Illston and Rolleston circular

 Monday 19th August, with Harry and Norma. Just over 5.5 miles.

 

We set off from Illston, taking the footpath opposite Main Street, just across Illston Lane, and heading east. 

Not the most used path!

 We crossed three fields and followed the path past Barn Farm and The Farm to reach New Inn Lane. 

Across the road and a short distance to the right was the entrance to Rolleston Hall Estate. We walked down the avenue of trees, through fields of sheep, and turned right along a private road with no access to vehicles. 

This took us past the church, and down hill to the lake.

We stopped to admire the view, then turned back and found a convenient water trough to perch on for a short break.

We rejoined our path, leaving the metalled section shortly after passing a paddock. The path peels off to the left, and heads roughly northwest before turning southwest then west past Cranhill Farm Estate.

On the main road we turned right and almost immediately left on to Ashlands Road, the gated road to Illston. 

We took the second footpath/bridleway to the right and followed this. After a shortish distance it crossed the hedge on our left, and we took the path behind a farm and the grand house of Ashlands. 

A gate led into a wooded area, where the ground was still quite muddy in a few places.

When we came out of the wood, we turned slightly right to keep the hedge on our right and followed the path through three fields to reach the road between Illston and Gaulby. We turned towards Illston, and something under a mile of road walking brought us back to the village.

A pleasant and varied walk, with about 200 feet of ups and downs. We spotted a swallow, a muntjac and a buzzard while walking.

We had lunch at Buttercups, with its alpacas, goats and various stone and metal beasts.

2024/07/08 Illston, Carlton Curlieu, Burton Overy

 Monday 08 July

With Norma, Kate and Maureen. The w eather this morning was excellent for walking - but it got a bit hot later.  

We started from Illston on the Hill - and walked to Carlton Curlieu

where we found a welcome bench.

From there we continued to Burton Overy

and back to Illston.

The total route was 5.5 miles.

Norma saw a green woodpecker (I heard its yaffle but didn’t see it)

2024/07/01 Illston, Kings Norton, Gaulby

 Monday 1st July

The year is halfway through…

Kate drove Maureen and me out to Illston. We walked 5 miles, past Illston Grange, along the route of the Roman Road (Gartree Road).

This bridleway is very rutted by heavy farm traffic, and the mud has dried hard.  It was made more difficult by overgrown bushes and brambles this year. The track takes us downhill through a wooded section to the ford, crossed by a bridge.

Soon after this we take the signposted footpath

slightly uphill across the fields to Kings Norton,

where the church is being repaired,

and we had a snack break.

Along the road to Gaulby, into the church,

which was open, then down Front Street and the road back to Illston. 

We decided not to take the field and woodland track past Ashlands and continued along the quiet road back to Illston.

Illston, Burton Overy, Little Stretton, Kings Norton

Monday 03 April, 9.50 am. With Norma. Fine sunny weather, and very little mud underfoot.
8.3 miles in all.

This is the same route as this walk  and this one, but it's spring now, and feels different. 

Leave Illston by the gate at the end the no through road past the pub, and go up to the next gate on the left. Turn right, and at the end of the next field take the left-hand path. If you can't see it, take the right hand one, and you can join the correct route a couple of fields down via another stile.

Keep Illston Grange on your right, and follow waymarkers to a stile leading on to the metalled section of Gartree Road. Cross the road and follow way markers (easy to see at this time of year) through a few fields, coming out near a farm on a road with a cattle grid. Cross the road and follow the path over two fields to the road leading into Burton Overy.

Houses in Burton Overy.

 Turn slightly left then right, past The Bell, and over a small bridge, near which is an oak tree planted by the local WI in 1988. Soon afterwards there is a path leading off on the right hand side into a field full of sheep and lambs.

The path goes slightly uphill to the corner of the woodland and on to meet the road between Kings Norton and Great Glen.  It becomes a bridleway, and is easy to follow, behind a couple of houses, labelled on the map as The Cottage. Some way further on, at a field boundary there is a permissive path allowing you to take a short cut towards Little Stretton. 

At the road turn left, and look for a driveway and footpath. Public Footpath for 420 yards it says, but it leads past a pond, and a large house, then into a narrow path behind some barn conversions, and into a field behind the church, and round into Little Stretton churchyard.

The church is more visible in spring, through the trees.

 A bench near the church provides a good stopping place.

Little Stretton church

Almost too pleasant to move, but needs must. We walk out to the road through the village, and just outside the footpath goes off to our right, clearly marked, and made good through the growing rape crop. It leads us to Kings Norton, coming out very close to a farmhouse, on the road above the church. We walk down, past the church, turning back to snap this most photographed of churches - by me anyway.

Kings Norton Church showing off its best side in the sun

We take the road to Illston, and when the road bends to the left we carry on ahead on a byway. Today the cows are the other side of the fence, and one or two sidle up to say hi.

GPS is the latest fashion, darlings.

 From here it's straightforward. Follow the byway to the road, turn right and at the next junction look for a footpath sign in the hedge on the left. This takes you back past Illston Grange, which is on the right. There are lots of sheep and lambs here too.
In the opposite corner, a little way past the Grange is the path, through a series of gates near the horse area. Follow the waymarkers and the path goes along field edges down into a dip and then uphill and back to Illston.

Illston on the hill, Kings Norton, Gaulby

With Maureen.  Walked on Thursday 30 March 2017.
The same route as this walk from 2013.  Just over 6 miles, with around 300 feet of climbing.

From Illston on the Hill, through the village, downhill past the Fox and Goose pub. At the bottom, go through gate, and up to second gate. Turn right. in a while the path divides. Take the right hand fork which follows the hedge downhill, through gates and over a field (or round the edge if no path visible).
Keep Illston Grange on the left, and follow path through gates by a horse training area, then bear left across the field, heading for the opposite corner. The path comes out at a junction. Just opposite take the rough track labelled Gartree Road, Gated Road.

This takes you downhill to a footbridge over a stream. Shortly afterwards take the path to the right. At this time of year the waymarkers are easily visible. Follow them to Kings Norton, where the church is very prominent from this side.

Kings Norton Church.

Turn left and go past the church, then turn immediately right along the minor road to Gaulby.  The church clock here is one of several in the area with a single hand. There are several benches - handy for a comfortable coffee and snack!

The inside is very similar in style to Kings Norton, though smaller.
Turn right after the church and walk downhill on the Illston Road, turning left to take the footpath at a right hand bend. 
The footpath hugs the field edges, then enters the edge of woodland going uphill along a path which can be muddy.  The route is then through a couple of fields and behind the splendid Ashlands, with views toward Billesdon Coplow.

Through a gate, and turn right on to the quiet road past Ashlands and farmland, into Illston.

Horse chestnuts are close to flowering.

Illston circular via Rolleston, Gaulby, Kings Norton and Gartree road

This walk follows the same route as on 14 May, but is extended by about a mile.  Our first detour was to look at the Rolleston Estate's lake. Then later, from Kings Norton we took the path across the fields just downhill from the church. This took us to the Gartree Road track at the ford. We turned left and followed this back to the crossroads with Burton Overy Lane, and picked up the previous route past Illston Grange.

Leaving Illston

More campion

Rolleston Hall Lake

Billesdon Coplow

lemon and gold

Seat near Gaulby church

Kings Norton church

A fine sunny morning, with a coolish breeze. Just over 8 miles in all.

A profusion of wild flowers again.


Map and details