LEICS - FOXTON to Bowden Inn Farm roundabout

 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.

Foxton Locks to Bowden Inn Farm business Village on the Leicestershire Round path

Thursday 14th July

 With Maureen. Checking the Leicestershire Round path, and returning via the Harborough Arm of the Old Union Canal. About 6 miles.

Another warm dry day. We set off just after ten from Foxton Locks Top car park, walking with the canal on our left past the inclined plane and museum, then the well patronised cafe/pub at Bridge 69.

Over the Rainbow Bridge to the other side of the canal, where we walked east towards Foxton village. 

We turned off at the sign for the Leicestershire Round and followed the signs through the village, and over fields as far as Bowden Inn Farm. 

We made a short detour to check the LR as it goes through an area of trees and scrub - this bit often gets overgrown but so far so good.

We returned along the canal, after a short section walking along the road to Market Harborough as far as the canal bridge, where we turned right and continued back to Foxton Locks.

A tuna sandwich and a coffee at Bridge 61 pub almost completed our walk. We just had the last half mile or so up the locks and back to the car park.

Foxton to Thorpe Langton, along Leicestershire Round

 Tuesday 26th October, with Marta. 11.5 miles, there and back.

The flight of ten locks was busy

View over the inclined plane.

From the top car park we walked down past the museum and the locks. Past the pub and shop we turned right along the canal until we reached the sign for the Leicestershire Round, taking us through the village, and joining the footpath through a gate close to some houses.

The route was pretty clear today, with Leicestershire’s yellow posts proving helpful as ever.  The path heads east then slightly north to join the B6047.

We crossed and found the path easily just after Bowden Business Park. Usually we have to fight our way through vegetation - nettles and brambles, but luckily this has been well cleared recently and it was a delight to walk through the short wooded section.

The path continues east. After a fairly big field we turned left (north) and headed towards the A6. A flight of steps (after a gate) takes us down to the road - the trickiest one to cross on this walk with no central island.

Once more several fields to cross. The conditions today were reasonable - dry and firm. Most of the field boundaries now have gates rather than stiles, which makes life easier.

We strayed slightly from the path as we approached East Langton, walking with the hedge on our right, rather than our left. I was disappointed to find that the seat I’d been planning to use for a break has gone. No problem, we found a spot in the village.

As we continued we spotted another dog fouling sign - I suspect this works better.

The path leaves East Langton at the point where Back Lane turns at a right angle. The path is clearly marked all the way to Thorpe Langton from here, and there are wide views south over the valley. Most fields have kissing gates, but there was one awkward farm gate which we had to go back and close properly. Luckily the sheep were not feeling adventurous today.

At Thorpe Langton, St Leonard’s church was closed, as usual. We had a brief wander round the village then set off back to Foxton.

Some seasonal colour in East Langton

and a rather beautiful horse

 On the return leg we took the path towards the chemical factory near the canal. This path was also much clearer and easier than in previous years.  We crossed the road and joined the towpath back to the Locks and lunch.

Unfortunately we were unable to renew out acquaintance with Jack Cryer, as he is now reclining on the floor of the room that no longer belongs to the Top Lock cafe - for now.

His cup of tea on the window ledge

he watches through the glass

a narrowboat goes through the lock

a gleam of polished brass

Jack kept the lock when working boats

hauled goods along the water

Couples toiled and lived on board

along with sons and daughters.

The hour or so it took to rise

the seventy feet or more

was put to use in passing news

and building living lore.

Now Jack stands there, cast in bronze

beside the window still

to watch another motley crew

rise and descend this hill.

We walk the tow path one fine morn

and pause for tea and cake.

You stand near Jack in mirror pose

and bring the past awake.

Oct 2012

Market Harborough to Foxton Locks and back

Thursday 05 March 2020.  A 12 mile flat walk, almost all along the canal towpath. With Eddie and Maureen. Dry, grey and muddy after earlier rain.

Reflections in the greylight

One of the millennium mileposts erected by Sustrans and the national Cycle network. This one, about 1 and a half miles from the Locks, needs some TLC. There is another by the Welland in Harborough, looking much smarter.

This is part of a time trail puzzle. Unfortunately some ejects have nicked some of the discs, making the puzzle impossible to complete now. For more info on these millennium  posts click here

Eddie and Maureen descend the slightly slippery cobbles of Bridge 61, before we go into the pub of the same name.

Into the Bridge 61 pub for coffee and cake...or a pint...and still a cake.

Spring is springing

Maintenance of the flight of ten locks

and back to the start.

We ended the walk with a sandwich and coffee in Market Harborough's Eco Village.

Foxton Locks to East Langton.

With Maureen and Eddie. About 8.5 miles. Flat, some mud. We were doing a check on part of the Leicestershire Round route.

We set off from the Foxton Locks Top car park, walked along the road as far  as the canal. we turned left and kept the canal on our right, passing the viewpoint over the inclined plane, and then the small museum, before crossing over to the other side as we approached the bottom end of the flight of locks.

View towards the top cottage

The inclined plane

Looking over towards the bottom of the locks

The top cottage cafe

 We kept to the canal towpath, not taking the Leicstershire Round route, partly because it is poorly marked from this direction. we left the canal just before the JG Pears factory, and crossed the B6047 to pick up the footpath which goes to the left just before the weighbridge. For once this path was easy to walk and has obviously been cleared. I have felt the need for a machete before now!

Our route heads north across a couple of fields and becomes the Leicestershire Round, which leads us under the mainline railway and over the Langton Brook via a footbridge, then across fields, past the memorial stone to a horse called Lottery (the first winner of the Grand National - see link and this one. ) There's a picture by John Frederick Herring Senior in the Woolavington Collection of Sporting Paintings at Cottesbrooke Hall as well.

Eddie has just paid brief homage to Lottery.

The path here is clear, well marked, with a few stiles and gates. Before long we arrived at the bench at the bottom of the hill into East Langton, and stopped for a break.

We returned along the Leicestershire Round path, following the route in reverse - past Lottery's stone, over the footbridge, and underneath the railway. After another two fields and a strip of woodland, there are two more fields. The factory can be seen ahead. We crossed the A6 and went up the steps on the other side. After another field we turned right following the sign, towards the B6047.  This time our way was clear, apart from some dropped litter. I have seen it overgrown and virtually impassable in the past. We came out at the road, and turned right for a short distance to use the central island to cross the road.

The footpath sign leads us down a concrete slope and to the corner of a field. The path should take us about 50 yards to the left of the small brick building. I didn't spot the path today, so we ended up doing the two sides of a traingle instead of the hypotenuse, but we picked the path up at a footbridge . We followed the waymarkers, although there is one point where we were unsure, but eventually we came out at a gate and stile to a path between houses and outbuildings. This leads to Swingbridge Street, in Foxton.  Turn L and soon R to take footpath between houses to Middle Street. Turn L, then R on path between hedges to Main St, opposite Shoulder of Mutton pub. Turn L and walk up to Canal, turn and follow Canal to Foxton Locks. Signage a little hit and miss through the village.

Maureen and I stopped for a tuna sandwich at Bridge 61.

A quieter scene than in summer.