Heritage Trail
This trail was created to mark the passing of the Millennium in 2000. It consists of a circular walk taking in Gotham Hills and part of West Leake Hills, returning through some of the Gotham village streets, a distance of 4½ miles.
Please allow at least two hours, there are a few benches along the route to rest awhile and enjoy the views. Indeed there are views to be enjoyed without the benches.
This information contained here is for the walk to be undertaken in an anti-clockwise direction. With this suggested direction you ascend the hills by the easier routes and walk down the steeper ones, of course should you want a challenge: walk the route clockwise and we’ll leave you to work out the reverse directions!
Heritage Trail route is indicated with a blue line
Follow the trail online below or download the trail in pdf format HERE
Car parking can be at either Cheese Hill (the road on the left in the above picture), the Village Square or on Hill Road, (off Gypsum Way). People travelling from the Nottingham direction will have little notification of the Cheese Hill turning, approaching along the road shown on the right in the picture. If you pass the Gotham village sign – sorry, you’ve past the turning! If parking in the The Square or on Hill Road this will mean you start walking in the direction of Nottingham, (northwards through Gotham village) to Cheese Hill. After first studying the Heritage Trail information board at the road junction, in the above picture, walk up the road to the left, the Nottingham Road being on the right.
There are six of these illustrated information boards (a part example shown here) covering some village folklore, past industry and a mention of early Gotham’s inadequate water supply.
Towards the end of the road,(indicated by fence and gate) turn left to cross over the stile (left) and follow the bridle path to the ridge of Gotham Hills. (Number 1 bridleway on the map.)
The path you follow is well defined as in this picture, keep the woodland edge to your right-hand side.
Follow the bridle path beyond the gate, still keeping the trees on your right. When the tree boundary turns away up the hill, the Weldon Spring information board should be in front of you.
The cattle sometimes grazing in this field have an undesirable urge to scratch – using the Heritage Trail information board, hence the protective posts surrounding it. After reading about the spring and water supply to Gotham, continue upwards heading for the hedgerow (seen in the picture) turning slightly right to walk up the hill, with that same hedgerow on your left. Turning left through the bridle gate and continue walking with field boundary to your right.
Information panel on the Wheldon Spring information board
Walking on along the ridge you eventually reach Trent Valley view, this information board will explain what’s to be seen from here. Visibility permitting!
After the view of the valley carry on walking in the same direction, keeping the field boundary on your right, you should arrive and pass through this bridle gate.
At this next bridle gate, pictured above, the gate being no longer operational! Ignoring the footpath and bridleway markers indicating right, turn left and walk downhill along the track. This track has recently been classified bridle/footpath and not indicated as such on early maps, however the next information board is along this left-hand track.
From this information board you can learn something of Gotham’s Wartime History during the Second World War. The board is appropriately placed near to what remains of a war defence structure.
From Gotham’s Wartime History board continue walking down the hill and straight across Kegworth Road, following the tarred track upwards to the West Leake Hills. (Bridleway 12.)
Kegworth Road is again used to transport Gypsum products by road vehicles. Before the construction of a branch railway line in the early 1900s Gypsum was transported by horse and cart, now of course that railway has been replaced by motor vehicles. After crossing Kegworth Road your route now follows Bridleway 12, leading on to number 11. Initially walking a metalled surface followed by the familiar farm track.
At this junction of field boundaries, is also the “crossroads” of two bridle paths (numbers 11 and 10), you need take one to the left (10) and head downhill (toward Gotham) to the next information board.
This information board, above, explains of a burial barrow close by and also of the attempt by Gotham worthies to secure summer all year round by retaining a cuckoo within the parish.
The photograph here (taken close to the Cuckoo Bush information board) is a view looking over Gotham village to the moors beyond. Also indicates return path to the village. Quite a steep descent — go with care. At the bottom of the hill, go through the bridle gate, walking between bushes, to the next information board.
After you have read the Gypsum History information board and looked around for signs of its past industry, cross the roadway (Gypsum Way) and walk along Hill Road towards Gotham village.
Where Hill Road meets Leake Road you turn left and follow this road and Nottingham Road towards where you left your vehicle. A distance of just over a mile to Cheese Hill. Along the way you could well be able to identify some of the notable buildings mentioned on other pages of our web site including hostelries, where refreshments or meals can be taken. For those that are weary, there is a choice of public transport to aid your return; the bus stop is at Hill Road junction. Half hourly service runs on week days with an hourly one on Sundays, currently. Of course travelling by bus you would also miss our fine local hostelries for refreshments, given that the time of day is appropriate.
Thank you for your interest in our Heritage Walk. Hope that the information contained is sufficient for you to be tempted to visit our village and indeed do this walk. The walk is well worth it, just for the views without the added interest of our Millennium Heritage Trail.