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Literary landscapes

Route type	walk (circular)
Distance	3 miles
Surface and gradients	surfaced paths only and moderate gradients
Parking nearby	yes
On bus routes	yes - plan a journey
Starting point Find the start point on Felley Mill Lane, which is off the A608 half a mile west of the M1 junction 27, opposite the Sandhills Tavern at Underwood.
OS map number	Explorer 269 and 260

Why not take a walk around part of the historic Annesley Park estate, ancestral home of the Chaworth-Musters family. These really are literary landscapes and a major inspiration for both Lord Byron and DH Lawrence, two of the county's most famous sons.

Give yourself two hours to fully enjoy the scenery. Travelling by bus there are direct services from Eastwood and Mansfield. The bus stop is on the A608, Underwood at the top of Felley Mill Lane.

Directions

1. From the starting point on Felley Mill Lane, walk to the end of the lane, passing Felley Farm on your right, and continue ahead on the signposted bridleway. Soon the track reaches an area of hardstanding, where the bridleway bears left to follow a field edge track that gently climbs uphill.
   
   Follow this track, (known as Weavers Lane) ignoring any turnings, to pass the farmhouse of America Farm, following the track on a bridge over the M1 motorway.
   
   
2. After crossing the motorway bridge, continue ahead to reach a signed junction of tracks. Turn right to follow the well-surfaced track signed as footpath to pass the farmhouse of Kennels Farm on your left. Keep straight ahead, passing through a gateway, and after half a mile the path drops downhill to a junction of tracks. Follow the path as it bends right, then through the tunnel under the M1 motorway.
   
   
3. Continue to follow the track ahead, ignoring any turnings as the track narrows onto a field edge path, with far reaching views across to Underwood and beyond to your right. Follow this path for three-quarters of a mile, keeping the woodland edge to your left. Just before the corner of the wood, the surfaced track cuts to the right across the field. Ignore this track to follow the signposted footpath ahead and continue around the corner of the wood. You will soon reach a signpost, which indicates that the footpath bears right, to the right of a mature hedgerow.
   
   
4.  Follow this field edge path downhill and at the bottom, turn left to drop down the wooded slope to a stile. After crossing the stile, turn right and follow this bridleway, soon walking alongside the stream that feeds Moorgreen Reservoir on your left. After crossing a small bridge and following the narrow path ahead, you re-emerge on the bridleway track, which, if followed to the left, shortly meets the end of Felley Mill Lane, the start of the route.