Blog Post

Newstead Abbey Route

Mick C • 14 January 2022

A lovely winter route through Newstead

I was out riding the other day and thought how cool it would be to share some of my local routes so you could pull up in the car get your bike out and enjoy the rides I do.

Here's the first, a lovely route through Newsteadand the surrounding woods. The route is a steady 14-15 miles long with just 1000ft of climbing. To be honest a high percentage of the route is on quiet roads or smooth packed trail, not snaking single track. It's probably 75% of the route. The good side is that means in muddy Winter you aren’t constantly battling the energy sapping mud.

The route starts just opposite the Kirkby Aldi. Either park in Aldi or on the dirt track straight opposite. Head down the dirt road away from the road, passing a couple of businesses on the right. At the end it looks like you go right, but in fact you head left through a small gap in the railings. The path darts into the trees and takes a dip past an abandoned tunnel. As you climb the other side shoot right uphill out of the trees and into a field. Continue on the path across the field towards the houses. Go into the jitty and you come out onto a road. Turn right and head straight over the estate crossroad. From here it is straight on for a quarter of a mile crossing two roads and passing under a bridge. The flat road turns to dirt track, and you continue past a track on the left and the Portland park car park on the right. The track starts bending right and forms a fork. Take the left track which goes left around the corner and past the farm houses. Head through the gate and left onto another farm track. Continue on this track until you reach the road in the distance. The track turns left and right and if its windy can be a struggle. You reach Nuncargate road. Cross diagonal right over the road to get on the path opposite. There is a jitty on the left that you take. It’s a little climb and you pass a school on the left coming out onto forest Road. The next section is a road section to take you into the Newstead estate.

From the school go left and up to the traffic lights. Get into the right hand lane and turn right onto the A611. After about 75 metres take the first left onto Annesley cutting. Its a short climb past an open grass space before hitting the fast downhill which gives you momentum for the next mile.

Look for signs to Newstead school and the Train station. This is the left hand turn you take off the main road and onto a smaller road. You double back on yourself and you’ll see the school straight ahead as you loop back. The school ends up on you right and again you fly downhill around a right hand bend, past a set of terrace houses and across the trainline. Swing right onto a smooth lane with the cricket pitch on your left. This lane takes you right through the Newstead estate for a good two miles. Just after the cricket pitch and around the left hand bend it joins national cycle route six.

There are some good photo opportunities along this stretch, the long lane with trees lined up either side, the house and surrounding grounds. It’s a great place to stop for a quick coffee if you fancy a break.

After the steep climb on the final stretch of the lane you pass through the front barrier and are faced with the A60, the busy road between Mansfield and Nottingham. Cross at the pelican crossing and follow the route 6 signs. Another tarmac road section. First you climb up a fenced path and then the route goes through the Ravenshead estate, which sounds boring but is very fast. After a mile of left and rights through the estate you swing downhill and are faced with the B6020. Turn right onto the road and then after the pub look for a left turn onto a dirt road, still signposted as route 6. Eventually its back to off road.

Head through the gate at the end of the track, next to the houses. Then climb up between the fields. Save a little energy as it gets steeper at the end after about a quarter of a mile. You reach a country lane and this is where you leave route 6, which goes right onto the lane. Go straight over the lane and head downhill between the fields. This is another fast track but beware of deep sand, horses and, in the summer, lots of nettles. At the bottom carry straight on with a lake to your left. Swing left around the lake at the earliest opportunity and take the track straight on. This is Harlow Wood which will take you back to cross the A60. Keep straight on for half a mile. There is one defined fork in the trail, but carry straight on, on the left track. After about half a mile the track naturally bends right. Flow around the corner to be parallel with the A60. At the T-junction turn left and you will see the gate to the A60. Cross the road ducking directly into the woods opposite, Thieves Wood. You are now about 8.5 miles into the ride.

Carry straight on through the Wood. You will pass a junction, but it naturally takes you straight on, on the fire road. If you turn left and go back on yourself you have gone wrong. At the first T-junction of fire roads turn right. The next turn left is discreet, entering the woods off the fire road. It is about 150 metres after the T-junction. Duck into the trees and go straight. Pass through a crossroad of tracks, but carry straight on over the tree routes with the open space (a sand quarry) on the left. Carry straight on until you reach a natural right hand bend, still on the edge of the wood. The trail then flows downhill nicely. Enjoy this section bouncing on the natural groves of the trail. At the bottom it turns to sand quickly, a sudden jolt. Turn left, go 25 metres, turn right, go 50 metres, turn left, go 50 metres and you’ll see a gap in the hedge. Go through it to appear on the A611 or Derby Road as its known. Cross over to exit Thieves Wood and enter the Wood opposite leading to Cauldwell dam. This is the 10-mile marker.

The trail runs parallel to the road for a short section before dipping left down hill. Its a fast route straight all the way to the dis-used Cauldwell dam road. In summer this is the fastest section of the route. Enjoy it as much as possible as that is the last true off road of the route. The home stretch is road and flat trail.

Head through the gate and left onto the road. Carry on the road, beating the initial climb, until you reach the traffic lights after the best part of a mile. Go straight through the lights onto the B6022. If you spot it, take the first left and straight right to follow the less busy road parallel to the B6022. It swings left at pace passing the pub and Londis shop onto ‘Kirkby folly road’. If you miss the turn don’t worry. Go left at the mini roundabout onto ‘Kirkby folly road’. Either way at the next traffic lights go right and over the train line at the side of the Sutton parkway station. Continue on ‘Penny Emma Way’ road until you reach a Rugby pitch. Just before turn left off the road, through the fence and onto the trail at the bottom of the old pit tip. The rugby pitch will now be on your right with the old pit tip hill on your left. It’s straight on to the end of the trail. Through the gate, across the road and through the gate to enter the trail again (not over the mini roundabout). It’s a flat trail straight on until you reach another gate and road. Cross the road through the next gate and again back onto the trail. Straight on, but this time it opens to a grassy area. Exit the trail onto the path next to the road. Turn left next to the car garage into the estate and its straight on until you can’t go any further. Turn right and left onto the main road. Then it’s downhill and back to the start.