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.

Skeffington, Rolleston, Noseley

With Maureen. Thursday 23 March, 10.20 am. 7.4 miles.  Followed the same route as we walked on March 6th with Norma.Weather good, but there's still a wind.

The horse chestnuts are about to produce leaves and flowers.

Lambs in plastic coats against the cold. 

Ready for the rest of the walk!

A thatched human on the roof

fox among the  . . .

Skeffington, Rolleston, Noseley

Monday 06 March 2017.  With Norma.  About 7 1/2 miles. Muddy paths to begin with and a couple of recently planted fields, but could have been much worse. Weather was fine with some sun, and some wind.

We parked on a quiet avenue parallel to the A47, and walked a hundred yards or so down a   cul-de-sac, before taking a footpath on our right, then leading south past a very large house and into fields. 

Snowdrops are still in bloom in shaded areas.

 The path continued south towards Skeffington Vale, then turned slightly west, crossing a stream and a couple more fields, where the yellow waymarker posts were very helpful, before coming out at Rolleston Hall, close to an area where horses were being trained.

When we reached the estate road we turned left and followed it past the lake and along a bridleway heading toward the road between Goadby and Noseley.  Most of the way the path was easy to follow, over fields and then into a wooded area. After this the bridleway became rather muddy as it led down to the road.

 We took a right turn on the road, and walked for about a mile, passing the entrance to Noseley Hall, and then going up slightly to Top Lodge. We had a short break in the sun here, before taking a turning to the right, heading northwest. 

This clump of trees is called Millfield Clump - a house, a sacred grove? Who knows?
A little further on there is a small wooded area on the right, as the road bends to the left, heading almost due west.
When we reached the B6047, at the entrance gates to the Rolleston Estate, we turned sharply right (northeast now), and followed the avenue of trees. Some of these horse chestnuts are just beginning to show signs of life.
We saw a fair amount of damage - I guess Doris is to blame again.

 As we approached Rolleston Hall itself this fine carriage and four gleaming high-stepping horses drove by, with a small Jack Russell leading the way.

 We followed signs to the gated road to Skeffington and followed this route back to the start.

Dramatic lighting over the old stable block

 A straightforward walk from here, with snowdrops along the way.  the carriage and four passed us again, with the dog still gamely trotting ahead.

the occasional watery reflection

and some rather fine gardens in the village, including the crocus display above.

Glad to have had a walk in this part of Leicestershire again, and in such agreeable weather too.

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

Illston-Rolleston-Gaulby-Kings Norton

With Maureen and Gordon. Weather much cooler and windier than the last couple of days. But no rain.

Something over 7 miles.

We set off from Illston village hall, walking back to the main road past the village, and taking the footpath from the junction over fields of lambs and a few cows. All clearly waymarked, leading us past Barn Farm and on to the B6047, near New Inn.

We crossed this road, walked a few yards to our right, and went past the Lodge into the Rolleston Hall estate, with its fine avenue of horse chestnuts - all in bloom, but lacking a fine blue sky backdrop today.  We passed sheep and lambs grazing in the fields, the stables and other houses, before turning to the left along a gated road to Billesdon. 

A couple of gates later our path headed off to the left, across one field, then along a second one, past a field full of young calves, eventually reaching Cranhill Farm, which is now a collection of rather fine houses.

At the road (B 6047 again)we turned right for a short distance before taking the gated road to Illston. This is a quiet road, and on our left was a fine bluebell wood. The smell was sweet and strong.

We walked past one footpath on the right and then came to another sign for two footpaths. We took the one going slightly to the left, through a gate covered in ivy, and sporting two horseshoes.

Billesdon Coplow 

This took us behind Ashlands, (more sheep and lambs) and then to a path downhill just inside a wooded area. At the end of the wood, the path goes right into a field, but keeps close to the edge. After another couple of fields with a hedge on our right, we came to the minor road between Illston and Gaulby. We turned right, and made our way uphill to Gaulby.  Luckily the benches were on the sheltered side of the church, and we had a very pleasant break - a drink and scones provided by Maureen.

From Gaulby to Kings Norton is a flat half mile or so on a quiet road. Then we turned left and downhill along the road to Illston. At a bend to the left we took the bridleway straight ahead, through more fields of sheep and lambs, and then one with masses of cows. 

We left them behind to complete this section on a track through arable fields, with a few dips and rises to keep the blood moving.

At the road (Burton Overy Lane), we turned right. Before long we reached the crossroads, and turned left, and almost immediately climbed a stile into a field (more sheep and lambs).

 The path leads behind Illston Grange, then downhill through an arable field, and up again toward Illston itself. We took the path which leaves the village street and houses on our left, and it eventually emerges via a "fat-man-squeeze" (kissing gate) not far from the village hall.

A few drops of drizzle decorated the car windscreen as we set off for home. 

Map and details

Skeffington - Rolleston - Noseley - Skeffington

Mon, 2014 Mar 3 9:26 AM GMT

Led by Barry, with me and Gordon. Mostly road walking as ground is still wet, and bridleways are hoof-battered in places. About 8 miles in fine sunny weather. Warm in places too! 642 feet of climbing.

We walk through Skeffington and past the church to the village green with the circular seat. Here we turn left along the Gated road to Rolleston.  The road heads south downhill past Vale Cottages, further down and across a bridge over a stream.  The second gate we meet takes us into the Rolleston Estate, with its posts along the road verges, and recently planted trees to form an avenue.  Lots of horses and horse jumps - we see a four horse carriage practising on a nearby field.

We carry on towards the hall, taking the road signed to New Inn. Just before we meet the bigger public road our route turns sharply to the left, still within the Estate.  We follow this to Top Lodge, where we turn left along the Avenue, past the entrance to Noseley Hall to our right, past Nether Cottages (with the date 1937) on our left, and then past the turning to Goadby on our right.  

Soon after this our path leaves the road and makes its way uphill between two hedges on our left. As the bridleway has been very much used by horses we walk up on the other side of the hedge and manage to regain our correct route nearer the top. Through a muddy gate and we're in open country - not bad underfoot, and a good view.

Sunny and sheltered - time for coffee and cake? 

We head downhill to the yellow marker post, then cross a bridge and follow the bridleway which turns into farm track and takes us without much trouble back to Rolleston. This time we pass the lake.

There's a path to Tugby off to the right. Not ours. We stick with the Estate road until it bends round to the left. Our original plan is to take the footpath off to the right - but we turn back after a short distance, put off by yet more muddy fields. 

Instead we follow the gated road back to Skeffington, retracing the beginning of the walk. Although inevitably this goes uphill,  the ending is less strenuous than Thursday's walk.

Map and details

A walk from 2009