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!
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.
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.
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