A 6-strong combined group of Derby Rangers and Erewash Valley Rangers met at Trent Lock this morning to ride the entire length of the Erewash Valley Trail. En route we read the four footfall counters which give the EVT consortium an idea of how many people are using the trail. Most of the route is signed now, with just a few places still to be done. There are interpretation boards at the many access points (see post of 1 Feb). The western leg consists of the Erewash Canal towpath all the way to Langley Mill. This has been finished in chip and tar as far as Pastures Lock, north of Sandiacre. Pic 1 is the group at Sandiacre with the impressive textile factory, now converted into flats, in the background . We stopped to look at the marvellous Bennerley Viaduct (pic 2), as has become our custom these days. This might one day become a short-cut between the two legs of the trail. At Langley Mill we took refreshments at the new Asda (excellent value) before heading south on the eastern leg of the trail. This is the Nottingham Canal Towpath all the way to Coventry Lane, Bramcote. Some recent surfacing has been done (near Cossall - see earlier post) and another section near the link to Cotmanhay is in the process (pic 3). Although not continuously in water, the Nottingham Canal passes through some lovely rural areas teeming with wild life. I personally have seen water voles in the recent past. From Bramcote, the trail is on the shared-use pavement of Coventry Rd, past the enigmatic Hemlock Stone of Sons and Lovers and into Bramcote Hills Park,through a residential area and then on some traffic-free roads and paths to Chilwell. Pic 4 is the traffic-free Baulk Road bridge over the A52. We joined Route 6 for a while, through Attenborough, then crossed the level crossing at the railway station and shortly after we entered the nature reserve (pic 5 is one of the newest lakes: a gull on every post!) The final stage is the Trent Valley Greenway which took us back to Trent Lock. A great ride through some very interesting places and much appreciated by everyone on it! The section from Bramcote to Attenborough was mostly new to me. The weather remained dry but cold all day, with a lot of sun in the afternoon. A very well-produced leaflet of the trail is available from Broxtowe or Erewash Boroughs - or Clyde.