Portway: Bramcote Hills to Stanton-by-Dale

I parked in the free car park at Bramcote Hills Park and set off, naturally enough, in the direction of where I'd last been. Up some steps through the woods, along the edge with marvellous views northwards, and down past a school to pick up Moor Lane again.

At that point I realised I was supposed to be walking this route in the opposite direction. Oops. Well, it didn't make much difference. It just meant that the Hemlock Stone would come at the end rather than the start. Also, I was doing a figure of eight, so I could switch paths in the middle.

That sorted, I pressed on along the disused Nottingham Canal. This had varying amounts of water in it. There were good views back up to the double hump of the Bramcote Hills.

Nottingham Canal

Also Nottingham Canal

Just before I got to Trowell garden centre, I crossed a bridge and walked across a green space to a partly built housing estate. The Boundary Brook had been aggressively re-wiggled. I'm sure it will look better in a year's time.

I had downloaded a gpx file for the Portway - I think from The Walking Englishman - which showed it going down Pastures Road, so I'd plotted my route along there. Later I looked at The Old Roads of Derbyshire and discovered that Stephen Bailey went down Hickings Lane instead. This is turning into more of an "inspired by" walk, like those films which have the same title as a book but completely change most of the plot.

The sun was in my eyes as I walked down Pastures Road. I passed a house with amazing painted plants on it, Pastures Community Church, and a moped dealership.

 Turning right onto Northwood Street, I squeezed through a narrow alley at the end and was amused to encounter Stapleford's Best Kept Secret. From the outside, it looked as if it might have closed six months ago, but from what I can tell online, it appears to still be operating.

The River Erewash looked surprisingly beautiful in the winter sunshine. The river is the boundary between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The remainder of the Portway, from this point on, is in Derbyshire. But of course I would be crossing back to Notts later to finish today's walk.

Derbyshire left bank, Nottinghamshire right bank

Stephen Bailey describes the bridge over what used to be railway sidings as "ugly" - which it is, but in an unusual kind of way which made me say, "That's cool" and take a photo. Bailey points out that the bridges over the railway and canal here show that the route was probably of ancient importance, kept open even when new lines of transport were built across it. Indeed, a sign next to the canal bridge described this as Monks Way, along which the religious brothers travelled between Dale Abbey and Lenton Priory.

This was confirmed by John the churchwarden, who kindly let me look around St Giles' church in Sandiacre while he was tidying up after the Christmas tree festival. The monks from Dale Abbey, he said, used to pray here five times a day, "in the modern extension," he added, waving a hand at the east end of the church, which was constructed in the 14th century. All that new-fangled Gothic stuff.

the new extension

The Sandiacre Imp

the old bit (Norman / Saxon)

I continued through Sandiacre and along Stanton Road across the M1. It was a pretty steady uphill to Stanton-by-Dale. The road had no footpath, so the edge of a field was obviously used as a bridle path. It was a bit boggy but better than hopping on and off the verge.

the turn-off to Dale Abbey

When I got to Stanton I was meant to turn right down Quarry Hill. But it felt like lunchtime, and this looked like just the kind of place to have a small village green with a bench... Aha! There it is!

Quarry Hill had views over the valley in which Stanton Ironworks used to stand. Once that was a huge factory employing thousands of people, but it closed in 2007 and everything has been demolished. There was clearly some redevelopment going on.

I followed markers across Erewash Valley Golf Club and crossed the M1 again - underneath it this time - to reach Stoney Clouds. According to the sign I saw earlier, the name Cloud comes from the Saxon clud, meaning hill. Thorpe Cloud, at Dovedale, is familiar to me, but I'd never wondered where the name came from. There is also Bosley Cloud near Leek and Cloud Hill Quarry at Breedon on the Hill, so it's more common than you might think. Clouds drift across this part of the country in more ways than one.

rock outcrops at Stoney Clouds

When I reached the Erewash Canal, I turned north along the towpath. At Stanton Gate I picked up the Boundary Brook again - here dead straight - and followed it, more or less, back to Pit Lane. Both the name and the landscaping were clues that this green space used to be Trowell Moor Colliery. There are lots of young trees and suspiciously smooth slopes, and you just hope there's nothing too poisonous underneath it all.

St Giles' steeple seen from the canal

Stapleford Hill is by no means suspiciously smooth. It was quite a steep climb up to the trig point on top. 

I came down the other side, hoping I was heading in the right direction for the Hemlock Stone, but I needn't have worried. It was unmissable. A huge lump of weathered sandstone, looking a bit like a fossilized tornado. Apparently a bullock was roasted on top of it for the Golden Jubilee of King George III, but I really can't see how you could fit a fire, a dead animal, and a person up there.

And this really was the end of the walk. Despite going in the wrong direction and on the wrong roads, it had all worked out rather nicely. I was sorry to have missed St Helen's, Stapleford, and its ancient cross, though, and I didn't feel as if I'd fully appreciated Bramcote Hills Park. This area definitely deserves another visit.

8 December 2025

10.7 miles / 17.3 km