Woodhouse Eaves,Beacon & Bradgate

Date: 14 August 2010

Area: South of Loughborough, Leicestershire

Distance: 11 Miles 18 k

Start Location: Car Park in Woodhouse Eaves

OS Sheet: Explorer 246

Grid Ref: SK 5310 1446

Outline: Woodhouse Eaves, Outwoods, Beacon Hill, Broombriggs, Bradgate Park, Swithland Wood, Woodhouse Eaves.

For GPX file see Every Trail

Route

These notes are provided to enable the walk to be plotted on a 1 : 25,000 map. They are not walking instructions.

From the car park head north along the road, as far as Hangingstone Farm, take the path right over the fields to Halfway House. Continue across the next field to reach a small wood, bear left and follow path to meet the bridleway west of Moat House.

Go to GR 519 159 enter the Outwoods, head west and south to GR 517 155 on Woodhouse / Breakback Lane, follow the road SE to GR 519 152 turn right up a track, in 100m left at gap in fence, turn right and walk up to path junction at GR 518 150 and take the path heading up into the woodland along the north side of the woodland to the top of Beacon Hill.

From the top take the main track down the south side of the hill to GR 519 144 take track heading south across into Broombriggs take path left across field to GR 522 141 and head SE to pick up the Leicestershire Round on Maplewell Road.

Follow Leicestershire Round across the Golf Course to Benscliffe Road and into Bradgate Park car park. Enter the park gate turn left, follow the wall down to the car park in the NE corner near the reservoir. Turn left along Roecliffe Road and take the path to then through Swithland Wood, follow the roads back to the car park.

Journey

I ‘ve been running and walking around the Charnwood Forest area for many years, this walk was based on my standard ‘about’ 10 mile walk, but tweaked to add a couple of miles, then on the day amended to lose a mile or so because of the rain. Yes, we wimped out.

Mrs O-n-G decided not to walk, so it was my long time walking mate A and I on our own. Having waited for a group of gaiter clad, pole carrying ramblers (what happened to red socks and bobble hats) to sort themselves out then off down the Leicestershire Round, we set off north past The Old Bulls Head and across the fields. Almost as soon as we left the paved track we were hit by a couple of showers, initially we pressed on but soon had to stop to kag up, which is a guaranteed method of stopping rain, for a about half an hour.

Having left the lovely woodland of the Outwoods we made our way on a fairly new path leading upwards along the north side of Beacon Hill. This path, for horses and cyclists, according to the signs, was installed as part of a large scale clearing and replanting scheme carried out several years ago in what had once been inaccessible woodland, it is now my preferred way up the Beacon. These and other works over the years, including introducing Alpaca’s and Long Horn cattle, have certainly enhanced the Beacon, which was featured on BBC’s Country File a couple of weeks ago.

From the Beacon we walked across Broombriggs following the Leicestershire Round across Lingdale Golf Course and up to the top of Bradgate Park below the Old John Tower and War Memorial.

More showers and a wet lunch standing under trees in Bradgate Park eating soggy sandwiches, I do hate rainwater in my coffee, was followed by a dose of heavy rain as we plunged downhill, only stopping to photograph the deer. This photo was taken as the deer were starting to walk away from us, I shouted “oi stop, look this way” and they did, gob smacked.

Later in the Wheatsheaf in Woodhouse Eaves we both agreed that it had been a crap walk, it was not the area nor the walk, probably not the weather but somehow we just did not feel up to it. We have both walked longer walks with more climb on them recently, so it’s not the fitness, it just happens.

Back when I was running, every now and then particularly on training runs you could start off feeling awful not enjoying it at all then, a few minutes later everything’s changed and you'd be flying. Other days you step out as fit as a flea and hit a wall inside the first mile and it’s a struggle from then on, but you get the miles done and in the book. I guess it happens with walking, just not so intense

As well as a days walk with a few pints after, this walk was pretty much training and testing for our Lakeland Circle walk in September. As a standard route, with or without tweaks, we know it well and with plenty of ups and downs it provides a good indication of our fitness. It also allows gear to be tested and things practiced, like this was only the third time in two years that I’d had to put on my over trousers and I then I managed to put them on back to front. Just shows!