Sunday February 2, 2025 09:30

 

Kathy’s Leire

Leire, Frolesworth, Claybrooke Magna, Ullesthorpe

Leader: Kathy Kilsby

All Sunday walks start with a gathering at Fleckney Village car park (///loses.always.huts) at 9:30 a.m.

After driving to Leire, this walk starts from Oak Avenue in Leire (///safety.cheeses.detective) as there is plenty of space there and it’s close to the start of the walk. Just after the large turning circle on Oak Avenue, we join the Leicestershire Round and head west (turn left) and cross the disused railway line then head over three fields before exiting onto Leire Road opposite Hill Crest Farm. We turn right on this narrow country lane and head into and through Frolesworth.

At the centre of the village is St Nicholas Church. The church commands the highest ground in the village; its tower is a local landmark when approaching the village during the day and at night when the church is lit with amber lights. We pass the church and look out for a white house on the right. Opposite this house is an ungated, unstiled access to a continuation of the Leicestershire Round. This section leads us up and over a small hill before crossing Frolesworth Lane. Shortly after this point, the Leicestershire Round is joined by a bridleway. We stay on the ‘Round by bearing right and then right again where the bridleway ventures off to the left. 

We barely touch Claybrooke Magna as we dog-leg south and head towards Claybrooke Hall. For those who may not be aware, Claybrooke Magna is the home of the Pig in Muck where Kev Featherstone, the current licensee, brews his Pig Pub beers in a small brewery behind the pub and also cooks the food, which is extremely popular, especially the Sunday and Wednesday carveries—just saying!

Keeping Claybrooke Hall on our left we head through a kissing gate onto Main Road. We turn left and head along the pavement with the hall still on our left. We stay on this road leaving Claybrooke Parva behind us as we venture off to Ullesthorpe—noted for its historic background with a mill, disused railway station and traces of a medieval settlement evident on the edge of the village. Luckily for us, there is also a choice of pub stops: The Swan at Ullesthorpe and The Chequers County Inn. What bliss!

The last leg of our journey starts with a trip along a dismantled railway line. To get there we stroll (or stagger) along Main Street till we reach the cul-de-sac known as Green Gardens. Just up to the right is a gate and steps leading down to the track. We leave the track around Frolesworth Road (or Ashby Road depending on which map you happen to be looking at). We cross the road and trek along a footpath, through some fields and over some stiles to reach Leire once again – or we could just stick to the old railway line. Then it’s onto Leire Road, turn right and then left onto Oak Avenue and back to the cars.

This walk is in the order of 6.5 miles, with moderate undulation and some stiles. There is a fair bit of road work, thus avoiding some muddy tracks. There is also an option to extend the walk by continuing along a footpath out of Frolesworth until it reaches Fosse Way, the old Roman Road. Turning left, this route would head southwest along this old road until reaching High Cross (not the shopping centre). Then it would join the Leicestershire Round taking us to Claybrooke Parva where it joins the original route. The extension would add a mere two miles to the walk. In case anyone was wondering, magna and parva are the Latin terms for “great” and “little” respectively.

General information:

The Fleckney Walking Club meet every other Sunday for a walk of about 6 to 9 miles with a pub stop somewhere along the route.
What3Words is used to pinpoint start and other relevant locations for the walks.
We leave Fleckney village car park at 9:30 a.m. (///loses.always.huts).
For these walks you are advised to wear good quality walking boots and carry weatherproof clothing.
We suggest you also bring refreshments as a coffee stop and/or a picnic stop is also usually on the cards.
For those who are car sharing to walks outside of Fleckney, passengers are requested to subsidise their driver by the amount of 20p per mile (one way). For example, if the start of the walk was 10 miles from Fleckney the fee would be 10 x 20p = £2.

If you fancy leading a walk, there are plenty of ideas for walks here.

During the summer months we also have Thursday evening walks of about 4 to 5 miles in length.
These generally start and end at a not-too-distant village pub!
We meet at the village car park, by 7 p.m. (///loses.always.huts).

In the event of a walk being cancelled due to inclement weather (or any other reason) the walk leader will communicate the cancellation to club members by email and be at the start meeting point to advise anyone who turned up regardless.

The annual cost to join the Fleckney Walking Club is £10 for the Sunday Walks, or £5 to be a Social Member. Thursday Evening Walks are completely FREE.

You can find The Fleckney Walking Club Group on Facebook. This is a private group but you are welcome to apply to join us.

RSVP deadline is past

Event Types: Sunday Walk

Sunday March 16, 2025 09:30

 

Fleckney, Arnesby, Peatling Magna, Shearsby

Leader: John Broadhead

As usual, we’ll gather at the village car park (///loses.always.huts) by 9.30 a.m., ready to embark on another adventure—boots laced, snacks packed, and enthusiasm somewhere between “raring to go” and “still half asleep.”

From the car park, we’ll make our way to Kilby Road and take the footpath through the field, which leads to the well-trodden bridleway favoured by the Weekday Walkers. Shortly after the track bears left to join Arnesby Road, a footpath heads directly towards Arnesby. This is our footpath of choice—bold, direct, and hopefully not too muddy. However, a more scenic (or possibly less boot-swallowing) route skirts around the field. At the last field before Arnesby, the footpath is supposed to go diagonally across, though any visible evidence of this may be purely theoretical. Instead, the well-used track carries on past the farm entrance, and many walkers (both two-legged and four-pawed) opt for this instead.

Once we reach Arnesby Road—by whatever means necessary—we’ll perform the delicate art of crossing the always-busy A5199 without losing any members of the group. Then, it’s a quick hop over a stile and onward towards the heart of Arnesby, where we take a right, then a left, to seek out the infamous windmill. Built in 1815, it is a Grade II listed building. It was extensively restored around 1976 and stands as a prominent landmark in the village.

We’ll follow the footpath past the playing fields before tackling two stiles to cross the entrance to the mill. From here, our path takes us all the way to Peatling Magna. There are a few more stiles along the way—because, let’s face it, no walk is complete without an obstacle course. Curiously, the route seems to take a scenic detour to The Cock Inn before looping back past All Saints Church. A navigational anomaly, or a subtle hint that a strategic lunch/coffee/beer stop might be in order? We’ll let democracy decide.

In 1265, the villagers of Peatling Magna found themselves in a medieval showdown worthy of a Monty Python sketch. After the Battle of Evesham, they boldly refused to cooperate with the victorious royal forces, accusing them of acting “against the welfare of the community of the realm.” This act of defiance led to a legal fracas, with the village representatives summoned to court. It’s a classic tale of the little guy standing up to authority—pitchforks and all!

After this brief (?) stop, we pick up the footpath heading southeast to Shearsby. The little red flags on the map suggest we have another three stiles to conquer before reaching our next destination. Consider it a warm-up for any future Olympic hurdling ambitions.

Upon reaching Shearsby, we have the option to finish the rest of our lunch in the park near The Chandler’s Arms. Given the distance covered, it would be downright rude not to pop into the local hostelry. The Chandler’s Arms is a lively little pub serving a fine selection of local ales. While primarily a “drinker’s pub,” it also keeps itself busy serving up some good food—so we may have to exercise some willpower to continue the walk instead of settling in for the afternoon.

The Shearsby windmill has its own dramatic history. In December 1836, miller John Wylde met an untimely end when a sudden gust slammed a door into him, causing fatal injuries. The mill seems to have been a magnet for mishaps, as earlier, in 1782, young Thomas Weston was tragically “catched up in the mill.” It’s a reminder that even picturesque windmills have their dark tales.

The final stretch of our walk follows the Leicestershire Round, leading us past Rowley Fields Farm and onward to Fleckney Road. Stalwarts will carry on along the Round before looping back via the footpath to the west of the village, while the more comfort-inclined walkers will take the direct route along Arnesby Road and Main Street—arriving at The Golden Shield that little bit sooner.

The walk flirts with the 10-mile mark but is a relatively easy-going affair—nothing too gruelling, just a few gentle undulations to keep things interesting and a generous helping of stiles to keep us on our toes (or at least test our flexibility). Thankfully, the chosen route steers us clear of the worst of the countryside’s current mud-bath offerings, so with any luck, we won’t need snorkels or rescue teams to retrieve lost boots along the way.

General information:

The Fleckney Walking Club meet every other Sunday for a walk of about 6 to 9 miles with a pub stop somewhere along the route.
What3Words is used to pinpoint start and other relevant locations for the walks.
We leave Fleckney village car park at 9:30 a.m. (///loses.always.huts).
For these walks you are advised to wear good quality walking boots and carry weatherproof clothing.
We suggest you also bring refreshments as a coffee stop and/or a picnic stop is also usually on the cards.
For those who are car sharing to walks outside of Fleckney, passengers are requested to subsidise their driver by the amount of 20p per mile (one way). For example, if the start of the walk was 10 miles from Fleckney the fee would be 10 x 20p = £2.

If you fancy leading a walk, there are plenty of ideas for walks here.

During the summer months we also have Thursday evening walks of about 4 to 5 miles in length.
These generally start and end at a not-too-distant village pub!
We meet at the village car park, by 7 p.m. (///loses.always.huts).

In the event of a walk being cancelled due to inclement weather (or any other reason) the walk leader will communicate the cancellation to club members by email and be at the start meeting point to advise anyone who turned up regardless.

The annual cost to join the Fleckney Walking Club is £10 for the Sunday Walks, or £5 to be a Social Member. Thursday Evening Walks are completely FREE.

You can find The Fleckney Walking Club Group on Facebook. This is a private group but you are welcome to apply to join us.

RSVP deadline is past

Event Types: Sunday Walk