Today myself and Angela met up with Amigo Chris and enjoyed a scenic, 5-mile circular, undulating walk, from Croxton Kerrial to Branston. The views along the way were fabulous and the dry sunny weather much appreciated after a couple of weeks of showers.
We parked in a lay-by on the outskirts of Croxton Kerrial and eagerly set off heading across fields.
We crossed through meadows laden with yellow buttercups and our route took us downhill.
Angela leading the way
Soon, we were heading steadily uphill.
Angela and Chris heading uphill
We took a route around the outside of a field because there was no path across (there should have been!) and we didn’t want to damage the crop.
Eventually we crossed the A607 and were soon taking in a nice view across fields.
We stood for a while drinking in the view and then headed downhill once more towards the village of Branston.
Heading into Branston
Arriving into Branston we spotted a bus shelter and took a break. I enjoyed my scotch egg and the banter 😊
Leaving Branston by the road we turned onto an undulating track. Having done this walk in Winter, when the track was very muddy, it was nice to walk it whilst it was dry.
The track ended at a concrete lane that led to Croxton Kerrial village.
We admired the unusual sight of a water spout on the roadside by the layby where we had parked. Apparently it is spring fed.
Having recently completed The Leicestershire Round I thought that I would put into words my reflections on that journey.
The Leicestershire Round is a 100-mile walking tour around Leicestershire, devised in 1987 by the Leicestershire Footpath Association to celebrate the Associations centenary.
My journey began back in August 2024 at the start point in a misty Bradgate park. Amigo Mick and I were looking forward to the challenge.
I definitely remember having a sense of embarking on a journey. Given that it was August you will be forgiven for expecting fine weather when, in fact, the opposite was the case. There again, it was a wet summer last year.
Heading off through Bradgate ParkDeer in Bradgate Park
We were going to be walking the route in stages which involved using two cars. We parked a car at the beginning and end of each section that we were walking. As we progressed around the route the business of having a lot of driving, plus trying to locate suitable parking became a challenge in itself. Parking near churches we found to be useful.
I only had one issue with parking and that was in Bagworth where I had initially parked in the Community Centre car park only to be told by an irate lady that I had no right to park there. My memory of Bagworth will be forever tainted with this unfriendly incident.
I think we managed 5 legs of the walk before the weather was too bad with winter looming. At this stage we had had enough of muddy walks.
Burrough Hill, and the remains of an iron age fort, should have been a good view point with plenty of photo opportunities, but the day we did it, it was misty again.
Mick arriving near the top of Burrough HillThe Toposcope on Burrough Hill
In general, the route was very well signposted. However, relying on signposts is not good in misty weather when they cannot be seen across a field! 😊
Mist in September
I recall walking through a VERY muddy Owston Woods – this was a particular low point on the walk. Progress was slow with wet feet and risk of slipping over.
Squelchy ground
Let no one tell you that Leicestershire is a flat county. The first few sections that we walked had plenty of up!
It was a real joy passing through numerous small and beautiful villages whilst walking the Round. Who knew that so many existed.
Finding a very old Packhorse bridge in Rearsby was a delight.
In November I recall we had a walk on a rare day without rain, although it was still muddy.
On the Round we came across The Tenth Battalion Trail and learnt about the areas history with the Parachute Regiment as a consequence. It was nice to delve into the history.
We took a break from the Round over winter and resumed in the spring. Who would have predicted that we would have such a long dry and sunny spring. It’s been wonderful. The blossom was been spectacular. The muddy, gloomy, wet walks of last year were replaced by sunny, dry walks and we made hay whilst the sun shone, knocking off all of the remaining legs.
Spring on the Leicestershire Round
Walking up Foston Locks on a sunny day was a particular highlight for me – a canal lover.
Foxton Locks
Visiting the Ashby canal was also a highlight.
The Ashby canal
Unexpected bonuses were finding out that The Battlefield Line heritage railway existed and that there is a good heritage museum at Boswell Field.
Shackerston railway station on the Battlefield Line
I think the walk was a voyage of discovery where we explored territory new to us. I realised how little I knew about areas close to where I live and it was a good feeling to be exposed to new experiences.
It was great walk to do and rekindled my desire to do more longer distance trails.
Today is a very auspicious day- Mick and I completed The Leicestershire Round!!!
Angela accompanied us on the short 6.5-mile walk from Bagworth to Bradgate Park in Newtown Linford. She had accompanied us on our first leg so it was only fitting that she was there for the last.
It was a reasonable good weather morning as we set off from Bagworth. I think we all felt a sense of occasion as we strode through Bagworth to pick up the trail where we had finished last week.
We passed an old colliery coal tug – a nod to Bagworths Industrial heritage. I am guessing the house owner was an ex-miner.
Shortly, we were passing through peaceful Bagworth Heath Woods. There would be quite a lot of walking through woods today.
Bagworth Heath Woods
At the edge of the wood we descended to reach a railway line and a level crossing. We wondered which one – turns out it is the disused Leicester to Swannington line which was opened by George Stephenson in 1832 – the first public railway in the Midlands. There were plans to reopen the line to passengers as the Ivanhoe line but they came to nothing. Mineral trains still use the line?
We skirted the side of Thornton reservoir and then continued along paths beside Brown Wood.
Thornton reservoirBeside Brown Wood
There were some slight inclines along the way as we headed towards the M1. The bright yellow buttercups were everywhere and looked fabulous.
A slight inclineClose to the M1Passing under the M1
After passing through the tunnel under the M1 it was a short walk to reach Markfield. It is a village that remembers its history – there are plaques on numerous building denoting their previous history. We stopped at a handy bench and took a break.
Angela spotted steps in front of what had been a door way but was bricked up now. I wonder why they did not remove the steps?
Leaving Markfield we took an underpass under the A50 – the graffiti artists had been at work!
Underpass on the A50
After passing under the A50 the route took us beside the road for a few hundred metres – the path was overgrown but we forged a way through.
Beside the A50
Eventually we reached open fields and made our way to Newtown Linford.
Close to Newtown Linford
As we entered Newtown Linford we passed the cricket club – the grass was a lush green and a ride-on lawn mower was cutting the grass to perfection. A couple of horse riders passed us riding along the road and said hello. Thatched cottages lined the road – it was all quintessentially English.
Soon we entered Bradgate Park and the Start/Finish point for The Leicestershire Round. Mick and I posed for the traditional end of walk photo.
Angela asked, would we like a coffee?- you know the answer to that question!
Reflecting on our journeyBadge added after completing The Leicestershire Round
It had been a 100-mile journey and you can read more of my reflections following the walk in a subsequent blog.
A big thank you goes to Mick for his good company, bad jokes and banter along the way.
Today, Angela and I enjoyed a 10-mile walk in the Vale of Belvoir taking in Easthorpe, Bottesford, the Grantham Canal and Redmile.
It was a very blustery day, but thankfully dry. We have had quite a few heavy rain days this week. We parked near Middlestile bridge (No 56) on the Grantham Canal and set off along the towpath towards Muston Gorse. Immediately we saw a couple of swans with their six cygnets- it was great to see.
After approximately one mile along the towpath we reached Muston Gorse bridge (No 57). Here we left the towpath taking a footpath across fields towards Bottesford. The grass along the towpath had recently been trimmed so that looked neat.
Muston Gorse bridge
There were plenty of clouds in the sky and the sun was making a determined effort to break through. We were aiming for the spire of the St Mary the Virgin church at Bottesford which we could see in the distance.
Our route would take us across the very busy A52 and I was inwardly dreading having to wait ages waiting to cross. As it transpired we arrived and got straight across through a gap in the traffic 😊.
Having conquered the A52 barrier we followed the lane into the lovely village of Easthorpe where we admired the cottages as we walked through.
Angela on her way to Bottesford
Crossing a buttercup strewn meadow as we left Easthorpe we made our way to Bottesford. Walking beside the church we arrived at a Ford across the river Devon. Here we stopped at a bench and took a break.
St Mary the Virgin church at Bottesford
The church is sometimes known as ‘Lady of the Vale’. It has the second highest spire (212 ft) in Leicestershire. The chancel was rebuilt in the 17th century to accommodate the monuments of the Manners family, Earls (later Dukes) of Rutland whose ancestral home is Belvoir castle.
After our break we continued walking through Bottesford, then crossed the A52 again (no problem here!) and followed a road to reach the Grantham Canal towpath where we headed towards Redmile. The Redmile church spire was visible as we walked by the canal.
Along the Grantham Canal towards RedmileThe Grantham Canal at Redmile
A short walk through Redmile brought us to a track which led us across fields away from Redmile towards Muston Gorse. We walked beside what looked like a new road being constructed- I wondered if it was an access road to a Solar farm.
A new road
We reached a small lane and while walking along this were astonished to find a large double decker bus coming towards us. It was a school bus and filled the width of the lane. Being as though there were ditches either side of the road we had very little space to avoid the bus. Somehow we managed to let the bus pass by.
We reached the canal again at Easthorpe bridge (No 56) and joined the towpath meandered our way back to where we had parked the car. The canal is such a tranquil place to wander.
Grantham canal with Belvoir castle in the distance
Today I was up early and travelled to Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire to enjoy a 6.75 mile circular walk.
Woodhall Spa is known as one of Lincolnshire’s prettiest villages and this was my first visit (and it won’t be the last!). It developed as a small health resort in the Victorian period and came about by accident in 1811, when a man named John Parkinson made several failed attempts to find coal. The enterprise was abandoned after the 1,000 ft deep shaft filled with spring water. It was then discovered that the Iodine-rich water had healing benefits. Spa Baths were built so that visitors could ‘take the waters’ and hotels followed.
As I drove to Woodhall Spa I passed old tractors and vintage cars along the way- there must be an event on somewhere I said to myself. Arriving into Woodhall Spa there were a lot more people about than you would normally find early on a Sunday morning – then I saw a sign and all became clear.
Woodhall Spa
These days Woodhall Spa is a popular golfing resort. During World War 11 the village was home to some 5,000 servicemen. 617 squadron (the famous Dambuster’s) has strong associations with the village. After parking up I visited the memorial for those members of 617 squadron who have died whilst serving their country.
I paused for a while and reflected on their sacrifice.
Heading off I walked through the village and suddenly came across the site of the Woodhall Spa Show – the place was busy. My route along The Viking Way was barriered off so I asked one of the Marshalls, who was directing traffic, could I still use the path. Thankfully he replied ‘ yes, just move the barrier to pass through’. And so I did, the show was setting up in a large field. I stopped for a chat with another Marshall and he said the show is a big event for the village and later on, the fields for parking would be full.
There was even a vintage tractor painted pink advertising the Lincolnshire Ladies Tractor Road Run on 20th July.
After I had passed the show grounds it became much quieter.
This is more like it I thought, the birds twittering in the trees and no one in sight. I admired a field containing Crimson Clover as I walked by.
Crimson Clover
The soil is quite parched at this stage of the current dry spell.
The white flowers on the Cow Parsley were bountiful.
Cow Parsley
I met a woman out walking her dog and we had a chat about the show and where I had come from today. After, I continued following The Viking Way across fields.
I spotted some beautiful flowers on a Horse-Chestnut tree.
Horse Chestnut tree flowers
I passed through a few fields containing sheep with lambs in tow. Bahhhh!
Derelict farm
My route then took me along quiet tree- lined lanes.
As usual whilst walking along I was lost in my thoughts and then I came across a sign for luxury treehouse accommodation. ‘That’s very interesting’ I thought -I will check it out later. http://www.treetophideaways.co.uk
This is what I love about walking – coming across the unexpected.
The final part of my walk was through The National Golf Centre which is lined with golf courses. It was a lovely walk and I am pleased to report that I didn’t get hit by any stray golf ball’s 😊.
There were a few golfers out enjoying a game.
I walked past this bunker and wondered how many golfers had come a cropper in here?
The path was lined with Rhododendron bushes – lovely.
On my route today I came across a number of information boards about Wartime Woodhall – its a great idea I think.
Soon, I was walking back into the village and I popped into the co-op to get a coffee. The main street in the village is lined with cafes (busy!) and interesting shops including one claiming to be the smallest shoe shop in England- it was small!
I had loved exploring Woodhall Spa and will definitely be returning.
Today myself and Angela visited Hayfield in the Peak District, enjoying a 8-mile circular walk during which we visited Lantern Pike. We had some lovely views and met very few people along the way.
Dry stone walls crisscrossing the fields
We set off from Manchester at early o’clock to avoid rush hour traffic. After finding parking we were soon crossing a bridge across the River Sett.
River Sett
We had a steep climb through the village eventually reaching a track leading to Snake Path. A sign reminded us that we are fortunate that we could walk the land we would be walking today because, at one time, landowners prohibited it. The action taken by those protesters changed the course of history.
Looking back as we ascended we could see mist enveloping the valley below. The track became stony so we had to watch where we placed our feet, and after a brief steep uphill walk, we entered open moorland.
In the distance we could see Mam Tor and I wondered how many people would be stood on top today- quite a few I would imagine. We stopped fairly often, taking time to look around, soaking up the beauty.
We came to a junction, close to some huts used for shooting parties on private land, and took the path towards Glossop. The other direction would have taken us to Edale via Jacobs Ladder.
A nice wooden causeway made it easy to cross what would have been a very boggy section.
The path meandered across the moorland and we could see that we were getting nearer to Lantern Pike.
Lantern Pike in the distance
We joined the Pennine Bridleway.
Arriving at Lantern Pike we had a steep ascent to reach a topograph at the summit.
Rewarded at the top by great views we met the first person of our walk who was also taking in the view. It was a steep descent and I nearly slipped a couple of times on the loose stones.
Descending off Lantern Pike
A stone tree-lined track then descended into the valley.
We passed some colourful orange and yellow plants along the way.
We followed the path of the dismantled railway back into Hayfield. Passing by a reservoir (built originally to feed the mill) we stopped at a bench for a break, which was rudely interrupted by a swarm of green fly! There were walkers and cyclists out and about.
The dismantled railway path
Angela liked a flowering Azealia in the churchyard.
We crossed over the River Sett once again.
On the way back to the car we passed a blue plaque recording that Arthur Lowe (famous for his role as Captain Mainwaring in ‘Dad’s Army’ -a classic British comedy) had been born in this terrace.
Today myself and Mick enjoyed a lovely 8-mile circular walk starting beside the magnificent Lincoln Cathedral, along the Fossdyke Navigation and then back up the famous Steep Hill to the Cathedral.
Lincoln truly is a beautiful city, especially on a balmy sunny day. If you have never been its well worth a visit.
We parked in the Park and Ride car park and caught the bus to the Cathedral – a 5 minute journey. After getting off the bus we headed towards the Cathedral. Built in 1072 the Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in all of Europe. An earthquake in 1185 almost totally destroyed the original Norman Cathedral and it was rebuilt in gothic style between 1192 and 1280.
Mick starting his GPS
Leaving the grounds of the Cathedral we walked along Bailgate and then turned into Westgate passing the walls of Lincoln castle.
I popped into a Seven Districts coffee shop to get a Latte take-away- it was very good coffee. The company is a speciality coffee roaster within the seven districts of Lincolnshire and operate a number of coffee shops.
After a short walk we reached Aldermans Walk along the edge of West Common. Amazing that houses have not been built here and that’s its being kept as a green space.
Aldermans Walk beside West Common
We then walked beside Carholme golf course to reach the Fossdyke Navigation.
Carholme Golf Course
Lincoln was founded as a fortress, and later a city, by the Romans at the point where the river Witham cuts through the limestone ridge of Lincoln Edge. The Fossdyke can claim to be the oldest canal in the country as it was originally cut by the Romans around AD120 to link the river Witham at Lincoln with the river Trent. It is 11 miles in length. It was probably used to transport food from the rich farmland of the fens to feed the occupying Roman armies. Centuries later, the Normans used it for transporting stone to build their castles.
Beside the Fossdyke navigation.
We enjoyed a pleasant walk along the side of the canal. There were quite a few boats moored up along the way – some had seen better days.
The Fossdyke Navigation
After a while there were no boats moored up as we were leaving the environs of the city. Further on we passed what looked a nice pub – The Pyewipe Inn. It had some large Tipis in the garden- I checked it out when I got home – they are for weddings.
As we walked along, the Cathedral, high on its hill, dominated the surrounding areas.
We reached our turnaround point and then followed Catchwater Drain back to join the Fossdyke once more.
Catchwater DrainFossdyke Navigation
Dog walkers, cyclists and runners were all out enjoying the nice weather along the canal. Soon, we were arriving back into urban areas with nicely situated properties built beside the canal.
We reached Brayford Waterfront home to many restaurants, cafes and the University of Lincoln. It reminded me of Salford Quay in Manchester.
Brayford Waterfront
As we left Brayford Pool I spotted this curious property beside the river Witham.
A short walk along the river and up some steps brought us to the busy high street.
River WithamHigh Street
We were heading for Steep Hill, a cobbled street which is the fourth steepest in England. It is lined with quaint independent shops and restaurants. It is probably not what you need at the end of an 8-mile walk!
Steep Hill
Arriving at the top of Steep Hill the entrance to Lincoln Castle was on our left and Lincoln Cathedral was to our right.
Lincoln Castle – founded by William the Conqueror in 1068
It was a short walk to the bus stop to pick up the bus back to the park and ride carpark.
It had been a walk of contrasts with some beautiful architecture along the way. A great day out. I hope that you enjoyed the blog?
Today, I was up at early o’clock and took a drive to RSPB Frampton Marsh where I enjoyed a 10-mile circular walk – it was a cracker!
Lovely pebble found on a gate post
Frampton Marsh is situated on the south-western corner of The Wash, close to the market town of Boston. The area is an opportunity to see wetlands as they existed in Medieval times. Here, there are vast salt marshes and mudflats and it attracts half a million birds from all over Europe. https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/frampton-marsh
I had a great drive to Frampton Marsh – there was so little traffic on the road.
I parked in the carpark and then set off, passing the Visitors Centre – it wouldn’t be open for another couple of hours so I thought that would be handy for a stop when my walk is over.
The Visitors Centre
A footpath beside a lane took me towards the new sea-bank that I would be walking along. The thing that struck me was just how noisy the birds were – maybe it was because it was morning and they were celebrating the arrival of a new day?
There was a chilly wind blowing and I was hoping that the sun would come out soon. Climbing the steps to reach the new sea-bank a signpost informed me that I was on the King Charles (111) England Coastal Path and I had my first view of the salt marshes.
The salt marshesview back of the path I had walked alongThe new sea-bank I walked along
As I walked on the new sea-bank I was enjoying the stunning views across the marshes.
I happened across a wooden bench so decided to take a break with a coffee and scotch egg. The silence here was such a contrast to the earlier experience. I felt as though I had the world to myself – a nice feeling. I didn’t linger too long because I was starting to get cold. I had not seen a soul.
My coffee stopMy path lies ahead
To my right were now agricultural fields with the frost protection still in place.
The vastness of the marshes is impressive – I wondered if it was possible to walk through it at low tide.
I left the new sea-bank and crossed the Greenwich Meridian to reach a wide drain which I followed for a while.
I could hear rifles/shotguns being fired – after the solitude along the sea-bank it was a noisy and unwelcome intrusion. I thought to myself – I hope I am not going near them but alas, further on I saw a field with large numbers of people and Range Rovers in and I was walking close by a clay pigeon shoot. The noise was deafening. I then saw a red flag and a very stupid notice on the footpath.
The sign said to sound the air-horn and then ‘proceed with caution’. Well, with the possibility of no one hearing the siren, and having no positive feedback to say firing has stopped, I did not trust this ‘proceed with caution’ message, so I consulted my map and found an alternative route – a two mile detour across fields and lanes. I guess the organisers were too lazy to post marshalls.
Eventually, I joined my route along the old sea-bank.
I passed a field where potatoes(?) had been planted – it all looked very precise.
Re-joining the new sea-bank there were a few people around now.
Soon, I was arriving back into the visitors centre where I thoroughly enjoyed a hot Cornish pasty and a large Latte. A big shout out for the staff – they were very friendly and helpful.
It was a longer walk than I had planned but, as with life, sometimes a spanner will be thrown into the works and you need to modify your route.
It was a bright sunny morning as Mick, Angela and I arrived into the small Lincolnshire village of Osbournby. A wide street made for easy parking at the starting point of our 6.5-mile circular walk which would take in the villages of Aswarby, Swarby and Aunsby.
Osbournby
I had done the walk last year but it was new to Mick and Angela. We set off walking through the village passing a house which had lovely flowering Wisteria, one of my favourite shrubs with its vibrant mauve flowers.
Lovely flowering Wisteria
After a walk through the village we left taking a slightly inclined path at the edge of a field.
Mick & Angela leaving Osbournby
We passed a curious folding bench-quite unique.
Mick demonstrating the folding bench.Looking back towards Osbournby
Having reached the top of the incline we headed downhill on the other side passing beside Tally Ho plantation. We enjoyed some splendid views.
Reaching the busy A15 we had a short walk beside it, then turned into the tree-lined lane to Aswarby. The magnificent church dominating the horizon.
Lane to AswarbySt Denys church, Aswarby
There used to be a large country house – Aswarby Hall, in the park adjacent to the church. It was demolished in 1952 following military occupation during the Second World War and being left in a bad condition.
Passing the church we turned onto a track past Aswarby Saw Mill where we passed an old stone building -perhaps the former blacksmiths workshop for the estate.
Turning off the track we crossed parkland full of mature oak trees, sheep and curious little lambs.
Leaving the park we walked beside a ditch to reach the A15 once more.
Crossing the A15 we walked into the village of Swarby, passing the church of St Mary and All Saints.
St Mary & All Saints, Swarby
We had seen Red Kites, a Buzzard and a Kestrel. A small building lay on the green opposite the church- perhaps a former water well. There was no information available.
An old well?
Leaving Swarby, we crossed fields enjoying the fact that they were dry 😊.
We saw four Deer crossing the field in the distance, they saw us too, and after glancing at us they continued on their way. A fluffy sheep caught our attention.
What breed am I?
Small white clouds resembling balls of cotton wool hung unmoving in the blue sky.
Small white clouds
Soon we were arriving back into Osbournby, passing another cottage with Wisteria. Wonderful!
Arriving at the car it was turning into a very warm day. A splendid walk was had by all.
Today was a Three Amigo walk on another leg of The Leicestershire Round -the 100-mile circular walk around the county of Leicestershire. We paused our efforts over the winter months because the paths would have been quite muddy. We had started at Bradgate Park last summer and we are doing the walk proceeding in a clockwise direction.
We resumed our walking today at the village of Glooston and did a 7-mile walk to Foxton passing through Stonton Wyeville, Thorpe Langton and East Langton.
We all met at St Andrews church in Foxton and took a car to our start at Glooston. It was a perfect blue sky morning but a tad chilly – Chris was in his shorts again!
Things didn’t get off to a good start because I was looking at the map, and not where I was putting my feet, and tripped up on uneven ground and ended up on the floor – luckily my rucksack softened the fall. I think it was the great Arthur Wainwright who suggested you won’t go wrong provided you look where you are putting your feet. Lesson learnt!
We crossed a few freshly ploughed fields and then some grassed fields where we admired the cute spring lambs.
Our route took us uphill to a trig point at 147m where we had panoramic views. It was worth the effort.
Heading uphill
We then descended a long sloping valley pasture to the spinney at the far end. Cattle graze on this pasture and there were plenty of deep holes where the cattle’s hooves had sunk into the ground during wet weather. Today the ground was mostly rock solid- it would have been a grim section in wet conditions. Still, it was challenging enough not to trip up in the ruts.
We arrived into Thorpe Langton where we spotted a bench by St Leonards church and took a break. We were hoping that ground conditions might improve for the remainder of the walk.
St Leonards at Thorpe Langton
Mick commented that the cemetery didn’t have many graves – apparently there were no burials here until the middle of the 19th century because earlier it was a chapel to the mother church at Church Langton.
Thorpe Langton
As we left Thorpe Langton Chris pointed out the Ridge and furrow pattern on a field. This archaeological pattern of ridges and troughs was created by a system of ploughing used in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Ridge and furrow
Next, we passed a strangely situated stone pillar along the route inscribed ‘Lottery Feb 21st 1886’. Apparently it remembers a famous racehorse that won the first Grand National in 1839. It spent time at Astley Grange Farm Stud close by.
Continuing on through fields containing well behaved cattle we passed under the railway bridge for the main Leicester to St Pancras line.
Freight train loco
Crossing the last few fields we were arriving into Foxton village where we crossed over the Grand Union Canal before shortly arriving at St Andrews church- our destination for today.
The Grand Union CanalSt Andrews church, Foxton
Our next leg will take us from Foxton to Bruntingthorpe during which we will walk up the famous flight of locks at Foxton.
Today was a perfect day for walking or taking a ride on a canal boat.
