and occasionally rides a bike.
A word of warning. The walk descriptions are not detailed enough to guide you - please take a map. The batteries never run out, and you always have a signal. Oh, And don't take left or right as gospel!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Lubenham to Foxton Locks and back

Fri, 2014 Oct 31 9:34 AM GMT
With Marta. A walk around the village first, then across to Foxton, and back - last two miles unrecorded. Switched off machine and forgot to restart track! Very warm, some cloud, some sun. 8 or 9 miles.

We started by following part of the Lubenham Heritage Group's Village Trail . I recommend it. We picked up a leaflet last week and looked at one or two places.  This week we set out from the Tower House, and walked along Washpit Lane, then through the field below Thorpe Lubenham Hall, returning  to the main road via the Church, the school and the Old Hall.

The Welland and old railway bridge from Washpit Lane

A glimpse of the Welland from the footpath by the main road

The field before the bridge

Horses in the field crossed by a public footpath, near Thorpe Lubenham Hall

The old moat

Old railway bridge with one roadway lower for laden carts

Another glimpse of the Welland

All Saints Church

Cottage and Old forge

Rooftops near the Old Bakehouse
We continued to the main road, past some more interesting buildings, and turned right just before the War Memorial and along the track called the Undle, as far as the footpath sign on the right.
The path crosses several fields and eventually brings you out at Gartree Prison. We turned right then crossed Gallow Field Road, and one more field to reach the Canal. We turned left after the footbridge. 
A solitary boatman goes through after openin the swing bridge at Foxton
After the swing bridge we carried on to Foxton Locks for lunch at the Bridge 61 pub, where we sat outside watching humans and other animals - mainly mallards and dogs.
Walking towards Foxton Locks

Mallard
The path beside the flight of locks took us up to the Gumley Road.  We walked along the footpath just after the bridge, over grassy fields, past a fishing lake, and along a track past Holmes Farm.
Shaggy inkcap
Here we should not have followed the track opposite the road, but turned left and walked with the hedge on our left, across another field and the corner of a third to reach the Foxton Road back into Lubenham. Our route was not much longer, so little harm done this time.
Winter lace trees

Map and details to Foxton

2 comments:

Ida Jones said...

An interesting photo of the bridge with its two levels of roadway. Pretty, thatched cottage where somebody has worked hard on those bushes! And such a sleek mallard - very handsome.

Enjoyed your walk...thanks!

aliqot said...

Many thanks - we wanted to complete the exploration begun last week, and were also interested to follow the course of the infant Welland.