Newstead Abbey viewed across a lake in early evening sunlight

Nottinghamshire - Linby & Newstead Abbey Circular Trail

A fabulous route past the imposing ancestral home of Lord Byron

This 5.9 mile (9.6km) circular walk starts from Linby, a conservation village and uses part of the dismantled Great Northern Railway line to get to Newstead Abbey, the ruins of an Augustinian Priory built by Henry II in 1170.

The return to Linby is through Abbey woods and Papplewick village.

The route takes around 3 hours to complete on foot.

The walk begins at the Top Cross in Linby village (grid ref. SK534509), from there, walk up the hill to the traffic island and turn right onto the path signed Linby Trail and National Cycle Network. This is along a railway cutting which follows the route of the Great Northern Railway.

During the walk, the magnificent Newstead Abbey comes into view with the garden lake to the right. Although originally an Augustinian Priory built in 1170, it's probably best known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron. If you feel like stopping off, there's a small charge to visit the museum which houses Byron memorabilia and gardens. On the grassy areas in front of the Abbey there are usually ducks and peacocks wandering around.

The trail finished back at the starting point.