| 1. This route is a 40 mile loop following the National Byway signs. Leave the station and turn right on NCN64. Follow the route to London Road. Cross over and turn left and then immediately right on the road which goes down the side of the shopping malls. At the T junction turn left on cycle path. Cross the river on the cycle/footbridge and follow the river in to town. Turn right at the end and follow this road out of Newark (passing Newark Castle Station). You now pick up the Brown National Byway cycle signs. Use the cycle path alongside the A616 past the Sugar Beet factory until you reach South Muskham. Turn right here (it is not well signposted) and cycle through the village to North Muskham (over a railway level crossing and the A1). Through North Muskham and back over the A1. About half a mile after the railway level crossing take the right turn. There is a NB sign but the road is also signposted to Norwell. You are now beginning a steady climb up on to the ridge which dominates this part of the country. In Norwell turn right (with the Plough Pub on your left) and at the edge of the village turn left and left again (signposted to Ossington). At the T junction in Ossington turn right, first left and left again down a single track road. This eventually takes you to a T junction where you turn right. You need to take the next right turn (it is not well signposted) this takes you up to Moorhouse and Laxton where the National Byway goes right. But you are going to turn left and this is now signposted 'Loop'. At the crossroads turn right (signposted Kneesall). Cycle throgh Kneesall across the busy A616 to Eakring. Leave Eakring and head towards Kirklington. This road takes you down off the ridge and is quite fast. At the busy A617 turn left and after half a mile turn right. Cycle through the village. The next turn is not signposted. You are turning right up Station Road. (You will know if you have missed it as the road takes a sharp right hand turn and then climbs.) After half a mile the National Byway Loop follows the Southwell Trail. This is a disused railway line. It is an earth path (ie not gravelled) which after 3 miles takes you in to Southwell. Turn right at the end. Once again the signing here is not good but follow the A612 out of Southwell towards Upton and Newark. Leave the A612 at the Newark Workhouse (National Trust) picking up the brown NB signs which lead you to Hockerton. At Hockerton turn left on to the A617 then immediately right (signposted Caunton). This can be a busy road. Cross over the A616 and cycle through the village of Caunton past the church. At the T Junction turn right and follow the road back to North Muskham. Having completed the 'Loop' you now retrace your steps to Newark. |