Aylestone Meadows and Abbey Park
Leader: Daft Dave
All Sunday walks start with a gathering at Fleckney Village car park (///loses.always.huts) at 9:30 a.m.
Due to a delightful twist of fate—also known as unforeseen events—our originally planned walk has taken a scenic detour. But fear not, for our very own Daft Dave has gallantly stepped up to lead us on an adventurous escapade from Ayleston Meadows!
Now, describing our walk is a bit like trying to find a single crumb in a biscuit tin. There’s not much to say other than it’s as flat as a pancake, free from stiles, and mercifully devoid of mud. Perfect for those of us who prefer our footwear pristine!
For those driving, we’d recommend parking on Narrow Lane (just follow the coordinates: ///dash.amused.spill), which you can reach via Lutterworth Road, Marsden Lane, and Sanvey Lane. Once parked, it’s a breezy jaunt along Narrow Lane past The Black Horse (where you can think about a pint later), take a right onto Sanvey Lane, then onto Marsden Lane. Over the lovely old Packhorse Bridge we go! Be sure to admire the explanatory plaque:
“The bridge crosses the River Soar and is part of an ancient route across the river, consisting of a causeway as well as a bridge. The bridge has eight arches separated by a series of cutwaters, with three refuges so that people could pass. The structure is believed to date from the 15th century, but it most certainly replaced an earlier structure and probably lies close to an earlier ford. Packhorse bridges were common features from the medieval period until the 18th century. Before the era of paved roads improved river navigations and canals, the best way of transporting bulky goods was using strings of packhorses. The horses carried goods on their backs and were unlikely to get bogged down in the muddy roads of this period.”
Perhaps it’s time to bring back the packhorses! Imagine the sight of them trotting by, all shimmery and regal!
As we stroll, the River Stour meanders like a friendly snake around Aylestone Meadows before transforming into the Grand Union Canal. It’s worth a chuckle that this fantastic waterway was originally built as four separate canals—only a few savvy folks know that little nugget of trivia! Fancy delving deeper? You can explore the history of the Leicester Line over on the Canal & River Trust website. Just a heads up, there’s quite a bit of building work along the route, and sadly, some of our beloved old buildings are being replaced with ahem cosy living spaces. It seems progress has a fondness for tiny homes!
Onwards we go, passing awe-inspiring landmarks like the King Power Stadium, De Montfort University, and the magnificent Leicester Cathedral. You might even spot a few intrepid oarspeople gliding up and down the river/canal, and if you have a penchant for swan-spotting, you’re in for a treat! The closer you get to the city, the more graceful swans will waddle by, putting on quite the show.
After waving goodbye to our watery friends at Abbey Lane Bridge (No. 6), we shall venture into the park that houses the enchanting ruins of the abbey, dating back to 1143—a piece of history that’s just waiting to be discovered on the Leicester City Council website. And speaking of breaks, there’s a splendid café in the park that serves coffee strong enough to wake the most slumberous of souls!
Once we’ve caffeinated and stretched our legs a bit, we’ll retrace our steps. After all, who wants to slog through less interesting streets when we can saunter along our beloved pathways? We’ll exit via West Bridge (No. 1) and head past The Venue onto the Great Central Way, which follows the former Great Central Railway—a line that opened in 1899, connecting London to Sheffield, but sadly fell silent in 1966.
Before we know it, we’ll find ourselves once more on the other side of Aylestone Meadows and back at the charming Packhorse Bridge. From there, it’s simply a repeat performance as we meander back to The Black Horse on Narrow Lane (///rainy.parts.rests), which is the perfect venue for a well-deserved pub stop.
Let’s lace up those walking boots, grab our sense of adventure, and enjoy a day of historical charm and laughter!
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.)
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