Sheffield to Nottingham

From Pedalpushers

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I have cycled from Sheffield to Nottingham & v.v. quite a few times. I find the best way to do it is to mx'n'match NCN6 and the ex-mining trails in the area with the quieter roads in Notts & NE Derbyshire. The important thing is to avoid Mansfield, which has a nasty combination of busy dual cariageways and shared use pavements .

For example From Nottingham use NCN6 to get to Clipstone Forest, then switch to minor roads to get over to Bolsover. From Arkwright Town you can get onto the most southeasterly point of the Trans-Pennine Trail, (NCN67) which you can follow through to Sheffield via Rother Valley & the Trans-Pennine Trail, but if you don't mind a bit of hill-climbing you can go from Staveley through the Handleys to Coal Aston, & then drop down into Sheffield via Norton. If you follow 6 religiously it will bring you in via Worksop - pleasant enough but a long way round. OS map 120 is the crucial one to have - the Sheffield Cycle Map might help

From Sheffield, use the Meadowhead route to get to Norton College (it is signposted off the Meadowhead route from Norton Park Rd onto Little Norton Lane. Use the slightly unsavoury subway to get to Dyche Lane and follow to Coal Aston.

Go left at the junction and follow the road up the hill around the corner, along Eckington Rd & Snowden Lane. Take r. Long Lane, then left to Morton Lane & Westfield Lane. Coming out at Eckington Rd (another one) turn right, then 50 yards along turn left onto Staveley Lane which will indeed take you to Staveley.

At Staveley you can take to the Trans Pennine Trail, and this isn't such a bad idea except for the roadworks that have closed it at the moment. Follow either the trail signs or the diversion signs to Polsbrook Country Park. (Good spot for a cheap cup of tea.)

Continue along the trail southerly towards Arkwright Town (this has now been extended to the A632). Take a left turn, over the roundabout and the M1, as far as the bottom of the hill to Bolsover. With the castle looming over, no we won't make you go up the hill but turn right onto Station Rd, and at the end you will find an Access point to Nutbrook Trail.

This will give you a taste of some of the great trails in the area. Follow it for a mile or so until you get to Carr Lane. Time to get up that hill now, so take a left and up you go to Palterton. In the interests of avoiding Mansfield (we've cycled it so you don't have to) head for Shirebrook. then Market Warsop, then Old Clipstone. This is where you hit NCN6 .