Sharnford, Aston Flamville, Sapcote

Leader: Kathy Kilsby

As usual, we will meet at Fleckney village car park (///loses.always.huts) by 9.30 a.m. and car-share to the start of the walk.

The drive to the start of the walk is about 14 miles (14 * 20p = £2.80 for the driver). We park up in the free car park at Fosse Meadows Car Park 2 (///tolerates.lovely.tacky).

You need to read the instructions from bottom to top as we will be walking the route the other way round!

From the car park head through the gate by the kiddies area and then diagonally across that field. Then it’s through another gate and left onto the track in the woods. Those who know Kathy know that she likes to get lost in woods! We should eventually emerge from the woods onto The Leicestershire Round and head towards Sharnford. The path runs parallel with Soar Brook for quite a way before we leave it via a gate by a bridge. Don’t go over the bridge but carry on in the same direction and head for the main road (Leicester Road, B4114).

Follow the road to the junction with Aston Lane and then take the lane for about 85 yards (77 metres) then go over a stile on the left to stay on The Leicestershire Round as far as the edge of Aston Flamville. Here we leave the Round via a gate onto Lychgate Lane, turn right onto the lane, and follow it to the first of two lychgates on this walk.

St. Peter’s Church in Aston Flamville is a historic church dating back several centuries, with elements of its architecture reflecting various periods. The lychgate at the church is a notable historical structure with a rich past. A lychgate, traditionally, is a roofed gateway to a churchyard, where the coffin was placed before the burial service. The term “lych” comes from the Old English word for a corpse.

If we’re true to form we may have a short break here to have a coffee, admire the architecture of the church, and gaze at the size of the tree in the churchyard!

Moving on, continue along Lychgate Lane and then turn right onto Sharnford Road. There is no footway here so take care as the occasional vehicle does make its presence known. Upon reaching Manor Farm head through the gate on your left and follow the bridleway to the far end of the field and then take the footpath northeast where the bridleway splits to the north and the east. Six fields later and you will emerge onto Park Road in Sapcote.

Follow Park Road until you reach the primary school on your right then take Church Street on your left. This will lead you to the second lychgate of the walk. This one belongs to All Saints Church at Sapcote and is our designated lunch stop.

The walk continues back to Park Road and left along it until the end of the primary school car park. Here, there is a narrow footpath that is not particularly well-signed. It leads around the back of the school before heading due south (down the map), over a stile and across four fields to another stile and a longer field before reaching the busy B4114. The path through this last field may be difficult to follow as you approach the road and it can be a bit boggy in places. We targeted a large concrete pipe blocking the gateway to the road, but we think we missed the actual exit route and should have come out on Coopers Close.

Once on the B4114 there is a pavement on the opposite side of the road and a grass verge on your side leading to it’s own pavement heading into Sharnford. As we walked towards the centre, we noticed that the intended pub stop, The Sharnford Arms, was up for sale by auction. Hopefully, by now, it will have new owners and not be yet another lost pub! We decided to continue along Leicester Road to The Bricklayers where we enjoyed refreshment in very comfortable surroundings.

After refreshment, head back along Leicester Road (B4114) and turn down the narrow road before the MOT garage. At the end of this road you re-join The Leicestershire Round to take over a few fields and circumnavigate the Three Fields Plantation of Fosse Meadows. Hang a left before the pond and through the gates back to the car park.

The entire walk, including diversions (!), is less than 7 miles. There are a few easily manageable stiles and the undulation is hardly noticeable.

 

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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.

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

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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.)

RSVP deadline is past

Event Types: Sunday Walk

South Croxton and Lowesby

Leader: Janet Long

As usual, we will meet at Fleckney village car park (///loses.always.huts) by 9.30 a.m. and car-share to the start of the walk.

This walk, led by Janet Long, is remote and sparsely populated. The steady hum of traffic is absent, and you are unlikely to meet many other walkers. Most of the walk is on footpaths, with a couple of short sections on very quiet country lanes.

As there is not much room for parking in Lowesby, the walk will start at the ex-pub (The Golden Fleece ///detective.gasp.subjects) in South Croxton (locally pronounced ‘Crowston’ as in ‘Crow’). This is between 15 and 18 miles from Fleckney depending on the route taken (between £3.00 and £3.60 for the driver).

At the Golden Fleece, turn left down the road, continuing for 120 yards until you reach a footpath on the left, between private houses. Cross a small field attached to a private house, then cross the Queniborough brook. Cross four more fields, now walking in a southerly direction, then walk through New Covert. Cross one more field to come out onto a farm road by Waterloo Lodge Farm. Turn left here and follow the signposted public bridleway across parkland with distant views of Baggrave Hall down the hill.

At a bend in the road continue straight on down the bridleway. Inkerman Lodge, at the western edge of yet another small spinney, boasts the remains of a once-splendid Victorian railway carriage. Its origins are immediately apparent but it is surely now beyond proud restoration. At the far side of the spinney cross the minor road and follow the footpath leading east across fields and down to a narrow combe. At the other side of the combe cross two more fields, now walking in a south easterly direction to come out onto the very minor gated road at the top of Skeg Hill between Lowesby and Cold Newton.

To start the walk at Lowesby there is a possible parking space or two about 1000 yards down Skeg Hill and on the other side of the Queniborough Brook (///ushering.astounded.juror).

Take a break at the church in Lowesby (///spoils.access.battle), where the path crosses the churchyard. The church is low and modest, but very attractively built in the local yellow sandstone. It also boasts some outstanding stained glass windows. Walk through the iron gate at the far side of the church yard and follow the path across the grounds of Lowesby Hall. At the other side of the grounds, cross a minor unclassified road and continue on the path on the other side. The path now follows the Queniborough brook. On the other side of the brook there is a fox covert, one of large numbers in the county. Many of these were deliberately created and distinguish much of East Leicestershire from the agricultural prairie which much of lowland England has become.

Continue in a general northwesterly direction, crossing another path after about 600 yards, then another minor road above Baggrave Hall. Like Lowesby, the hall buildings were extremely carefully sited by the builders to give the owners superb views while concealing the building from close quarter views by the general public. Both buildings are architecturally distinguished and historic country houses. Baggrave Hall is the only building in Baggrave, a thriving village in the Middle Ages but now, like many others in the area, little more than a name on a map.

Continue to follow the path along the north side of the brook, after 1000 yards arriving at a lily pond on the outskirts of South Croxton. Walk round the south and west sides of the brook to come out onto an unsurfaced lane by a horse paddock (Kings’ Lane). Go left here and continue down to the end of the lane where it comes out onto a public road by the Golden Fleece.

The walk is under 7 miles in length and has some moderate undulation. There are about 4 stiles but these are more and more being replaced with kissing gates. Sadly, there is no pub stop on this walk, but plenty of opportunities to call in a hostelry on the way home.

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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.

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

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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.)

RSVP deadline is past

Event Types: Sunday Walk

Saddington, Mowsley, Laughton, Gumley

Leader: John Broadhead

As usual, we will meet at Fleckney village car park (///loses.always.huts) by 9.30 a.m. for this local walk.

Let’s embark on a delightful adventure, starting from the car park and meandering through the quaint village of Saddington. We’ll begin our journey by traversing the Persimmon estate, picking up The Leicestershire Round as it weaves its way through enchanting fields. Fair warning—the path, though charmingly dry at times, transforms into a muddy escapade at the slightest hint of rain!

As we exit the field onto Kibworth Road, we’ll turn right and walk along the pavement to the road junction, crossing carefully to the other side. There, a stile and footpath lead us around Saddington and towards Mowsley Road. After the next stile, turn right and follow the field down to the gate, a notorious mud collector, before trailing the hedgerow to another stile on the right. This particular stile, often obscured by leafy bushes, can be easily missed—do keep an eye out!

Cross the field diagonally, keeping to the right of the following field. A stile at the end leads to a path running past a wooded area on the right. Be cautious here, as it can get overgrown with brambles ready to trip the unsuspecting wanderer.

After the stile at the end of the wood, turn right and follow the field’s edge until you reach a gate, often tied up with twine. No stile here, so it’s a matter of untying and re-tying the twine once we’re all through. The next gate is usually easier to manage.

Now, we face a steady climb to another stile. Previously in disrepair, it’s now fixed, but the steep descent on the other side might require a helping hand. The path continues over the field to a gate with a peculiar wonky stile. We’ll head downhill briefly, over a stile on the left, then turn right and descend to the field’s bottom. Some gates here might be open, easing our navigation.

We encounter a double stile and footbridge on the right, marking the end of the awkward stiles—though a few more await. A gentle climb, another stile, a level field, and repeat, until we reach a pond on the left. A short, steep descent followed by a climb leads us to another stile, then a steep ascent towards Mowsley—just two more stiles to go!

Emerging onto Main Street, we turn right and pass St. Nicholas’ Church, turning left onto Church Lane. We pass the quirky Crook House and into a field, with the observant among us spotting a castle to the left. Crossing Dag Lane, we follow a track past chicken coops, through a gate, and along the field’s edge, over a footbridge and into another field. The path, running parallel to the hedgerow, dips and rises again towards Laughton. It’s an uphill journey, but not too steep.

In Laughton, we turn right by the church, with its charming thatched wall surrounding much of the graveyard, and head to the seat by the telephone kiosk—still functional and a perfect spot for a rest and a coffee.

After our break, we have two return options. The shorter route, marked by a red dashed line, leads along a track, through a gate, and uphill. Enjoy the view as you head back towards Saddington. Taking the second gate off the track, we follow a permissive way (occasionally muddy) exiting onto Mowsley Road. Turn right, and just past ‘The Grange,’ take a left path. Follow the field’s left edge to the bottom corner, turn right alongside a brook, cross a stile, and continue to a footbridge. Beware of the falling tree here! Cross the bridge, up the bank into a field, following the hedge across two fields to the road. The last section can be muddy due to horses. Cross the road through the stables, turn right, then right again into The Queen’s Head—the designated pub stop.

The longer route takes us along Laughton Lane and Main Street, through a gate into a field. The path runs diagonally, through a gate, across an unnamed road, and over a stile. Four fields and three stiles later, we enter a long field past Gumley Lodge. The path turns into a bridleway, leading to a gate, over a track, and through another gate.

This challenging section climbs a steep slope before levelling and descending into Gumley, opposite an old telephone kiosk now serving as the village library. The Bell awaits those needing a boost after the climb.

Continuing up the road from Gumley past St. Helen’s Church, we rejoin The Leicestershire Round, crossing Debdale Lane into a field via gates. The views here are spectacular.

We descend a hill, climb to Smeeton Gorse (where a bench offers a resting spot), and follow the path through three fields, descending to the canal feeder. Crossing the feeder and stream, we navigate gates back to Saddington Main Street. A left turn takes us to The Queen’s Head, our pub stop, where we might reunite with the shorter route walkers.

After refreshments, we embark on the well-trodden mile-long trek along the Leicestershire Round from Saddington to Fleckney.

This walk spans about 9.5 miles (7 for the short walk), with a few undulations and several stiles. Walking poles are highly recommended!

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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.

---

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.)

RSVP deadline is past

Event Types: Sunday Walk