All Sunday walks start with a gathering at Fleckney village car park (///loses.always.huts) at 9:30 a.m.
Burton Overy, Carlton Curlieu, Shangton
by Kathy Kilsby
“… There’s nothing quite like it …”
The recent rainfall would indicate that country walks will be muddy. However, this walk of Kathy’s has been designed to be mud-free and (optionally) stile-free and is short enough not to need a “short-cut” (though there is one or two if you’re desperate).
This is a correction to the original route, so it may be an idea to read through it – or at least look at the map.
So, we’re off to Burton Overy, where we will park along Main Street (///stickler.gurgling.mimed) for this walk. Kathy will lead us out of the village along Carlton Lane, a quiet country road with (hopefully) little traffic. The name changes to Burton Overy Lane, and the hedges disappear in places, giving views of the open countryside.
After a while, we will come to Chestnut Farm. There is a footpath just after the bend in the road, but that will be extremely muddy – this is experience talking! We continue on the road for a short distance and then, at the junction, take Carlton Lane off to the right. Along this section, we cross Burton Brook (luckily, there is a bridge) and after about 3/4 of a mile, we enter Carlton Curlieu, a small, historic village and civil parish, known for its 17th-century hall, ancient church, and long association with the Palmer baronet family.
The road leads through the village and continues to a junction. We take the left fork and head along Grange Road until it reaches a junction with Kibworth Road. Turning right here would be a super-shortcut back to the start, but we want to turn left and carefully negotiate the wider, and therefore busier, 700 yards of tarmac until we reach the crossroads with Gartree Road, where we again turn right.
After about 1200 yards of straight(ish) Roman Road, we meet up with, and turn right into Melton Road. This is the widest and busiest road of the whole walk. It even has a white line down its centre! We need to take care along this half-mile section so it’s single-file for a while.
Once we’ve done this bit of traffic-dodging, we turn right onto Main Street. This narrow lane takes us into the small, picturesque village of Shangton, known for its “sequestered valley” setting. Just after entering the village, we turn left onto an unnamed road and head southwards out of the village.
Once again, we encounter Melton Road, but we avoid this main drag by turning sharp right into Mere Road. There should be little or no traffic along this mile-and-a-quarter section of the route, giving us all a good chance to look at and enjoy the scenery.
We leave Mere Road at its junction with Kibworth Road. A left here takes us a short way before we turn right into another narrow country lane leading us back into Carlton. With just over a mile left to travel, this might be a good spot to have a lunch break, unless, of course, we’ve already had one! There is a bench before we turn into the village, and there is also the Grade II-listed Church of St. Mary the Virgin, with its distinctive 12th-century Norman tower.
From here, we retrace our steps back to Burton Overy, the cars, and The Bell Inn.
There we have it. An easy, 7-5-mile wander along mostly metalled roads that’s about as mud-free as you’re going to get after the recent rainfall.
General information:
The Fleckney Walking Club offers a range of walks for anyone who enjoys fresh air, good company, and the occasional debate about whose turn it is to get lost.
All walks start from Fleckney Village car park (What3Words: ///loses.always.huts).
Weekday Morning Walks
We head out every weekday at 8:30 a.m. for a 3–4 mile leg‑stretcher. These are friendly, local, and an excellent excuse to pretend we’re “morning people”.
Sunday Walks
Every Sunday we meet at 9:30 a.m.
The Sunday programme alternates each time:
- One week: a short walk (4–5 miles) with a coffee stop
- The next: a long walk (6–9 miles) with a pub stop
And so the cycle continues, like a well‑oiled machine… or at least a machine that’s had a coffee or a pint.
Good boots and weatherproof layers are strongly advised, especially for those who attract rainclouds. Bring refreshments too — a coffee or picnic stop is usually part of the ritual.
If we’re travelling outside Fleckney, car sharers are asked to contribute 20p per mile (one way).
Example: 10 miles = £2, plus whatever emotional support the driver requires.
Thursday Evening Walks (Summer)
In summer we also run Thursday evening walks of 4–5 miles, starting at 7 p.m. from the village car park.
If the programme creeps into September, we shuffle the start to 6:15 p.m. in a brave attempt to outrun the sunset.
Most Thursday walks this year are local, so no transport or complicated logistics — just turn up and look enthusiastic.
Leading a Walk
If you fancy leading a walk, we have plenty of route ideas here. You bring the charm; the rest of us will bring the heckling.
Cancellations
If a walk is cancelled (usually weather, occasionally common sense), the leader will notify everyone via email and WhatsApp, and will also appear at the meeting point to console any optimists who turned up anyway.
Membership
Annual membership remains a bargain at £5, which is less than the price of a pint on most of our pub‑stop routes.
Stay Updated
All the latest walk details, updates, and last‑minute dramas appear on our WhatsApp group:
https://bit.ly/4t1lj5V
The annual cost to join the Fleckney Walking Club is £5.
You can find The Fleckney Walking Club Group on Facebook. This is a private group but you are welcome to apply to join us.
We encourage you to join the Fleckney Walking Club WhatsApp Group.
Please do so by scanning the QR code, following the link below, or contacting Phil.
https://bit.ly/4t1lj5V
If you would like to join this walk then please fill out the form below and press the Submit button.
(If you are reading this message in an email, please click on the RSVP Now! button directly below to take you to the form.)