Ivanhoe Way (part of) (part 2)

• Walked: 28th March 2007.
• Distance: 8.7m
• Total time 3 hrs
• Terrain: fairly flat with a slight climb
• Summary: circular walk starting from Snarestone, to Odstone and Swepstone.
• map: Explorer 245
• Nature Watch: hedges are still in the middle of 'leafing up', very few trees are making the effort yet. More flowers are showing themselves. Some winter crops of rape seed are just flowering, turning some patches of Derbyshire and Leicestershire bright yellow.

This evening was the first time this year that it's been possible to go walking after work (without a torch), and the first time that the weather was pleasant enough to give that very contented feeling. Mmmm.


This walk continues my efforts to walk parts of the Ivanhoe Way ahead of doing the whole walk in one day later in the year. It starts at Snarestone, which is the spot I parted company with the Ivanhoe Way last time out. I followed the IW to Odstone before heading off towards Swepstone and forming a circle back to Snarestone.

The first km from Snarestone crosses some pleasant meadows, before 'dog legging' across a lane. Then some more fields before joining a road. It's a very quiet and pretty road, though.


Looking around I was struck by how flat this part of the country can be. Unusually for Leicestershire, the next stile is not very easy to spot - it's there to the right of the picture:


Once over that stile, the path joins the canal. I love canal towpaths! They're beautiful, flat and good underfoot.


Just a short stretch of this brings us out on another road, where I had planned to leave the Ivanhoe Way.

My big mistake of the evening was to leave the IW here. I did so because it disappears off the bottom of the map that I had with me (Explorer 245), and while Leicestershire is fantastic with its maintenance of its yellow waymarkers and fingerposts, I wouldn't trust to those without a map. The shortcut I took, which was both marked on the map and signposted with a green fingerpost, crossed a field of horses with an electric fence across the entrance and exit. I'm very cautious with these now (see traumatic experience 2 or 3 posts ago), and so did some deft limbo'ing on one side, and careful straddling the other. I then had to climb over a fence (thanks Mr Landowner) and through a farmyard and very muddy path before picking up the good path which is shared by the Ivanhoe Way and Leicestershire Round. (Note to Self - stick to Ivanhoe Way here, and write to Leicestershire CC about the electric fence!)

There then followed quite a climb, but the view from the top of this hill is quite something. This evening was very pleasant, but a little misty, and so the views were spoiled a little.



The villages Odstone, Newton Burgoland and Swepstone are all very pretty and idyllic. This walk passes through all 3 by road, but again, it's a quiet road with verges in places.


There is something particularly appealing about Swepstone Church. what makes it better still (I went to a Christening there recently) the minister is Patrick Stewart (or perhaps a lookalike). I passed this Church during the last walk, and this time I picked up the same path and followed it back to Snarestone.


The stats and route below were generated with Meander.




Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Map image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Ivanhoe Way (part of) (part 1)

• Walked: 16th March 2007.
• Distance: 14.1m
• Total time 5 hrs hrs
• Terrain: some shallow inclines
• Summary: Ashby to Moira, Snarestone, Normanton and Packington.
• map: Explorer 245

I felt smug walking part of the route I'd normally take to work, and on a normal work day too! The day wasn't particularly nice, though. Someone I bumped into on the way commented "nice day for it". I said that I didn't think it was, as it was threatening to rain. (This obsession with the weather is very English, but it's relevant when you're walking and miles from home, I reckon). He said that you have to "think positive". If I could control the weather with the power of thought, then I'd be a lot wealthier than I am.

This troubled me for the rest of the walk. If I had "thought positive" and it had rained (which it didn't), then I'd have felt worse than if I'd been expecting it. If I'd thought happy weather thoughts and the sun had come out, then there might be a danger that I'd have associated the two somehow. This is very dangerous ground, I reckon - religions start this way.

Anyhow. The really great news is that I spotted leaves coming out in the hedgerows today. It's been a little strange over the last week or two, with snowdrops and daffodils flowering away, but the hedges and trees still bare.


We start by walking through a part of the National Forest which affords some nice views back over Ashby de la Zouch and the surrounding area.

This is Ashby Canal and Moira Furnace - now a tourist attraction with a really great story. The furnace (the tapered bit with the arched 'windows') only ran for a couple of years before 'melting down'. After that, the imposing building was used to accommodate mine workers and as a worksop to cast iron. Note that it now has its own visitor centre with a coffee shop which sells ice cream!



After passing the furnace, we join the Ivanhoe Way, which is the reason for doing this particular walk today. Last year I had planned to walk the entire Ivanhoe Way in a single day (36m) but wasn't ready before the longest day, and lost heart. I'm going to try again this year, and have decided to walk parts of it while training because familiarity with the route is important for a challenge like this.

This part of the Ivanhoe Way follows national cycle route 63. I love walking cycle paths and canal towpaths because they're so easy to follow, flat and good underfoot.

The cycle route takes us to Measham. Even with map in hand I found it difficult to follow the Ivanhoe through Measham, so for the record, you emerge from the cycle path into a car park, cross the road and carry on into the side street by the convenience store. You could walk through the housing etsate as per the map, but I took a slightly nicer route through the park area and climbed the embankment to cross the old railway bridge. Once across the top of that bridge there are fingerposts and yellow waymarkers visible.

There's a short walk along a road to Snareston, which is a very pretty village, and then we cross fields to Swepstone.

In the distance is the church at Swepstone, looking majestic on top of its hill.


Leicestershire County Council, please take note - this situation isn't unusual, and it's really annoying! Which side of the hedge am I supposed to walk?? I can tell you from experience, that sods law says that you'll pick the wrong side, and then find yourself down a 'blind alley'. In this case, the sign seems to suggest (if anything) that you should go to the left (as we're looking at it). The map seems to suggest that it's the right, and for the record, the map's right this time.


This is the church at Swepston. It doesn't disappoint. There are several churches on this route, but this one is particularly nice.



We're now on something called the Parish Walk (Note to self - find out more). It's a very nice path indeed - good underfoot, easy to follow and some nice views.


Crossing the A42 takes us back to Ashby.


Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Map image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Powerlines

Rosliston Forestry Centre to Drakelow. Walked 3rd March 2007.

The less said about this one the better. The day was characterised by mud and going off-track, and more mud. Not a particularly nice walk.

Drakelow is the site of several cooling towers which have recently been blown up. It's the place where all of the powerlines converge:



We also found this sage advice. I think that the one I touched last time out may have been connected directly to Drakelow Power Station.

Snowdrops

• Walked: 17th Feb 2007.
• Distance: 9m
• Walking time 4 hrs
• Terrain: some inclines
• Summary: Hartshorne to Dimminsdale Nature Reserve and back.
• map: Explorer 245

Snowdrops are among the first flowers to emerge from the ground when the Winter starts to recede and the days start to grow longer. Dimminsdale is a nature reserve at the southern point of Staunton Harold Reservoir, on the Derbyshire / Leicestershire border, and at this time every year you can see a spectacular display of snowdrops there heralding Spring.

This walk starts from Hartshorne. We joined the footpath just opposite the Admiral Rodney pub; it crosses a couple of fields and a road before joining part of the the National Forest. This is what the National Forest looks like in the winter:


A bit uninspiring today, but The National Forest is a fantastic idea: "plant lots of trees". It's a shame that they're not being planted at the same rate we're cutting down forests in other parts of the world, but hey. Even the more mature parts of the Forest are still very young in tree years, and I felt sorry for these fairly new trees in their winter plumage on this bleak foggy day.

I've mentioned Daniel Hayes before; it provides the best views of South Derbyshire. This time we skirted around the hill, but well worth the climb to the top.

Another one of these tumbledown houses - this was very creepy - we gingerly explored inside and found ivy starting to take over - nature quickly reclaims her land!



This is the more mature South Wood - even this one is a bit bleak at this time of the year.


You emerge to join the Ivanhoe Way (a 36-mile walk around Leicestershire) which leads to Dimminsdale, and this is the wonderful carpet of snowdrops.




On the way back I found out what it feels like to touch an electric fence. I don't know how many volts they give, but it made me shout. I don't remember touching one before, and it'll be a long time before I do the same again! The horses in the field seemed to be laughing in a knowing way.

The route and distance statistics above were generated using Meander.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Map image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Sorta big and sorta round

• Walked: 4th Feb 2007.
• Distance: 13m
• Walking time 5 hrs
• Terrain: flattish
• Summary: From Tutbury, circular walk taking in the Fauld crater.
• map: Explorer 245

"Hole in the ground... Sorta big and sorta round it was"

One of the earlier walks came close to the large crater at Hanbury but we didn't manage to see it then. This walk starts in the beautiful village of Tutbury with its commanding ruined castle.

We walk along the river Dove at first; on this particular day the water was as smooth as a millpond and we had a clear view back to the castle.



You often walk past cows when walking, and they tend to mind their business as long as you mind yours. When you realise that the cattle in the field are boystrous males rather than females, it gives more cause for concern!


Some minor roads and footpaths take you to Banktop wood - a beautiful spot for lunch. We could hear a woodpecker having his lunch too.


After passing through Draycott and Hanbury, you can't miss the crater of the Fauld explosion, or at least signs telling you not to go any further or be blown up. You'll see from the map that the public footpath follows the circumference of the crater. A high fence protects you from the unexploded bombs.


This is the best picture that I managed to take of the crater. It really doesn't show the hugeness of the hole, but you can see the tops of very tall trees which are growing in the bottom of the crater. The sign tells the story better than I can.

The route and distance statistics above were generated using Meander.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Map image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Grace Dieu Priory

• Walked: 14th Jan 2007.
• Distance: 8.5m
• Walking time 5 hrs
• Terrain: flattish, muddy!
• Summary: From Swannington (north of Coalville), walk the 'inclined plane' dismantled railway, Osgathorpe, Belton and back via cycle path.
• map: Explorer 245

This is what remains of a 'rope-hauled inclined plane' railway, built by Robert Stephenson. This little bit of track has been left, with a few information boards standing around it.


You can walk along the path of the dismantled railway, down the 1 in 17 incline, and then pick up the Ivanhoe Way. We decided that this was an old pumping station:


There are a number of tumbledown houses along this path, which give the feeling that you've gone to sleep like Rip Van Winkle and woken up in some post-apocolyptic world.





Osgathorpe is a great name, and sounds like the name of a bold Viking. This is Osgathorpe church, which is absolutely delightful. (I'm sure Dive can fill in some architectural details). I particularly liked the traditional weathercock on top of the tower.





We'd had a lot of rain this week. I didn't realise just how much rain until we found ourselves almost knee-deep in mud, the paths between Osgathorpe and Belton were the worst.


We had planned to take footpaths out of Belton, but after experiencing the seriously boggy conditions, we decided that the cycle route would be a better idea. This shot shows just how wet some of the fields were.


After crossing the A512, the Grace Dieu Priory comes into view:


The cycle path follows another old railway line, although the tarmac path goes alongside the old railway. We found our way up to the dismantled line itself which was far more pretty.


We eventually meet the inclined plane once more, and follow it back to the car. This time it's uphill, of course, and I have to admit that 1 in 17 is steeper than it sounds!


Stats:

The route and distance statistics above were generated using Meander.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Map image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Start as you mean to go on (Leicestershire 3 Peaks second offensive) (updated)

• Walked: 1st Jan 2007. Previously 19th November 2006
• Distance: 12m
• Walking time 5.5 hrs
• Terrain: The clue's in the title
• Summary: From the A511 between Coalville and Leicester, walk to Bardon Hill, then Beacon Hill, before returning via Billa Barra.
• map: Explorer 245
• Note to self: Write to Leics council about the footpath at SK471131. Create a 4-Peaks walk

Start as you mean to go on. Yes, it's true, we were up at the crack of dawn on New Year's day. The last time we tried this walk, we didn't quite make the last peak due to bad light stopping play. [Edit - though I now have a decent torch and am planning a moonlight walk sometime]. That's the reason I was jumping out of bed on New Year's Day before it was light. We were walking by 8.30 and arrived back at the car at 2pm.

There's a really useful lay-by at SK458120, on the A511 between Bardon and the M1. You have to walk back towards Bardon for a couple of hundred metres to find the footpath.

This time I've made a point of taking pictures of the peaks themselves. This is another view from the top of Bardon hill, just by the trig point, looking towards (and into) the adjacent quarry:


Last time we were baffled by the fact that a new and a slightly older OS map shows the public right of way at SK471131 taking slightly different routes. Today we took the route shown on the up-to-date OS map, which is a straight line (see the map below - just by the 'F' of Forest). We had to conclude that this is simply wrong. The path wasn't marked at all (Leicestershire are usually brilliant at maintaining stiles, arrow discs and yellow posts), it wasn't easily passable and having reached the road, we had to climb over barbed wire to get onto the road, and looked back at a sign saying 'no public access'. Hmmm. The alternative, marked on the older OS map and following the powerlines, is clearly marked with stiles and good fingerposts.

[Edit - I've now had a reply from Leicestershire County Council: "You should follow the waymarked route for the time being. This is a temporary diversion for mineral planning reasons. The order is due to end in November 2008, unless an extension is sought. The route will then return to the track past Kellams Farm." I'm still confused about why the 'diversion' (following the powerlines) is shown on the older map but not the newer one, and I also feel that the temporary path should be more clearly marked at the farmhouse end, with a brief explanation.]

This is the trig point at the top of Beacon Hill. As mentioned before, there's a car park quite close to the top. I can't help feeling a little miffed that having earned the fantastic view by making the long walk up, you're sharing the same view with young families and dog walkers who've walked about a hundred yards to get there:


Just over the top, we think this is the Beacon that the hill is named after:


Having made it to Billa Barra this time, we find this sculpture by David Nash. It rings of stonehenge etc, as it has a thin slit which means that its shadow has a thin line of light in the middle at "true noon" each day.

[Edit - There are six of these Noon Columns in the National Forest. David Nash says "It is a wonderful fact of nature and geometry that the sum is always due south at Noon, each day higher approaching Summer, each day lower approaching Winter." Sophie Churchill of the National Forest Company says "These columns speak to us of the changelessness of the sun and the amazing properties of old wood. They also speak to me of how humans have worked the landscape". Additional funding for the columns came from the Arts Council England and private sponsor Viv Astling. Hurray for everyone concerned.]



There's no trig point at the top of Billa Barra, but this is the 'crown' of trees that identifies this hill. The view is quite excellent. A great spot to eat left-over Christmas cake and drink remaining coffee. This is just a short walk via a beautiful path back to the car.


I notice having tried this '3 Peaks' walk for the second time, that the map shows another peak fairly close by at Markfield, which is also marked as a 360-degree viewpoint. When we have longer days [or a torch with me], I think I'll try a '4-peaks' walk!


Stats:

The route and distance statistics above were generated using Meander.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Map image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.