The rain eased after lunch and so Sue and I headed off to Bestwood
country park for a stroll. We parked in the closest car park at the south east
corner of the park.
We left the car park after "limboing" under the barrier, and headed into the
woods opposite the lodge gardens.
We walked around the lodge hotel and the stables all hidden away.
staying on the road to the boundary of the estate and into the park proper.
We had been climbing gently until a small side path opened out to a view
point.
Beyond the top we dropped down the other side to the western edge of the park,
following a well maintained hoggin path.
A short Zigzag and we picked up the cycle path alongside the industrial park and
over the road into the Mills lake area.
The path crossed the end of the lakes and wandered into the trees.
The path followed the route of the Robin Hood way, in the trees - unfortunately
not the views of the lake I had assumed. At the end of the lakes the path (and
Robin Hood Way) took a sharp right turn towards Bestwood village.
Across the B683 and into the housing estate opposite, before leaving on a
twitten, that climbed up the slope beside the houses. Over the top of the hill
we had to negotiate horse pasture beside a riding school.
The path joined park road for a short distance before crossing to the edge of a
sheep field for a short way - we could have stayed on the road really.
Back on the road passed the "old vicarage" with lots of angled roofs and a huge
tree house structure in the back garden.
The road crossed back into the estate over a gateway - more secluded driveway up
the Alexandra Lodge.
Beyond the lodge the road mutated into a track, leading through the woods,
climbing back up to the high point where we had initially entered the estate.
The walk back to the van was a bit of a rush as some shooting started nearby and Bertie wanted to get away from it. In a difference to the walk up at the start there was a lot of traffic speeding up the lane (presumably to pick up children from the stables).
