January walks: Explore an abandoned railway line with this stunning Ashfield winter walk

If you’re feeling the post-Christmas blues at the moment, rest assured that you’re not the only one.

With the festive season now officially over, many of us are now counting down the days until the first signs of spring arrive.

The months of January and February can sometimes feel like a holding pattern as we await warmer and longer days.

However, while hibernating for the next two months might seem like an appealing option, it’s important to get yourself outside every now and then.

Walking is a great way to maintain both our physical and mental health over the winter months, particularly if you don’t do any other strenuous activity.

The rich Nottinghamshire countryside isn’t a bad starting point when it comes to searching for walking routes.

Many of these walking routes have been officially designated by Nottinghamshire County Council for combining natural beauty with history.

The ‘ghosts, lovers and a four poster’ walk in Teversal, just outside Sutton is a great example of this.

The Teversal Trails take in former railway lines on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border.

The full route can be found below.

1. Along the old railway line

From the car park of the Teversal Trails Visitor Centre, walk through the Coal Garden to reach a gateway.

Through the gate take the path immediately on your right and in a few yards turn right again along a wider path running between trees.

This is an old railway line, part of the Teversal Trails network.

Follow this track for about half a mile, passing under a bridge and walking in a cutting then on an embankment.

Eventually your path takes you over two bridges and at the second one our route turns left down the embankment over a stile to follow a path downhill.

At the bottom cross the wooden footbridge over the stream.

2. Through the fields to Teversal Church

Over the bridge, walk straight ahead, cutting across the corner of the field to the edge of a small woodland, Coppy Wood, then bearing right along the field edge.

On reaching the corner of the wood, the path heads diagonally across the field to the left, heading uphill on a well-trodden path.

At the top of the field, cross the stile to reach a road, and walk straight ahead, passing the stone built house to your left.

After a short distance you reach the entrance to Teversal Church.

Walk into the churchyard, and follow the path that runs past the door of the church to reach a gate at the far side of the churchyard.

3. Under the old railway bridge

Passing through the gate, head right and ahead you will see a tarmac path that leads to a gap in the stone wall, with wooden posts in the gap.

Walk through this gap and continue ahead on the pavement alongside a tree-lined road to a junction ahead.

Turn left and follow the pavement, which soon narrows as the road heads downhill, passing beneath a railway bridge. Soon the road bends sharply to the left.

Cross the road with care here opposite the large white house, to pass through a gateway and up a wide tarmac track (a former entrance to Silverhill Colliery).

At the top of the rise follow the track as it bends left, soon reaching a junction of tracks by a lake.

4. Back to the Visitor Centre (and under another railway bridge!)

Turn right and follow this track as it winds across the site until eventually the view opens up ahead of you, with Hardwick Hall on a wooded hill and the M1 motorway in the valley below.

The track then bends sharply left, and shortly passes another track on your right.

Our route ignores the right hand track but follows the track that runs ahead over the top of the hill and straight down the other side to emerge on the road at a gateway.

Turn left along the pavement to reach a junction of roads to pass in front of the pub and under the railway bridge.

You will soon find Carnarvon Street on your left, which leads you back to your start point at the Visitor Centre.