Public Transport

We’re struggling to keep this page up to date – as you can probably imagine!  We hope it serves as a guide, presenting some possibilities. 

Using the bus

Click the link for bus timetables which will allow you to gain access to the canal from Grantham – or even Loughborough!

The villages of Harlaxton, Denton and Woolsthorpe all give access to the canal – although it maybe something like a mile’s walk in some cases.

Harlaxton ‘Gregory Arms’ stop is the nearest to the canal.

Denton Village hall stop gives you a lovely walk around the reservoir, before joining the canal using the permissive path to Bridge 65.

Woolsthorpe stop is the longest walk to gain access to the canal – suggest you ask to get off at Brewer’s Grave, the Gatehouse between Denton and Woolsthorpe – which is where the Viking Way crosses the road heading down to the canal.

You’ll need an O/S map to find your way along the various footpaths to and from the canal. Note the useful permissive path from Denton Reservoir to Denton Wharf (Bridge 65).

Please only use the timetable as a guide – times and services change

Timetables for accessing canal in the Grantham area

The information below has been provided by a towpath walker (Jan 2020)

Hose is about half way along the canal and has a bus service from Melton Mowbray, with a bus connection from Nottingham allowing the walk to be done in two 16 miles sections.

If you want shorter walks there are frequent buses to Cotgrave and trains to Bottesford.
It is best to go to Hose and walk to the more frequent buses at Cotgrave or to Bottesford for the 2 hourly trains back to Nottingham or Grantham.

From the canal to or from Bottesford use the quiet road from Middlestile Bridge number 56 at GR SK 8110 3682 [or the quiet lanes through Easthorpe to Muston, Sustrans Route NCN 15]

There are also buses from Nottingham to Cropwell Bishop and Grantham to Woolsthorpe

If you put the village name and bus into google and use the https://bustimes.org site you can find if there is a bus. Check on the operators site for the timetable as the bus times site is not always up to date

 

Using the train

Grantham is served by the East Coast Mainline and the Nottingham – Skegness line (Poacher Line)

The canal can be accessed about one mile from Grantham Railway Station.

From Bottesford on the Poacher Line, it’s a pleasant walk through the villages of Easthorpe and Muston to join the canal. A study of the map will show the way.

Live in London?

The East Coast Mainline delivers you to within about a mile of the canal at Grantham.

The Midland Mainline at Nottingham is adjacent to the Nottingham Canal, and will take you home.  Access the Nottingham Canal towpath (which is opposite the Grantham Canal, by crossing the nearby Trent Bridge.  So in effect, it’s towpath all the way from joining the canal at Grantham 33 miles away – save for a few hundred yards here and there.  A three day walk?  Accommodation

We’re always keen to hear of additional accommodation along the route – please let us know via ‘Contact us’ on the homepage.

You may find our online canal map useful, both in planning and during your walk: GUIDE TO THE GRANTHAM CANAL

A useful site with information about the Vale of Belvoir: Visit Belvoir