Chesterfield Canal Trust Winter Walk

Walking the Cuckoo Way

David Blackburn, the Trust’s Cuckoo Way officer recommends a short winter walk around Retford.

This is an easy walk around central Retford, about half of which is along the Chesterfield Canal towpath and including paths through Kings Park. Allow up to an hour - distance is less than two miles. Ideal for a brisk walk on a crisp winter day.

Retford is an attractive market town, especially on Thursday and Saturday when the bustling market is in full swing. The walk is flat and with no stiles. Pavements and paths have hard surfaces but parts of the towpath can be wet in places. At the end of your walk, there is a good choice of cafes, pubs and restaurants to warm up in.

Start outside the imposing, French style town hall in the Market Place. With your back to the town hall go right and along Grove Street. Cross the busy road at the traffic lights and continue on to the Packet Inn and the canal. On your left the large brick building is the former Grove Mill, once a flour mill and now converted as a snooker club and apartments.

Turn right, under the bridge and along the towpath and follow the canal, soon with Spa Common, the former Sheep market site, on your right. After passing under two road bridges, the canal widens into Retford basin and the moorings of Retford Mariners Boat Club. Alongside the towpath is the popular Bay Tree café, a former canal warehouse put to a good use.

Just beyond is Retford Town Lock, the first of the many narrow locks on the way to Chesterfield. The next towpath-side building is another former canal warehouse - recently restored into flats.

Town Lock, Retford. Photo: John Lower

A few yards on, the canal crosses the River Idle, where a pump house below the aqueduct keeps the canal topped up with water. The canal bends sharply to the right here and opposite there’s a delightful former warehouse, now an attractive residence.

You soon come to West Retford Lock, above which you leave the canal – at the bridge, turn right onto the road and soon right again through the imposing gates of Kings Park. Follow the track straight ahead through the park and cross the river. Turn left and follow the riverside path as far as Bridgegate. Turn right and you will soon be back in the Market Place

It’s easy to extend this walk by a little over half a mile – at West Retford Lock simply continue along the towpath to the next footbridge, cross it, turn left and walk through the spacious, park like cemetery. At the main road, turn left, cross the canal bridge, carefully cross the main road and turn right into Kings Park.