Bicycle ride from Totton to Broadlands lake

Wednesday 17th August 2022.  A short pootle, much of it on cycle paths, with a short main road section. 8 miles in all.

A few photos of the quirky café, nestled next to the M27. It  caters for fisher folk, and has lots of rescue animals. We got soaked on the ride back, as the area saw its first real rain for weeks.

Mary Gilbert Walk from Welford Wharf

 

Tuesday 26th July

Suggested Welford walk to Marta. I drove over and on to Welford along A14. We parked near The Welford Wharf Inn, with its beer garden.

There is a board with several suggestions for walks. We decided on the Mary Gilbert Walk starting with the hillier part.

It was a bit tricky to work out the start at first. We enlisted the help of a passing couple and their dogs, and soon found the way. We passed a garden with phlox, where the two men told us they attract hummingbird hawk moths… As a side note, there were a couple of these one morning on our buddleia at home!

Then along the canal - pause-café, when Marta spotted a bullfinch. We saw several boats.

Dryad’s saddle

and later met the couple who’d given us advice earlier. 

Back to the wharf, via the marina,

and to the pub for lunch. Another place that insists on giving cups of tea in cardboard cups, though beer seems to come in glasses for outside. Good vegetarian sausage sandwich. 

Just over 5 miles.

Wakerley Woods to Spanhoe Lodge

 Monday 25th July

Collected Norma and Maureen and went to Wakerley Woods. Lots of fritillaries, and a few other butterflies - no reptiles, and hardly any people today. We walked over to Laxton and then along the road to Spanhoe Lodge for coffee and teacakes and a look at their outdoor pool - a bit wee. Chat re wasps and stuff. Saw and heard green woodpecker on the way back.

Back via slightly different route. A few drops of meagre rain.

Wakerley Woods and butterflies (Two trips)

On Tuesday 19th July, the day of the great heat, we went out early to look for butterflies.

We saw lots - silver-washed fritillaries, gatekeepers, ringlets, a purple emperor on the path, a marbled white. 

And a purple hairstreak - something I hadn’t heard of two years ago, and would probably have dismissed without a second glance as one of those little brownish flutterers. 

The heat was becoming excessive when we returned home by midday. 

Wednesday 20th July

Met Marta at Wakerley Woods. Saw a speckled wood while waiting. Then Marta spotted a lizard . Lots of silver-washed fritillaries again, gatekeepers, ringlets.

Later a marbled white. We chatted to a dog-walker who had never seen fritillaries before, and the two men (also with dogs) who had seen a purple emperor, some white admirals, and a slow worm. Also saw a painted lady and a marbled white. Manage to get slightly lost in the Town wood area.

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.

Wakerley Woods to Fineshade

Monday 11th July 2022.

With Harry, Norma and Maureen about 7 miles. Weather very hot, so we chose a route which offered some shade. We set off from Wakerley Woods car park at 9.45 and made our way along the Jurassic Way footpath - though signage is not brilliant. Along the first wide path Harry saw a White Admiral butterfly or possibly a Purple Emperor. 

A hare crossed the path and went into the woods, and we saw several silver-washed fritillaries, spectacular large butterflies.

We emerged from the woods near Laxton Hall, and followed the unshaded path southeast, then east towards the A43 - a pain to cross, but easy enough with patience.  

Shade-seeking sheep

Once across the road we continued to the concrete bridge over the dry stream,

and followed the path uphill past Fineshade Abbey, then through woodland, and another open field to the access road to Fineshade Top Lodge.

We chatted to a couple with binoculars who said they had seen a Purple Emperor, and a Purple Hairstreak.

We all ordered coffee in the cafe, and a snack. Once refreshed we decided to walk round the woods and try our luck with butterflies.

We saw fritillaries and another White Admiral(or was it a Purple Emperor?), lots of meadow brown, at least one ringlet.

We passed the playground

and the Danish Shelters

A pause in the shade of the bird hide, where there were some butterflies and a few birds including a jay and a buzzard. Not like the old days when the RSPB kept the feeders supplied, but agreeable. The water scrape/ pond is very low just now.

We decided to have lunch in the cafe before retracing our steps down to the A43, and back through Wakerley Woods. One spot in the sunshine was full of different butterflies, including commas, tortoiseshells and brimstones.

Gatekeeper butterfly

Silver-washed fritillary

Brimstone

7 miles in all.

(most photos here by Harry).