~{nilheadimage~=142794~} 
You remember our walks round ~{purplepost~=1337~;text~=Collingham~;target~=collingham~}? Well, across the river is Cromwell (after which the lock is named, although it's a fair way from the village). We headed in that direction a couple of times this week.

First time round, we just walked down to the lock:

~{nilimage~=142797~;dir~=V~;alt~=stgiles~;caption~=~{link~= https://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/cromwell/hhistory.php ~;text~=St Giles, Cromwell~;target~=stgiles1~}, another church that's been around for centuries in some shape or form~}
~{nilimage~=142780~;dir~=H~;alt~=stgiles2~}

~{nilimage~=142798~;dir~=H~;alt~=tree~;caption~=Another of these cold days that come with interesting light~}
~{nilimage~=142776~;dir~=H~;alt~=view~}
~{nilimage~=142799~;dir~=V~;alt~=romans~;caption~=The Romans were here...~}
Cromwell is one of Nottinghamshire's four "thankful villages". These are localities that lost none of the soldiers who set out for World War I (hence Cromwell has no war memorial).

(Of course, having read this piece of information, on the noticeboard by the lock, you immediately want to know which are the other villages, and hunting them up will make a nice little expedition one day...)

Sadly, however, the village's luck did not hold in 1975, when no fewer than 10 Sapper volunteers from the 131 Parachute Squadron perished during a night-time exercise when their boat went over the weir (unlit because of a power cut).

This is the monument to their memory:

~{nilimage~=142777~;dir~=H~;alt~=memorial~}
The riverside is very atmospheric in the waning light:

~{nilimage~=142778~;dir~=H~;alt~=darklockview~;caption~=Dark lock view~}
A few days later, we walked from Cromwell north towards Carlton-on-Trent. (We got this slightly wrong, actually, and turned towards the river before we reached our second village. So, having finished our circuit, we drove to Carlton, and walked some more. Sometimes it's hard to reconcile ideas for walks -- this one was sketched on the signpost at Cromwell Lock -- with either your map or the reality on the ground.)

~{nilimage~=142811~;dir~=H~;alt~=cottages~;caption~=Cute Cromwell cottages~}
~{nilimage~=142812~;dir~=H~;alt~=shadows~;caption~=Flat countryside, long winter shadows~}
~{nilimage~=142788~;dir~=H~;alt~=view~;caption~=Looking towards Carlton, and St Mary the Virgin~}
~{nilimage~=142813~;dir~=H~;alt~=riverside~;caption~=Alongside the River Trent~}
~{nilimage~=142789~;dir~=H~;alt~=geese~}
~{nilimage~=142791~;dir~=H~;alt~=lockagain~;caption~=Back at the lock -- much sunnier this time~}
~{nilimage~=142815~;dir~=V~;alt~=return~;caption~=Returning to Cromwell village~}
~{nilimage~=142792~;dir~=V~;alt~=smtv~;caption~=~{link~= https://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/carlton-on-trent/hintro.php ~;text~=St Mary the Virgin~;target~=smtv~}, Carlton-on-Trent~}
~{nilimage~=142816~;dir~=V~;alt~=shadows~}
Carlton is full of imposing buildings:

~{nilimage~=142817~;dir~=H~;alt~=manor~}
~{nilimage~=142818~;dir~=V~;alt~=redhouse~}
~{nilimage~=142819~;dir~=H~;alt~=berries~}
~{nilimage~=142793~;dir~=H~;alt~=mill~}
~{nilimage~=142820~;dir~=H~;alt~=river~;caption~=And you can walk further along the river towards the north~}
~{nilimage~=142821~;dir~=H~;alt~=sun~}
Which, hopefully, we will do one day soon.