Wednesday 7 November 2007

Leicestershire Round:Claybrook Parva to Shenton

Tuesday 6th November 2007
It was a nice day so we did part 11 of the LR. We drove to Claybrook Parva and parked. We went to look round the church but there was a playgroup in session, but we were impressed with a notice on the door that said that "walkers were invited to look round, eat their sandwiches in the porch and use the toilet". First time we've seen that! Our walk followed across fields to High Cross, where the Fosse Way meets Watling Street. We walked along the nice level Fosse Way Roman road for about 1.5 miles. We then diverted off to head across fields towards Sharnford. We went through a nice nature reserve called Fosse meadows with a secluded wildlife lake which was viewable from a hide which had been beautifully decorated by local junior school children. We stood and watched the birds for a while and then continued to Sharnford where we saw a woodpecker. We had a nice lunch at the Countryman (£3.95). The other pub in the village had been converted into a chinese restaurant, something we are seeing more often. After lunch we left the LR and headed back to Claybrook Parva. Our way crossed lots of fields and we saw 2 hares. In one the dairy cows decided it was milking time so followed us across the field in a line -we just about beat them to the gate. In another field we came across a dead cow. We saw some farmworkers and told them, but they knew and were actually removing a dead calf so it looks like it was a bad birth - very sad. After being chased down the drive by a Jack Russell-more bark than bite thankfully, we followed the road back to High Cross where we saw the remains of the cross that marked the crossing of the 2 Roman roads. We got back to the car at 4.30, just as it was getting dark. 17.7 km.

Leicestershire Round:Leire to Claybrook Parva

Monday 22nd October 2007
We drove to Leire to do part 10 of the LR. We walked along the footpath and diverted off to have another look for the cache but we still didn't find it. The LR went across fields, some ploughed, others pasture and then on the lane to Frolesworth, where we had planned to have lunch but the pub had disappeared under a housing development. We followed more fields including one that had signs up saying we were on the edge of the bluetongue protection zone. We eventually got to Claybrook Parva where we left the LR. We followed the road to Ullesthorpe where we had a late lunch and then walked past the windmill which is being renovated and across the golf course which ran beside the disused railway. The path eventually moved onto the railway and we followed the permissive path along the cutting back to Leire. Only a short walk today, 12.1 km.