Walcote - Swinford - Walcote

Thu, 2013 Sep 12 9:33 AM British Summer Time

Led by Barry, with me, Maureen and Gordon. Flattish, sheep and cattle and some arable. Dry weather with a little sun later. 7.8 miles.

There's a smell of resin from the cut wood

I meet the gang at East Carlton, and we make out way by car to Walcote once more. We park behind the same vehicle - 6IGEON of clay-shooting fame - as Monday.

The rowan berries are bright

We take the A4304 for a short distance before our path leaves to the left - somewhat hidden by the lushness of the hedge.  We cross the field and then walk along the edges going south.  We pass a few tiny ponds in field corners and clamber over ten or a dozen stiles. We notice them today - nearly all are slippery.   In one field behind Thornhill Stud,  there are several horses.  A white one is quite interested in us - not just for a fuss though.  

"Is that all I get?"

We walk past some old practice jumps , then cross the Lutterworth Road.  Near Swinford Corner we take another path southwest - a bridleway this time, so no stiles for a while.  This leads towards the M1 - we kept on the bridleway all the time, ignoring a path to our right.   When we reach a bridge carrying the farm track over the motorway, we wander out to watch the traffic rushing along, then go back , and leave the bridleway, taking a footpath   going south east with the motorway roaring away on our right as we walk.  After a couple of hundred yards we turn east, and the noise grows fainter, as we approach the village of Swinford - nothing to do with swine, it seems, according to some online information:

The village of Swinford is a compact village at the head of a small tributary of the River Avon. The Anglo-Saxon name would have been “Suin Heaford” meaning “the head or source of the Swin Stream”. In time it was shortened to “Swin-ford”, but has nothing to do with swine!

1718 - the photo isn't quite in focus!

The village is quite big, and provides a seat where we sit a while. 
Our footpath heads slightly north of east, past a playing field, over fields (more stiles) and past a wooded area, before meeting a byway heading more or less north.  The main features here are power lines and wind turbines, both of which provide background music as we go.

After almost a mile, the byway meets the road between Walcote and Swinford.  We promised outselves we'd have a second break today, so we sit on a handy length of wood, even though it's no more than 3/4 mile to Walcote.  A bus passes by, but little else.  

I had to include this photo for the colour that's in it!

On the roadside there's a stall with plums and veg. Too tempting - I pays me money - but the paper bag's wet and they fall out instantly.  They're not difficult to collect and re-bag, and tonight I feast again! 

I love vegetable gardens - and sunflowers

The Old Post Office

Walks - you must be crazy!

A pleasant walk, with more than twenty stiles - and no rain until later in the evening.  There are still a few swallows around.

Map and details

Walcote circular, via Gilmorton and Kimcote

Mon, 9 Sep 2013 10:19 British Summer Time

Led by Barry, with me and Gordon. Pretty flat, good underfoot - mix of arable and cattle country. 7.5 miles. No rain while we were out. At least 26 stiles. 

We had a last minute change of plan when we discovered the A43 was closed and that side of Corby was as near gridlocked as I have ever seen it.  So we headed back across Corby and past Market Harborough.  Thanks to Barry for a last minute alternative to my walk.

I've driven past Walcote countless times on my way to the M1 when heading north, but had never stopped.  As so often there is more to these villages than meets the eye of the passing motorist-in-a-rush. 

We find a place to park, and set off north along Brook Street, taking a footpath west, to the left just before the road divides. The path soon turns north once more,  along the field edge and over a few fields before turning north west and passing the corner of Winterfield Spinney. 

 The path zigzags a bit through fields north then west, but when two paths meet between Oback and Thornborough Farms we turn right in a northeasterly direction.  In the third field we take the left hand option when the path divides. This takes us to the left hand corner of the field, across another one, then along the edge of a third, very smelly today, as it's recently been manured.  Good job we don't intend to eat in any posh pub.

We turn left and walk uphill for a few hundred yards along the Lutterworth Road, which is busier than we expected.  
The footpath goes off to the right,  and heads north north east to Gilmorton. We pass the old motte in a field near the church - no public right of way, so we sneak a peek through the gate.

Our path goes through the churchyard, where we take a break. 

Gilmorton Church

An unusual memorial bench.

The church porch was built to celebrate Victoria's diamond jubilee - the stained glass is clearly Victorian, and we think the carved head above looks like the lady herself.

We leave the church behind us and walk through the village.

Grey skies today!

We turn right along the road to Kimcote, and when the road bends to the right we take a path straight ahead. It looks as though there was once a village or similar here - lots of lumps and bumps in the ground, but nothing on the map.

This runs parallel with the road just south of Bruntingthorpe airfield/ proving ground.

We follow the path to the north of The Lodge, and then turn south towards Kimcote, over more fields.

Kimcote church

  We walk past the church and cross the road to Poultney Lane, through the village and farms.  The road turns into a footpath past sewage works, and then gradually leads southwest towards Walcote. 

Globe artichokes - yum!

The not-so-swfit River Swift.

We meet the road, cross the mighty Swift, and at Woodside Farm, we turn left on a footpath which takes us back to the village.

Wildlife note:  There are still a few swallows feeding up on the plethora of insects - mainly daddy-long-legs - before they leave for the sunny south.

Map and details