~{nilheadimage~=142588~}
A disused railway line (which once ran from Newark to Bottesford) now provides a great ~{link~= https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/things-to-do/newark-to-cotham-cycle-route-p614841 ~;text~=walking and cycling track~;target~=newarktocotham~}.

We've walked the two-mile stretch into Newark really often, but until today we'd never covered the three-mile route to Cotham.

~{nilimage~=142587~;dir~=H~;alt~=start~;caption~=The track~}
~{nilimage~=142601~;dir~=H~;alt~=mist~;caption~=Very low cloud when we set out, but it lifted as the day wore on~}
~{nilimage~=142602~;dir~=H~;alt~=ruin~}
There's plenty to look at en route:

~{nilimage~=142589~;dir~=H~;alt~=graffiti~;caption~=Colourful graffiti~}
~{nilimage~=142603~;dir~=H~;alt~=methane1~;caption~=Methane extraction~}
~{nilimage~=142604~;dir~=H~;alt~=methane2~}
~{nilimage~=142605~;dir~=H~;alt~=bridge1~;caption~=A fine old bridge~}
~{nilimage~=142606~;dir~=H~;alt~=bridge2~}
At the end of the line, if you walk just a little further, into Cotham itself, you find some interesting old buildings:

~{nilimage~=142590~;dir~=H~;alt~=school~;caption~=The Old School Room~}
~{nilimage~=142607~;dir~=H~;alt~=stmichael1~;caption~=~{link~= https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-michael-cotham.html ~;text~=St Michael's, Cotham~;target~=stmichael~}. Now decommissioned, the church dates back to the 14th century~}
~{nilimage~=142611~;dir~=H~;alt~=front~}
~{nilimage~=142610~;dir~=H~;alt~=back~}
~{nilimage~=142591~;dir~=V~;alt~=tomb~}
~{nilimage~=142592~;dir~=H~;alt~=graveyard1~}
~{nilimage~=142593~;dir~=H~;alt~=graveyard2~}
~{nilimage~=142608~;dir~=H~;alt~=robin1~;caption~=There's a bench in the corner of the churchyard that makes a nice place for a chocolate break. As we were moving off, this friendly chap appeared~}
~{nilimage~=142609~;dir~=H~;alt~=robin2~}
The church has two guard donkeys in the adjoining paddock:

~{nilimage~=142612~;dir~=H~;alt~=donkey1~;caption~=This guy had stuff to do, and refused to be distracted~}
~{nilimage~=142613~;dir~=H~;alt~=donkey2~;caption~=But this one took a great fancy to the yellow gloves in my rucksack pocket~}
~{nilimage~=142614~;dir~=H~;alt~=donkey3~;caption~=Brooking no nonsense...~}
It's not really possible to make this into a circular walk, as there aren't many footpaths in the vicinity, and the roads are busy. So we came back the same way.

~{nilimage~=142594~;dir~=H~;alt~=lunchstop~;caption~=Our lunch spot. Bits of blue appearing by now~}