Thorpe Langton to Foxton Locks

With Maureen and Gordon. We set off shortly before midday from Thorpe Langton, and followed the Leicestershire Round. 

Walk along Church Lane, opposite side of road to pub. Turn R to pass church. Follow path over field to redbrick farm. 
Turn L. Follow track to open field. Turn R through a gate. Follow path over several fields, heading west. Park Hill Farm is uphill on R. Follow waymarked posts over fields - the last one is quite hummocky and leads into a hedged path and out to a road. Walk to road junction, then turn R uphill towards the Bell Inn. Take the first street L, going downhill past E.Langton Grange. Follow road to the end. A convenient bench  near a Leics Round signpost makes an early coffee stop inevitable.  
Then climb stile to footpath. The path heads south, and all the field boundaries are crossed by gates and clearly marked.
Pass stone to Lottery -the first winner of the Grand National, with a fine pedigree and descendants - see this entry, with pictures and details, in Thoroughbred Heritage

Cross a footbridge over Langton Brook  - 

Not ours!!

and go underneath  mainline railway. 

Not insurmountable

Cross another two fields and strip of trees, then two more fields. Ahead is the factory by the canal, a useful directional landmark for a while. Down steps to A6 - a busy road to cross. Up steps at other side. Through one more field. At hedge turn R and head towards B6047. Just before road path gets a bit overgrown, but passable.  (Better today than I have seen it at this time of year!) 

Well, we got through this easily enough!!

Come out on road, walk short distance to Bowden Inn Farm and cross. Go down concrete slope and turn R into field. Follow waymarked paths over fields in direction of Gartree prison. Go through a hedge and keep hedge on left for two fields, then on right. 

A brief pause before Foxton

Cross a bumpy field - can be muddy - to gate and stile by farmhouse and come out into Swingbridge Street, Foxton. 
 At this point we headed for the canal and walked along the towpath to the Locks.


We had lunch at the Bridge 69 Pub, then made our way up the 75 foot rise (so we were informed) to the top car park.

Pleased to say that the path was mostly pretty clear, though I did use secateurs to clear brambles from a stile, and the trusty trekking pole to slash some large nettles. But it looks as though people walk it fairly regularly.