Fosse Meadows -Frolesworth-Claybrooke-High Cross- Fosse Meadows

Thu, 2013 Mar 7 10:03 AM Western European Time 

Led by me, with Barry, Gordon and Maureen. Weather misty, some light drizzle. Muddy underfoot. Just over 7 miles.

A lot of this route is on the Leicestershire Round.  Most of it is the same as last Friday's walk, but walked in reverse.  

Today has not been the most tempting weather for walking. Indeed it wouldn't have taken much for me to roll over and stay put in my bed.  
Drizzle on the windscreen as we drive over to Fosse Meadows near Sharnford.  Drizzle threatening to turn to rain when we get out of the car persuades me to drag my waterproof out of my bag.  On the positive side, not much wind, and warm once we start moving.  It's not difficult to pick up the Leicestershire Round footpath near the car park - we head  along the path through the children's playground, and a few hundred yards along the path we turn right.  

We keep the woods on our left - and pass a few labels - dragonfly, pheasant and hazel.  We have to go through a very muddy gap in the hedge, and on our right, half way along the next field is another waymarker. This is where we leave the Leics Round for the moment. Our path turns a sharp right - running almost south-east.  Waymarkers are obvious and easy to follow, and when we hit a minor road there's a sign - Footpath to Frolesworth 1 mile.  It really is just a question of following the yellow wood signs, slightly up hill, past fields with horses to Manor Farm, and into Frolesworth.   There's a large pond over to the right, and downhill.

Here we walk along the road as far as White Cottage, where we turn right, heading south,  at the Leicestershire Round sign - through a gate and along a track to the next gate.  The path veers left across a field to another yellow post.   From one post to another uphill past Hill Farm, and round its fields, marked all the way.  We arrive at Frolesworth Lane, cross it, and cross a fairly big field, then turn right along the field edge to the footbridge at Claybrooke Mill.  Our path goes south west and comes out at the edge of Claybrooke Magna.  We turn right to walk along the road for a few yards before turning left to a footpath going due south. This comes out near Claybrooke Hall, in Claybrooke Parva.

We pass the twisted tree, and the primary school and follow signs past Midsummer Barn. At this point the sign points slightly to the right across the mud. The easier route is to walk along the hedge on our left to the point where it turns left. Here there is evidence of a path of sorts heading off diagonally to the right, towards another marker.  This is where the Leicestershire Round crosses a footbridge, and where we wandered slightly off track last Friday, when we met the Parish Walks path.

It's all very easy now we know how!  We head across the fields, led by the markers.  We take a short break in a sheltered spot, then carry on to the (alleged) centre of England.

They say it's the centre of England!

Lions guard High Cross House

Photos are taken, the Latin is not deciphered - too much ancient graffiti and erosion.  We turn along the Fosse Way and walk steadily down hill for a good mile and a half, and at the point where the track becomes road, our path goes through the fields and before long we arrive back at the car park.

Bird hide in Fosse Meadows Park, designed by Yr 5 and 6 of Sharnford Primary School 2006

Map and details of walk