Work has taken me to the East Midlands for awhile, so as part of a bigger project, I looked up a bunch of lanes around Newark and did a bit of research to put a route together.
Geoff & I hooked up to go have a play and we found some good stuff, a fair bit of tarmac was needed to link them but they were really pretty with some beautiful hidden away villages next to the A1!
Although the lanes were pretty dry at this time of year, I'm guessing they become a mud fest in the winter, the soil around here has a clay base to it and it's pretty gooey, tyre sucking stuff...
Everything is lushly overgrown too at the moment with this mix of warm sun and showers floating around...
I'm aware there is a lot of controversy about dirt bikes around the Mansfield area and this was evident when we rode down a lane and met a farmer, who was pretty surly before we'd even turned off any engines. No explanantions just 'get off my land' comments and lots of pointing hands... we just turned around and left after a very brief discussion, found the other end of the lane and rode it there and back. I've emailed Newark CC for a clarification about the status of the appoach road to that lane and whether it is a private road or not. We'll see
For the rest of the lanes though, everyone we met was smiley and chatty, this was mostly around the villages though, as for the most part the lanes were empty of anyone.
We had to cross a railway line at one point and the 'look left and right' sign was very poinent as Geoff had already crossed to open the gate as I closed the initial gate, as I turned around there was a train horn sounding and an express train went by at a good rate of knotts... glad I'd taken my time there!!!
We finished the afternoon with a pait of properly muddy bikes and still plenty of lanes to look at for another time...
Great stuff, more lovely exploring in the UK countryside with good mates...
Geoff & I hooked up to go have a play and we found some good stuff, a fair bit of tarmac was needed to link them but they were really pretty with some beautiful hidden away villages next to the A1!
Everything is lushly overgrown too at the moment with this mix of warm sun and showers floating around...
For the rest of the lanes though, everyone we met was smiley and chatty, this was mostly around the villages though, as for the most part the lanes were empty of anyone.
We finished the afternoon with a pait of properly muddy bikes and still plenty of lanes to look at for another time...
Great stuff, more lovely exploring in the UK countryside with good mates...
