Leicestershire Round:Burbage to Dadlington

20th December 2007
It was cold, frosty and foggy but we decided on a LR walk. We drove to Burbage country park, although there was a bit of a problem as they have moved the A47! I directed us to the A47 which is now a bypass. We found the right road eventually. It was -2 as we got ready. We set off along the LR. It was all very crisp, and the trees were lovely.

It did not feel cold once we were walking. A heron and then a bullfinch and greenfinch flew across in front of us. We walked through Barwell which was a bit industrial and then along more lanes and fields. It was very foggy so there were no views. We crept across one field with cows in, hoping that they wouldn't see us in the fog, but they spotted us when we were about 100m from the stile and decided to investigate. I just about beat them to the stile. We saw a flock of goldfinches in the next field. We walked along a stream until we came to the road at Dadlington. We left the LR here and went to the Dog and Hedgehog for lunch. As we walked back it was a little warmer as all the frost had melted but we were walking into the wind so it felt colder. We also had to cross several planted fields which were very muddy and we ended up with very heavy boots. As we crossed one field we were approached by two friendly donkeys, and then by a third who rushed at us braying very loudly. They were very friendly - from the other side of the stile!

We got back to the car at about 4pm after 15 km walk.

Leicestershire Round:Aston Flamville to Burbage

11th December 2007
We decided on a walk as it was bright and clear but frosty. We drove to Aston Flamville to continue our LR. We drove round the village looking for somewhere to park but encountered a very abusive villager who threatened to scratch the car if we left it in the road opposite his house! We decided we couldn't cope with the hassle and so drove on and found somewhere to park in Burbage. We walked back to Aston to start the walk (about a km) and John could not remember locking the car so we had to walk back, check the car which was locked, and then back to the start again. We walked along the side of the M69 for a while and then cut across fields including one with 3 llamas, and then lots of bullocks. It was quite hard underfoot where it was frozen but very wet and muddy where it wasn't. We eventually got to Burbage woods where a heron flew across and then a bullfinch.
We crossed Burbage common to the road and then left the LR. We walked back across the golf course and followed the path back to Burbage. The walk was quite interesting as the council had been painting all the footpath signs so although they were all visible all the pointers had been removed so there were no direction arrows and you didn't know if it was a junction of 2 paths or not. We walked about 11 km.

Leicestershire Round:Sharnford to Aston Flamville

4th December 2007
We have had a bit of an enforced setback on the walking front but decided today to see how I would manage a short walk. We drove to Sharnford to do a shortened section of the LR. It was all across fields and just as we started a heron flew in front of us and landed in the next field. We then walked through a field with some very friendly horses, one of which stood in the gateway and wouldn't move, John spoke to it and it eventually let us pass. We went past Aston Flamville and up to the M69 where we passed a field of Alpacas.

We left the LR here having only walked about 2 mile and walked through the alpaca field and back to Aston Flamville. We had planned a diversion off the road but there were two very excitable rottweillers behind a gate but they had knocked down part of the fencing keeping them in and I thought they could get out if they really wanted and I was not prepared to give them reason to try so we kept to the road. We continued back to Sharnford where we went into the Countryman and had gammon steak for lunch a walk of about 6 km that showed I was ok for walking. Hopefully will get back to some longer ones soon.

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.

Leicestershire Round:Willoughby Waterleys to Leire

Friday 19th October 2007
The one where John becomes a cowboy.....
It was a lovely day so we decided to do part 8 of the LR walk starting at Willoughby Waterleys. The route is getting ever closer to home as we went even less distance round the ring road. We set off across fields, the first of which had curious bullocks in who decised to follow us, but they stopped when John turned round and stared at them. As we crossed the field we met a girl with two dogs who was a bit wary of how the cows might react to her dogs (hopefully she got through them OK). We walked across lots of fields and beside a very nice fishing lake until eventually we had to cross the M1, another sign we are getting closer to home and moving round the county. After this it was across more fields and past a lake and mill house to Leire. We stopped for lunch here, a bit expensive and not wonderfully cooked. We then diverted from the walk to find a geocache. This involved a walk along a disused railway which has been changed into a nature trail. Some rangers were working there killing some tree stumps to provide more light for wild flowers. We had quite a chat as he told us about the railway and the drainage problems they were having. We found the place for the cache but could not find it although there were signs of damage to the wall where people had been hunting - a shame as the hider had said there was no need to remove stones. So after 10 minutes hunting we gave up and continued our walk. We walked along a path to a stables where an old man hobbling about with a walking stick was trying to persuade a very large horse to go into his stable. We helped direct the horse to the door but he would then just walk past. The horse had escaped the night before and had damaged its leg so was bandaged up. We tried enticing him in with hay and apples but he wasn't interested. Eventually John managed to get his halter on, albeit upside down, and the horse was led back to the stable. The old man was very grateful. We then continued our walk across fields and back across the M1 to rejoin a short section of the LR back to the car. All the bullocks in the first field had gone which was a relief. It was later than we expected (5.30) due to the delay with William the horse and was dusky (17km).

Leicestershire Round:Shearsby to Willoughby Waterleys

Saturday 6th October 2007

We drove to Shearsby today. There were no apples today which was a shame. An old man chatted to us and told us about the church and the village. He said the roof was replaced but was too heavy for the walls so they had to be replaced too. His wifes bequest paid for 4 lead urns to be placed at the corner of the tower to act as lightning conductors. The church was still locked so we looked round the churchyard and then continued our walk.

We walked across fields towards Bruntingthorpe and then towards Peatling Magna. There were lots of cows but they were mainly black and white dairy cows so were well behaved. There was also one field with big cows and a huge bull but they were quite good and the bull ignored us!

We had ham rolls at the Cock Inn and then walked to Willouby Waterleys where we left the Leicestershire Round and diverted off our planned route to find a geocache. It was nicely hidden under a rotten stump by an oak tree. On the computer it showed that it had last been found in late August but the logbook showed that someone had been there that morning. Its amazing to think that these boxes are hidden all over the place and you don't realise wh else might be hunting for them. We found a travel bug in the box which belonged to a young girl in Holland and so we took that to move onto another nice cache so she can follow its travels. We followed the road to Peatling Parva where we looked round the church (most of the churches have been locked along this part of the route) and then went through new woodland, farms and a newly ploughed field back to Shearsby where we saw a hot air balloon hovering over the trees.