I'd had another four-week gap between walks (who invented half terms and inset days?), and was itching to get out on my explorations. The weather forecast optimistically predicted sunny spells. Unfortunately the weather hadn't got the memo; it was overcast for my entire walk, and then the sky cleared as I was driving home. Oh well.
I arrived at the Nottingham Canal to find bulldozers buzzing up and down the towpath. The car park I'd intended to park in was closed for renovation, but there was a layby a little further up the road towards Cossall, so that was fine. The first part of the road had nice wide verges - easy walking - but after the canal bridge it was called Dead Lane, which felt descriptive. It was tightly hemmed in by hedges and I had to flatten myself against the hawthorn when cars passed.
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| Cossall Road |
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| Dead Lane |
The bridleway to Strelley was mostly paved road, but blessedly traffic-free apart from a couple of bikes and a bin lorry performing manoeuvres. Tim Brindley's bench was disappearing into the ivy. Turkey Fields Farm was gated to prevent through traffic, with impressively bulky brick gateposts.
After crossing the M1, I popped out at Strelley Hall. I'd heard good things about the Mulberry Tree Cafe there, so despite feeling that I hadn't quite walked far enough to justify a cake yet, I thought I'd better go in and do some market research. I can confirm that their dark chocolate and date flapjack is very tasty, and pairs well with an equally rich espresso. Despite the grey weather, I wasn't the only one sitting outside. The church tower peeked over the top of the converted stable block.
The church is constructed of weathered sandstone, and the path next to the road is lined with old stone slabs, possibly laid by monks in the 14th century. I've already visited the remains of Lenton Abbey and Dale Abbey; further north are Beauvale Priory and Felley Priory, all of which, the Broxtowe Borough Council leaflet says, are known to have had land and mining interests in this area. Apparently I'd been following in the monks' footsteps ever since I turned off the road in Cossall.
Strelley felt like it was miles from anywhere, but a short walk past a moat, the Broad Oak pub, an ecclesiastical-looking schoolhouse, and an old water supply brought me to the A6002 and the edge of the Nottingham suburbs.
I was heading to Broxtowe for only one reason: I had discovered that its church was dedicated to St Martha. I never knew I had a namesake church. In fact, according to someone who's bothered to count all the church dedications, there are only two in England. The other is in Surrey; I will have to make a pilgrimage.
In Broxtowe, St Martha the Housewife gets a yellow brick building with a skeleton spire. Inside the spire, underneath a cross, a small wind turbine was spinning slowly. The church is connected to the Hope Centre, which, according to the signs, is some kind of learning hub, but it all looked closed today.
Broxtowe is a 1930s council estate laid out in a series of concentric curves. I found my way back out to the main road, passed The Ark ("Infectious" makes a change from "vibrant" as a church descriptor, I suppose), dodged some men digging up the tarmac, and spotted a finger pointing to the parish church.
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| Broxtowe estate |
I was now in Bilborough. The church was St Martin of Tours; it was tucked away with a collection of old farmhouses and modern flats. I've got to say, that's one of the ugliest extensions I've ever seen jammed onto a medieval church. But if you go round the other side, you can't see it. Despite the signs inviting me to come and look around, the church was locked, so I sat on a bench in the graveyard instead. A little haven of peace.
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| Ugly extension: featureless brick and black doors |
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| the nicer side |
Zigzagging through yet more housing development, I went past two enormous colleges, a tree with a suitcase in it and a washing basket underneath it, and a house with its own street sign and a lot of pigeons on the roof.
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| Isaac's House |
Finally I crossed the A6002 again and thankfully escaped from the semis. Back to fields, horses and footpaths.
I was expecting this section past Catstone Hill to be muddy field paths. Instead it turned out to be a surfaced cycleway. The views, as I'd thought on several of my previous walks, would probably be amazing on a sunny day. I spotted Wollaton Hall under the lowering clouds (just left of centre in this photo).
There was one very muddy corner by the motorway underpass. Apart from that the walking was easy.
When I got to Cossall Road I took a short detour up the Robinettes Arm of the Nottingham Canal - the newly surfaced path goes as far as a bench and an overspill - then back to the car. The sky was just turning blue, so I ate my last half a sandwich by the canal before I headed home.
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| Robinettes Arm |
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| Overspill |
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| Blue sky! |
Really, I suppose, I wasn't on any part of the Erewash Valley Trail for this walk. But I thought of it as part of the same series. I'll be back on the canals next time.
Cossall-Strelley-Broxtowe-Bilborough 9.2 miles / 15 km
2 March 2026
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