Southwell trail walk - hiking a disused railway line

Want to walk the Southwell trail and learn about its history? Here's my Southwell trail walk - hiking a disused railway line youtube video guide to take you there. In this video I start the Southwell trail route from the Southwell end and walk to Bilsthorpe and back however it can be walked either way.
The Southwell trail walk is an old disused railway line in Nottinghamshire dating back to 1842 which was born in the golden age of steam trains. Today the old railway track provides a great place to walk and an important habitat for local wildlife that lives along the Southwell trail. The path supports a wide range of habitats, because it crosses two distinct geological areas from Sherwood Sandstone to the north around Bilsthorpe and Farnsfield and the Mercia Mudstone to the south respectively.
The Southwell trail walk is 7 miles each way and built on the former railway line of the Midland Railway. Its a great hike for beginners as it is very flat and really easy to navigate. The Southwell trail walk is way marked and there is ample free parking at both ends of the Southwell trail route. Hiking a disused railway line is easy and great fun for the whole family.
I fully recommend hiking the Southwell trail walk as a day hike especially in the winter when the weather is poor due to its good path and high levels of protection.
Southwell trail walk - disused railway route map: my.viewranger....
This video about hiking the Southwell trail walk was filmed before lock-down
FOLLOW ME:
Facebook: / generationhiker
Insta: / generation_hike
Twitter: / generation_hike
#SouthwellTrail #HikingAlone #RailwayWalk

[@generationhike939]

What is your favourite railway trail to hike?

[@sbowness]

The railway artifact that you saw was a loading gauge. They were designed to make sure that the loaded train wouldn't hit anything on the way. They were usually placed in sidings or near loading docks at stations. My guess, looking at the map, is that this one was at Kirklington and Edingley Station. That station closed to passengers in 1929 finally for freight in 1964. It's remarkable that it still stands.

[@generationhike939]

Thanks Stephen - that makes lots of sense. While there is no low bridges today I am not sure how high the line use to run. It very much still feels like a railway with some of the original bridges and lamp posts in place.

[@sbowness]

@@generationhike939 I was at school in Southwell between 1976 and 1982 and visit friends there every couple of years. I don't remember whether the trail was up and running back then but I do remember the old crossing at Upton Road going the other way towards Rolleston, which still had its gates. The crossing keeper's house is still there. That part of the track is now Racecourse Road.

[@generationhike939]

Thanks for the extra info - it's really interesting. I first found it on an old OS map marked as a footpath in 1970 😀