Leics Round 9 - Rearsby to Burrough Hill

Wed, 2013 Jun 5 10:19 AM Western European Time 

I think the garmin went a bit nuts in Gaddesby church - so I'll say somewhere over 14 miles. With Marta. Quite hilly. 989 ft of ascent. The forecast sun didn't appear!

We meet at Burrough Hill, and drive to Rearsby to start the walk.  We cross the pack horse bridge into Church Lane.

The path winds round to the right of the church past a slightly dodgy-looking wall.

We come out on to Church Leys Avenue, and turn left between two houses after number 22.  The path is clearly marked as it crosses grassland and comes out behind the convent.

We walk past splendid flowering horse chestnut trees in grassland.  Then we cross the road, and turn left at no. 7 Wreake Drive.  There's a double stile, and we cross the ridged and furrowed field to the railway crossing.  We carry on in the same direction towards the old mill.

 

Part of the old mill house - a lot of work being done.

We follow the waymarkers, turning right from the drive to the mill, and making for Lodge Farm and Hoby church spire.

These trees may belong to Brooksby Agricultural College.

We walk through this bumpy field - and I know there's a bench ideal for a break here.

We wander through Hoby churchyard, with its stump cross and sundial on top. 

a little the worse for wear with bird droppings.

Almost opposite the church we turn down Back Lane, and  the left behind a row of cottages. The path we want turns right and downhill through trees.  We cross various small bridges, where a mill used to be, and a long footbridge over the Wreake.

We head towards Rotherby and cross the railway line again.  Just before we reach the village, we turn left to the north east, and walk through three fields, then come to a T junction on the minor road. We walk parallel to the road to Frisby on the Wreake for a little distance, then move slightly left, past a bumpy pasture with horses.

We can see Frisby's church spire, and the waymarkers are clear. We emerge between houses close to the market cross.

 The Bell Inn is opposite,  and we're beginning to think it could be lunchtime.  Ah ha!

Unfortunately the pub's just changed hands, and won't be open until July.  Maybe they should hide the blackboard better.  We drop into the post office, but they haven't got much in the way of food. On to Gaddesby it is - another two and a half miles.  Well, it's only 12.30 now.

 A lot of houses in Frisby are pretty old and being restored.

. . . or repaired.  We head out and turn left just past these houses. The path in the fields climbs quite steeply.  We decide we'll have a banana to keep us going, but we'll get to the top first.    When the land flattens out we reach the Leicester to Melton Road and another stump cross.

so little colour in the sky !

We cross the road and walk through the clear paths in the fields,  some pasture, some arable.

Some sheep are nosy

Distant blue mountains of Charnwood

The local tribe must favour spring fires

The way ahead is clear - not this way anyhow

We turn into the village for a well-earned lunch at the Cheney Arms in Gaddesby - baguette, salad and crisps and a J20 for £7.50.  It's filling too.

The church caught our eyes as we arrived, so we take a little time to look around and inside.

There seem to be two or three different styles on the outside

The archway leads to Gaddesby Hall next door - a huge building with beautiful gardens

This is a statue of Colonel Cheney who fought at Waterloo. Four horses died under him, and he rode away on a fifth.  The statue was moved to the church from Gaddesby Hall when it was sold in 1917, and is claimed to be the only equestrian statue in an English church.

We return to the Leics Round route, turning left as we come out of the churchyard. When we reach the blocked gate we turn right and cross a field down to a stream, then cross the Midshires Way, and see Mill farm with its disused windmill - no sails - on our right.  We have no problems with map or waymarkers and pass Pool House. We cross the road and leave Ashby Folville on our right, though the church is visible through the trees. 

A mile or so later we go under the bridge where the dismantled railway ran, and turn uphill to Thorpe Satchville, behind the Hall, with its low haha wall.  The church, with its bench,  offers another convenient coffee stop. Not far to go now.  We've done about 12 miles. (Note - my garmin says 13, but it went a bit wild in Gaddesby church. It doesn't like the thick walls.)

If it looks so weathered after 13 years, I wonder what state it will be in after a thousand.  The South Pole is 9845 miles away, and the North Pole a mere 2585.

From here the way is very straight forward, about three quarters of a mile along a small road called Bakers Lane. When we reach a crossing of four ways we take the right hand path and follow it downhill to Melton Lane. Burrough Hill is in sight.

Iron Age hill fort, with the toposcope just visible.

We continue in the same direction climbing gently on this very rutted track, then more steeply through gorse bushes to the top with its great views.

Almost there

The view's a bit hazy, and the sun hasn't emerged. It keeps half-appearing, but it's almost 5pm when we arrive.  The toposcope is 690 feet high.   We have to bag the trig point at 210 m as well.  An online converter tells me this is 689 feet. 

A satisfying end to one of our longer days!  Now it's downhill to the car.

Map and details

Leics Round 8 - Woodhouse Eaves to Rearsby

Fri, 2013 May 3 10:24 AM Western European Time 

With Marta. An interesting walk undulating, not hilly -reservoir, towns, villages. Fine weather not too hot. Almost 12.5 miles. 429 ft of ascent.

The drive from Rearsby was very pleasant, through Ratcliffe on the Wreake, and over to Cossington via Humble Hill. There are fine views from here.  Then on through some picturesque villages over Swithland Reservoir and on to Woodhouse Eaves, where we began our walk.

We park on Maplewell Road, and walk downhill, across the main road to Meadow Road. The grass track takes us past the primary school. We turn right diagonallly across a field, then following its hedge until we meet a road.

We cross over and walk along the field edge. The path goes in this direction over five fields, heading towards the Great Central Railway line. A steam train passes by, right on cue.

We walk alongside the railway for a short distance, then cross the bridge and walk along a quiet road, along the Swithland reservoir dam.

Looking back to the Charnwood hills

the overflow channel and a serious hunk of granite

Kinchley Lane takes us past some pretty cottages

Hawthorn topiary?

At the T-junction we turn left, and soon right - there's a bench here, but - the cheek - two people are already sitting there. We'll have to walk a little further before our break today.

Another few hundred yards of road - a man emerges from the footpath on our left, and asks us where "the round" is - he's not impressed that it's along the road! He's walking at a fair lick, so we let him dash on with a cheery wave.

Shortly after a railway bridge there's a turn to the right along a farm track. He's missed it, and we're not entirely sure, until we check our nook and map. The sign's not there. By the time we've decided he's well out of earshot.

The track skirts an old quarry and brings us out at Castle Hill in Mountsorrel. No castle now, alas, but there's a beacon and a war memorial. A severe notice warns that sitting and hanging around isn't allowed - it would show disrespect to those young soldiers, who would probably have indulged in canoodling, given half a chance and a longer life.

A handy bench - coffee up!

Beacon on Castle Hill

Sobering to see how many names from one family are remembered here.

We walk down Watling Street into Mountsorrel, which has several interesting buildings:

The Buttercross

Temperance Hall, now a private house

All I could make out on this was the name Inglesant

Old coaching inn dated 1713

Parish Rooms - ex infant school and Mechanics Institute

We walk through the small town and across the recreation ground. We make a small accidental detour here, but we're soon back on track. The next big obstacle is the A6.  The original route takes you straight across, though the path looks impassable.  Just as well. A much better alternative is to follow the path for a quarter of a mile or so to the underpass.

In this tree is a bird, with a longish tail and pale yellowish underside. Not a tit. could it be a grey wagtail? Very close to the A6.

After this noisy section of the walk we cross fields and bridges to Sileby Mill Boatyard on the river Soar.  The shop sells snacks and cold drinks, and lots of boating gear, maps and charts. I decide against buying the sailing captain peaked cap - I'd look silly, really.

So it's on along the riverside path past gravel pits towards Cossington.  Another picturesque village, but we're on a mission for lunch. The Royal Oak does a good sandwich, salad and chips.

We decide we should have a wander round the village - there's a moat on the map and we haven't seen it.  When in doubt ask a local dog-walker.  He shows us the moat - round an island belonging to the Hall - or perhaps the old rectory.

Trees planted for royal occasions from 1902 onwards.

The moat and hall

Cossington church

From here it's another couple of miles, along Bennetts Road and Blackberry Hill, past Ratcliffe College - a Catholic boarding school, high on the hill, and down - across the A46.  At least it's dual carriageway with a central reservation.  More fields and a minor road. Left here than a footpath on the right - there are two and it doesn't matter which we take as they join at Rearsby Mill - now a beautifully situated house.
We have to cross the main railway line and it's a short distance to Rearsby.

At the corner of Mill Road and Brookside  "It is said that in1753  John Wesley stood on this stone to preach to the villagers of Rearsby. The world is my pulpit." 

Map and details