Blidworth Waye
Mountain Biking to the Blidworth Waye Papplewick
A cracking route from the A60 near Ravenshead through to Blidworth Waye road near Papplewick. The start is a singletrack trail between the dirt track, going down to the farm, and one of the farms fields. It soon takes a sharp right into the small groups of trees and back left to a lovely steep downhill.
After crossing the dirt track you enter another larger wood, through a gate and a small slight climb before looping right and hitting the fast section. The track takes you straight and fast between the trees. time to enjoy the speed.
The track soon slows as it starts sloping up. Through another gate, left and onto the edge of the field, reverting back downhill on the edge of the field for a short time. Having reached the hedge bear right and the final long section is a hard slog along the edge of the field to the road, the B683 or Blidworth Waye as its known locally.
This is part of a loop I to ride, labelled 'Pig Hill' due to the climb halfway round. Its a great 20 mile loop through Thieves Wood, along route 6, up and over Pig Hill, through Newstead Abbey and back to Thieves Wood.
The Blidworth Waye road passes by Papplewick Hall. The next section of the Pig Hill loop takes the trail through to Newstead and right past the Hall, which was built by Frederick Montagu MP between 1781-86, following his retirement from public life in London. He demolished a much older house on the site, formerly occupied by his parents, inherited by him in his twenties. The stables and cellar survived to this day.
Frederick Montagu was a bachelor and built Papplewick Hall for himself. This explains its relatively modest size, and the compact number of rooms. Although its architect is not known precisely, it incorporates many popular design features of the day - a cantilevered staircase, a fine drawing room ceiling in the 'Adam' style, and classical proportions throughout.
The house that previously occupied the site of Papplewick Hall was probably built in 1520. It is thought that, before that building, an Inn stood on the site, next to the old road that ran from Nottingham to the south, through Papplewick village, up what is now a bridle way past Newstead Abbey, and then on to Mansfield. Blidworth Waye, which now connects the village to the Mansfield Road, was created after the Hall was built. When the Inn was taken down, its cellars were left behind, and these survive to this day. For more information take a look at this site.
Check out the next section of the Pig hill loop ‘Mountain biking Through Newstead Abbey’. A lovely narrow straight section that takes you into the grounds of Newstead Abbey past Papplewick Hall. Alternatively, if you missed the previous section, take a look at the ‘Pig Hill‘ section, the centre piece of the loop.
Have a look at all the sections of the Pig Hill loop, one of my go to rides in the summer.
Mountain Biking the Pit Tip Kirkby
Mountain Biking Route 6 to Ravenshead
Mountain Biking Blidworth Waye
