Harringworth Viaduct

[nevilla]

Anyone know of any good riding routes around Harringworth Viaduct? It recently featured in Your Horse magazine as a "fave hack" and looks like a lovely place to ride however I can only find footpaths and roads around the viaduct on the OS map and an age searching the web hasn't yielded any better results. There is a riding stables in the village so I will probably ask them but I thought I'd see if anyone here has local knowledge first.

[old_woman]

Don't know what OS map you're looking at, or how old it is, but there are bridleways north of Harringworth before you get to the A47; east, running past Laxton Hall,before you get to the A43; south east from Bulwick crossing the A43 via a minor road bridge all the way to Gretton; there's also a bridleway marked from Wakerley Rd to Tixover, and if you are willing to cross the A6003 at grade between Lyddington and Stoke Dry, there appear to be more bridleways to the west.

Here's a nice bridleway in the area
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/46/13/461310_ee758272.jpg
and here's another:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/25/60/256057_ee9932c7.jpg


The dismantled railway tracks themselves also look as if some might be explorable:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photos/46/13/461317_33237031.jpg

[nevilla]

Thanks for these, I appreciate the suggestions and the pretty photos.

The OS map is Rutland Water, Stamford and Oakham Explorer 234 and it is the latest edition. I am sure I will travel to Harringworth and have an explore, as you say there are bridleways, just some end in the middle of nowhere and none are all that close to the viaduct. The picture in Your Horse magazine suggested there was a route under the viaduct :confused: but I guess it was the road, or there are permissive paths in the area that perhaps the locals might know. If there are, the riding school will probably know about them. I wish the magazine provided route cards like "Countryfile" and "Country Walking" magazines. I suggested it but got no response. I am 45 miles away so I like to have an idea where I might go before I set off. It will make it more of an adventure :D

The paths I can see around Harringworth itself are footpaths or the Jurrasic Way, which seems to be a footpath but perhaps cycles or horses are allowed, that's the one that crosses Wakerley Road.

[old_woman]

The Jurassic Way is in parts a footpath and in part uses bridleways and BOATs. I would suggest that you check your (paper) map against, firstly, the Ordnance Survey website and, secondly, the definitive map which will be held in Council HQ, County Hall or whatever terminology the local county council chooses to use, and which may be available in a truncated form on-line.

Perhaps the BHS Access officer for the area could also help (details on BHS website) and suggest local bridleway organisations to contact.

[nevilla]

Thanks!