Monday 10th July 2023
With Norma and Maureen. Seven miles, almost entirely flat. Good weather - dry and not too hot. Very similar route to this walk a year ago.
We parked at the upper car park for Foxton Locks and walked along the eastern side of the canal, pausing for a look down at the inclined plane, then walking past the Museum and down to the Foxton Locks Inn, then the shop and pub/cafe at Bridge 61.
The actual bridge is known as the Rainbow Bridge.
We agreed to indulge in an early coffee before following the route of the Leicestershire Round through the village
and across fields, firstly meadows, and later cornfields.
When we reached the B 6047, we turned left and exercising patience and care crossed the roads near the roundabout in search of more coffee and something to eat at the local McDonalds. Actually the spicy veggie wrap wasn’t at all bad.
Then we returned to the B6047, and continued for a short while along the Leicestershire Round path. The section from the road has been severely overgrown in the past, but today was pretty well clear, though I did use my secateurs to remove some trailing brambles and one or two pieces of higher level vegetation.
We left the Leicestershire Round at the first ‘crosspaths’ we came to, and turned right towards the Pears chemical factory by the canal.
From there we crossed the road and joined the Harborough Arm of the Canal again.
We followed this all the way back to where we began the walk.
A leisurely wander today, with sightings of house martins, and plenty of white butterflies, plus small tortoiseshells and one or two other butterflies which were flying away too quickly for me to identify. One family of swans, and a few mallard females were the only waterfowl in evidence.
