As the line passes on its embankment to the south of Tollerton, the city suburbs are left behind and large stretches of open countryside accompany the line all the way to Melton. From here on, the vast majority of bridges are for farm access - very few of these are public rights of way.

The line twice crosses Flawford (Flawforth) Lane, the old road from Plumtree to Flawford House and Ruddington. The first is a now disused level crossing, the second a wrought-iron underbridge (number 23). As both are original features, despite modification to the bridge by the Butterley Company in 1919 (1), it is interesting to debate exactly why it was necessary to provide both. A house marks the site of the old Flawforth Church, which served Ruddington until its destruction in 1773. Until the 1950s the adjacent landowners were required to keep the lane made up. Once a year a wagon of stone would be delivered to Plumtree Station to be spread on Flawford Lane. The road no longer provides public vehicle access, and in the late 1980s was the subject of some local debate regarding Rights Of Way. This point was also prone to snow drifting, and on at least one occasion an engine got stuck here.

Looking north over Bridge 23 (119m 0c) in Sep 1967

Bridge 23 in March 1989

Few villages can be as attractively named as Plumtree. With a ninth century church, Plumtre (one E) was once the meeting place of the wapentake (a medieval subdivision of the shire). When the railway first passed through Plumtree, this "small and pleasant village" boasted two pubs, a blacksmith's, a baker's, the Church and a village school. Its population has fallen slightly since the coming of the railway, and now lies around 250. The old blacksmith's was later used as part of the village shop (now closed), the wooden horseshoe clearly visible. Until the building of the bypass (now the A606) between the wars, Plumtree was on the main Nottingham & Melton road. Unlike Keyworth, Plumtree was very much a farming community and the source of few regular railway passengers.

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