Mainline to London Multi-cache
Aladdin Sane: Last train to London has departed.
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The chance to explore the route of a former mainline railway from city out to the suburbs. Visit a series of micros and collect clues for the final location - each micro is a cache in its own right. You can do the series as a single walk of just over 5km (but you'll have to walk back again!)or break it into stages.
The Nottingham & Melton Railway was opened in 1879 to provide a more direct link from Nottingham to London. It was closed in 1968. The line from Edwalton to Melton survives as the Test Track. This journey takes you from the edge of the City centre out to Edwalton.
Start your journey at the Lady Bay Retail Park – this is about as close as you can now get to the Junction where the London line left the Newark line and curved southwards. The track here has disappeared beneath the Incinerator and the retail park. The first microcache is here. Make a note of the first clue.
Then cross the main road towards Lady Bay Bridge. The trackbed here was converted into a road bridge in 1979 and made famous by its role as an East German border crossing in the TV version of Le Carre’s “Smiley’s People”. The 2nd Micro is here, but not on the bridge!
After crossing Radcliffe Rd, the track bed is now built over by a dentists and some housing. Walk up Edward Road. Footpath off to the right towards Bridgford Park – gate to your right - access to the open field – with the embankment in front. Steps at the far right up to the embankment top (Micro 3) and walk south.
Reaching Bridgford Rd, steps down and cross over. Turn left then right into Stratford Rd – Micro 4 is in Coop car park. More housing now fills the track bed, so back to Stratford Rd and walk south. Opposite the church hall, footpath to the right once went under the track (“Walter's Passage" after the corner shop run by Walter Bonini). Reference Point 5 is here, there is not a micro.
Return to Stratford Rd. At the end turn right into Avon Gardens then left into Edwalton Avenue which brings you to Rectory Rd. The new “Marlborough Court” opposite is built on the track bed (look at its shape!). Turn right then left into Melton Rd. Just before the garage a footpath takes you up onto the embankment again. (Micro 6)
You now have a significant section of trackbed to walk. This is known as the “Green Line”. Note the surviving bridge over Devonshire Rd, then Micro 7 before you enter a cutting and eventually climb up onto Boundary Rd (Micro 8).
The next section of cutting has been filled in to create part of the Leisure Centre car park and a footpath to Lodge Farm Bridge. (Micro 9)
Just after this almost buried bridge was Edwalton Station. All remains have disappeared and new houses are on the site.
Walk along the Lane which parallels the track bed then turn right and left onto Edwalton Lodge Close – you are leaving the station approaches! – cross the main Melton Road (the underbridge has disappeared) and through the gate opposite to regain the trackbed.
It’s more overgrown here, but a passable track exists. Climb up to the footpath which crosses, then back down to the cutting. A fence across your way marks the end of your journey (Micro 10). In front, the buffers mark the start of the Test Track from here to Melton.
The final cache can be found at N52 5A.BCD W001 0E.FGH
It contains a FTF prize of “Lost Railways of Nottinghamshire” for further reading!
For more information about the Nottingham to Melton Railway go to (visit link) , Colin Aldworth’s excellent website.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre pbapergr