Walking Anyway — Gedling Country Park

4.5 miles | easy paths and gentle inclines | rain, mist, low cloud | cafe at visitor centre

Today we were in two minds.

We needed to complete a recce walk for next week’s shortish walk that we’ll be leading, but the weather offered little encouragement; steady rain, low mist, and heavy skies. Still, we went. Partly because the walk needed doing, but also because days like this remind us that not every outing has to be perfect to be worthwhile.

The route was an easy 4.5 miles around Gedling Country Park which is a substantial local green space with multiple trails, views, nature, and even heritage touches from its colliery past, just west of Nottingham. Straightforward terrain and familiar paths, with the AllTrails app ticking quietly in the background, recording distance rather than directing the journey.

We were well wrapped up, thankfully. The rain had little intention of easing, and the higher ground near the Millennium Torch was exposed, with no shelter to speak of. It was the sort of weather that narrows your focus; head down, hands warm, steps steady.

Even so, people were still out walking. Others had gathered in the visitor centre, drawn by warmth and routine as much as coffee. We joined them briefly before heading back out.

By the time we set off on the second part of the walk, the rain had softened. We paused at the memorials, one for Queen Elizabeth II, another marking the colliery that once stood beneath the park. Quiet reminders that landscapes, like lives, are layered with what came before.

When we had finished, felt better for it. The body loosened, the mind settled, and the day had gently shifted shape. Although simple and low risk, the route is now confirmed for next week. More than that, it had been exactly the walk we needed.

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