12 April
Keen walker David Thompson has lived in Nottingham for 11 years and has come up with a unique way to explore the city and the surrounding area.
“Everyone knows how great Nottingham’s award winning bus network is for getting us to work, to the shops and to those other places around the city that we need to get to. We also know how much less stressful it is to take the bus instead of the car on those short but necessary journeys. But maybe we haven’t thought about using the bus network for fun days out and getting fit!
I love hiking around Nottingham and the beautiful surrounding countryside. Often I will park my car somewhere out of the way and hike around the rivers, parks and villages which we are lucky enough to have nearby. But the problem with that is that you always know where your walk starts, and where it will end. Back at your car. Not so with the ‘bus hike’!
With a bus, you don’t have to always walk in a circle. You just work out your starting point on a bus route, and then walk to your destination on another bus route. A day’s travel pass is all you need.
A wander in Wollaton…
So instead of parking the car at Wollaton Park, you can go there by 35 or 36 bus, cross the beautiful grounds and say hello to the red deer or visit the Hall, or Industrial Museum, and then get to Wollaton Road to catch a 30 back into town.
Canter around Colwick
Or you could always get a 43 to Colwick Woods, and walk through to the Country Park – you just need to be able to find the two railway crossings. A 44 will take you back to the centre.
Walk the wild woods
If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can take a 47 to Woodborough and wander through woods and across fields to Lambley, then over the hills to Burton Joyce. A 100 will take you back to Nottingham.
Ramble to Redhill
Or an 87 to Redhill gets you close to the start of a path which crosses fields to Bestwood Country Park. You can then follow the Robin Hood Way to Bullwell Hall Park and find a 68 bus nearby afterwards.
Trek to the tram
There are plenty of other walks you can try, especially if you use the tram too. There is even a walk from Clifton South to Toton Lane but that is a LONG way.
All you really need is public transport, some imagination and a map!
