Ivanhoe Way - Moira to Ashby de la Zouch

Saturday 22nd November 2008
It was cold but bright so we set off to do an Ivanhoe Way walk. We drove to Moira and looked for the carpark marked on the map. We found it but it had been closed for some time - looking at the pile of rubble behind the barriers so we parked in the layby. We walked along the road and found the Ivanhoe way signpost pointing across some grassland on a path which had been very churned up by heavy machinery. It was very wet and boggy and I had forgotten to put on my gaiters - wet trousers then! The path crossed new woodland and beside a lake and then crossed several small fields with horses and then newly planted fields which were very muddy. Our boots were very heavy when we left the field. The Ivanhoe Way now passed along the road and into Ashby de la Zouch. This was a pleasant market town where we stopped for a light lunch. We then walked up to look at Ashby castle. Despite having lived within 5 miles of Ashby for 16 years, we had never seen the castle before. We were surprised at how much of the ruins were still there. The castle is not visible as you drive through the town.

Our route then became a bit boring as it was mainly road walking. We headed out of town on the Measham road admiring all the large houses along the way. We crossed the M42 roundabout and turned along the road towards Willesley where we crossed a bridge over the M42 and then walked beside Willesley golf course. We diverted off the lane and walked towards Willesley church and the scout camp. The church was abandoned and had been bought by the scouts for £10. Whilst we were looking for a geocache two men came over and asked if we had found what we were looking for. We explained geocaching to them and then asked about the church. One offered to show us round, so we had a good look at the windows, memorials and the tombstones to members of the Abney Hastings family dating from the 12th century.
It was very interesting and was the high point of a mostly road based walk. It was getting late when we left the church so we followed the footpath to find another cache and then walked back to the car just as the sun was setting. We had walked 13.2km.

Ivanhoe Way - Oakthorpe to Moira

Tuesday 18th November 2008
It was forecast to be dry so we went off for a walk. We parked in Oakthorpe and set off along the Ashby wolds trail which is part of the Ivanhoe way. It was very Autumny - lots of leaves but bright and sunny. We last walked this trail on 8th June when it was full of wild flowers. Now it is a bit bleak but still interesting.
We followed the trail to Donisthorpe where we stopped to look for the "Church View" geocache. We tried to look round the church but it was locked. We diverted off the Ivanhoe way to go and look for the "Sword of Merlin" geocache. We walked through Donisthorpe and then across a field full of sheep and across a stream with no bridge but a piece of wobbly corrugated iron to walk on. We didn't get too wet! We continued along another field edge and then through a patch of nice woodland along an embankment. We searched for the cache for a while and eventually found it. Unfortunately, while replacing the cache, my flask fell out of my rucksack and rolled down the embankment. John nobley found a way down and reclaimed it. We retraced our steps to Donisthorpe and continued on the Ivanhoe way through Donisthorpe coliery nature reserve and on to Moira. We emerged on a path above the lime kilns and then onto the canal towpath by Moira furnace. We stopped at the café for some lunch and then crossed the canal and walked through woodland and out onto the road near Norris Hill. We turned off this road and walked down the road towards Willesley. This was a bit of tedious road walking but it did have lots of new plantations on either side.
At the bottom of the road we crossed into woodland. The tracks were very boggy and wet but the trees were nice. We sat by a lake and had a cup of coffee and then continued deeper into the woods where we found the "Heart of the National Forest" geocache.
The path continued alongside a lake, actually it was in the lake in places so we had to divert inland a bit. This path eventually emerged onto the road at Oakthorpe where we followed back to the car. 13.5 km.

Ivanhoe Way, Snarestone to Oakthorpe

Wednesday 12th November 2008
As this was the only forecast dry day this week we had to take advantage. We drove to Snarestone and parked opposite the school so that we could do the next stage of the Ivanhoe way.
We headed across the playing fields and out onto the road towards Measham. This was a bit of a boring trudge along the busy road for about 1 mile. We then left the road and joined the Ivanhoe way around the perimeter of the Hanson brickworks, the path was very slippery but well marked. Behind the brick works we diverted onto a path through a nature reserve which turned into a disused railway line which came out near the old Measham station. This is supposedly being converted into a museum but was still currently deserted. We walked through Measham millenium garden, past a large mosaic sundial, where an alsatian that wasn't on a lead seemed to take a dislike to me. His elderly owner shouted at him but he ignored him. I think it might have been my walking pole that he disliked!

We emerged onto Measham High street and crossed to the Ashby wolds trail. We had walked some of this before. It is a disused railway which has been converted into a cycle path between Measham and Moira.
We left the trail at Oakthorpe by a large mining wheel and followed the road into the village. We saw a flock of bullfinches in a tree by the road.
We left the village and diverted across fields and into Saltersford Valley Park to find a geocache (Kermite Revenge). John saw a kingfisher on the flash pond but I missed it, but we did see coots, grebes, seagull and ducks. After finding the cache we retraced our steps to Oakthorpe to find somewhere for lunch. The Holly Bush was closed at lunchtimes but the Shoulder of Mutton was open, so we had a baguette and a pint. It was ok but not very inspiring. When we continued the walk we passed the Gate Inn which was also closed, so a village with 3 pubs had only 1 open. This is something we are finding very often when we walk. Pubs are either closed at lunchtime or converted into Indian or Chinese restaurants. We walked across a field and then through a farm which was basically a junk-yard, it was full of piles of refrigerators, radiators and other scrap. We had to be very careful walking across as stuff was hidden in the slurry. We eventually found our way out of the yard and onto a footpath which was only about 20m from the path going behind the brick works that we had taken on the way into Measham. We stopped for coffee overlooking a field of cows and then crossed over the field and out onto the Measham Road. We then crossed more fields and then entered what looked like another junk tip as there were several scrapped cars abondoned, they were all sporty expensive cars that looked like they had been involved in accidents. Walking on we came across two military tanks and realised that the area must have been a driving assault course with the cars as obstacles. We walked along a green lane which emerged onto the road leading to Snarestone. We left the road on a footpath through the woods and then behind some very nice large houses and onto a railway embankment. The path deteriorated into a very muddy path which took us back to Snarestone. We had walked 14.7 km.

Ivanhoe Way -Shackerstone to Snarestone

Friday 8th November 2008
After what seemed like weeks of dull, dingy, drizzly weather, it promised to be fine today and so we decided on a proper walk. Having finished the Leicestershire Round a few weeks ago, we now embark on our next project, the Ivanhoe Way - a 35 mile walk around NW Leicestershire.

We drove to Shackerstone and parked. This is home to the Battlefield line which runs from Shackerstone to Shenton and is also where the Leicestershire Round joins the Ivanhoe Way.

We set off towards the Ashby canal and headed along the towpath.
Ashby canal carried coal from the pits in Moira and Measham. It closed in 1846 but there are plans to re-open it along the stretch to Ashby.
We saw a heron take off in front of us and several ducks splashing about in the water. We also heard the whump-whump of swans taking off. The canal was very autumnal with leaves falling from the trees into the water. We left the canal at bridge 54 and took the footpath towards Newton Burgoland, but soon left the path and joined the narrow road towards Snarestone. We passed a large house with crowns on the gate and later discovered this was part of Gopsal park which is owned by the Crown. We left the lane just past Shackerstone Fields farm and then crossed several fields to arrive in Snarestone. One of the fields contained a maize crop which had not been harvested. It looked a bit sorry but had lots of cobs, so we wondered why it had been left. At Snarestone we walked to The Globe which although it was 12.15 appeared to be closed. As it was early we decided to continue the walk and try the pub in a later village.

We left the Ivanhoe Way and walked down a footpath between houses and into a field of sheep. The ram was particularly interested and was starting to come closer as we got to the stile (all his ladies had run in the opposite direction). We continued through large areas of National Forest. These plantations of small sapplings, did not seem to be very diverse as the majority of the trees were oak. As the latest fungal disease to hit oak trees has been sighted in Leicestershire it seems a bit short-sighted to have an almost mono-culture. We climbed the hill towards the church at Swepstone and then headed down the road towards Newton Burgoland. The fields here were particularly wet and boggy and we had to cross a large field full of charolais? bullocks. They had a look at us but then continued grazing. We arrived at Newton Burgoland and diverted off to the Belper Arms for lunch- a baguette and very good glass of Hobgoblin. We didn't want to leave as it was so warm and cosy but it was getting late so reluctantly we set off to walk the last 2 km. We followed a footpath past a large pond with lots of geese - possibly being prepared for christmas, and then through a field of dairy cows, through the very boggy area beside the stile and out onto the very muddy lane towards Shackerstone. We got back to the car at about 3.30pm having walked about 13.5 km.