Breathtaking viaduct walk across the River Trent nobody knows about

Nottinghamshire is home to so many amazing attractions and walks. From somewhere we all know about like Sherwood Forest or Nottingham Castle, to something a bit more peaceful like a local nature reserve or a National Trust site, there is just so much to do. However, we have come across a beautiful walk across an almost 200-year-old viaduct on the edge of the county that most people don't seem to know about.

If you want a peaceful walk with breathtaking views away from the crowds, then this is the walk for you. You can start in either Cottam, near Retford, or on the Lincolnshire side of the River Trent in Torksey.

It's a relatively easy walk, but not exactly pushchair or wheelchair friendly due to the steps at either side of the viaduct, although these are a bit longer and flatter on the Lincolnshire side. I decided to start the walk in Torksey, and brought along my rottweiler Bear who would never forgive me for going for a walk without him.

The viaduct was designed by Sir John Fowler and completed in 1849. It carried the main line of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway over the River Trent. However, the main span of the river was modified in 1897 so that it could be made stronger, and the railway later closed in 1959.

Now Grade II listed, the viaduct was restored and opened to the public in 2015. The actual walk across the viaduct took around 10 minutes, but you could probably do it quicker than this, as I was stopping to admire the views every few moments.

From the bridge, you can easily see Torksey Castle, which I never knew about until today and is also worth a visit, as well as the towers of Cottom Power Station. There was also a little narrowboat travelling down the river, it was just lovely and peaceful, although a tad windy.

Once on the other side, we were greeted by some rather steep twisty steps, that my dog happily pulled me down with no concern that my legs couldn't keep up with his. We didn't do too much exploring, but there were two different public footpaths we could have taken along the river, which would have had more stunning views of the countryside, including lots of sheep and horses.

The whole time we were there I only spotted one other person who was a jogger, so it seems like this beautiful walk is a hidden gem most people probably drive past each day without knowing about.