(1) Walk over footbridge & turn right along towpath. Continue along towpath until a stile, next to a gate across the towpath, is reached.
(2) Go over stile & straight across track. (The track you are crossing is Mill Lane. A short way down the hill are large paving stones, which are part of the 'Monks Way'. This may have been part of a network of ancient tracks that connected local monastic houses. It is believed to have connected Dale Abbey, via Ilkeston & Cossall, to Strelley & beyond.) Go through another gate opposite & continue along towpath until road with industrial estate on L is reached.
(3) Turn left down sloping path, cross bridge over main road (Coronation Road) & follow path back upward. Bear left as you rejoin towpath & continue straight on.
(4) At road (Awsworth Bypass) cross at traffic lights & back onto towpath on other side. Keep walking until you reach a gate at the next road (Newtons Lane).
(5) Turn right, staying on the pavement, up to the junction with the bypass. Cross this road at the pedestrian point & then go over the stile straight ahead of you, into a field.
(6) Cross field diagonally right, heading for stile on other side. Cross stile & follow path, keeping hedge on the left. In corner of field turn right, still with hedge on left, until you get to a stile on the left hand side.
(7) Go over stile & keep right, along a path with hedge on right & wire fence on left. Cross another stile, going around Common Farm, until you reach the end of path.
(8) Take stile on left - not straight on - into field. Keep to left of field & cross over stile on the left hand side, which takes you onto a lane. Turn right down this lane, passing farm & houses. At the road (Awsworth Lane) cross over & turn right along pavement.
(9) Take bridleway on left continuing to junction of paths (Westby Lane).
(10) Turn right along bridleway towards Strelley. After 100m the bridleway turns left & then passes a wood on the left hand side.
(11) At junction, with Strelley Park Farm on the left hand side, turn right onto wide track. Keep on this bridleway for about 1/4 mile until you reach a public footpath on the right hand side.
(12) Go over stile into field & straight across, passing a lone oak tree, to stile in far corner, which you should cross. Turn diagonally right & proceed across field towards opposite corner. Cross stile into next field & follow path at edge of field - keeping hedge on right hand side - until you come to a stile.
(13) Go over stile & cross the stream on the wooden planks. Keeping hedge on right hand side, continue across the field until you come to a stile & junction of paths.
(14) Turn left along path & go across two fields to another junction.
(15) At crossroads of the paths with footpath signs, turn left onto path signposted to Cossall Village, passing through four fields & over four stiles. Look out for stile on left hand side of top field & cross.
(16) Turn right once over stile & walk into village. (Cossall village has connections with D.H. Lawrence, who was born in nearby Eastwood. Next to the church is Church Cottage, family home of Louie Burrows, who was engaged to D.H. Lawrence in 1910. The cottage was immortalised as the fictional Brangwen family's home in his novel, "The Rainbow". The village of Cossall, with its name changed to "Cossethay"provided the backdrop to the story. As you walk through the village you will see Cossall's almshouses, founded by George Willoughby in 1685. These were originally for "4 single poor men over 60 years of age & 4 single poor women over 55 years of age"). Cross road, turn right & walk through village. Turn left into footpath on the first bend after 'Rose Cottage'. Go over stile & straight across field to another stile.
(17) Cross over track (Mill Lane) & over stile into another field. Walk straight on with wire fence on right hand side until you come to the canal.
(18) Cross over bridge onto towpath, then over the stile straight ahead into the field. Walk straight across the field, up some steps & over stile to rejoin towpath. (If, at this point, the path crossing the field is difficult, turn Left along the towpath instead of entering the field, & follow path until you reach the footbridge leading back over the canal to your starting point).
(19) Turn right onto towpath & at footbridge, cross over back to Cossall picnic site.
Map is not to scale
- Distance: 5 miles
- Time: 2-3 hours
- Start Point: Cossall Picnic Site, Cossall Road (approx. 1 mile outside the village of Cossall, near Field House).
- Car parking is available here & also at a car park slightly further on.
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