Croxton Kerrial to Melton Mowbray

Date: 2012-09-30

From: Croxton Kerrial

To: Melton Mowbray

Region: Leicestershire

Walk :  Linear

 OS Sheet: Explorer 247 & 246

Start Grid: SK 834 290

Distance: 10 ml, 16.1 km 

Height Gain: 481 ft, 146m

Height Lost: 651 ft,198 m

Walking with:

Notes: Largely on field paths and tracks a few short sections on road, a few stiles and a good few gates, muddy in parts.

Route

These notes are provided to enable the walk to be plotted on a 1:25,000 map.

From the Pub in Croxton take the path and track W to Branston, in the village turn left to Eaton.

Here pick up the Jubilee Way and follow it all the way to Melton Mowbray. I changed my route part way through the walk and diverted to Wycomb then along the road to Scalford, as shown on map.

Journey

Although this walk has been mapped out on the computer for several weeks the decision to go was a spur of the moment thing taken just 45 minutes before the number 8 bus left. In that time I had to change clothes, top up the rucksack, plot off the map, copy the route onto the GPS, grab  food and water and get to the bus stop. 

As with the other number 8 bus walks this one take place at the northern end of the Leicestershire Wolds laying between Loughborough, Grantham and Melton Mowbray. The previous walks have largely been across the valleys and along the higher land of the Wolds. This walk was different as it was mainly along the valleys and across the high land. Although I have to say, that sometimes, it was difficult to tell if I was on the high land or the low land, the occasional stream helped. However, the facts are that over the entire walk there were some more 200 feet in descent than climb.

When I set out on a walk I usually stick close to the route planned. However, just outside Branston I met George, who was converting a fallen tree into logs, and we had a good old chat. He lives in the village and knows the area very well. At one point we talked photography and he mentioned a number of photographic places among them the village of Wycomb, which was close to the planned route.

I plodded on through Eaton Grange, White Lodge. While in Goadby Marwood I had a look at the map and decided to leave the Jubilee Way and headed off towards Wycomb., In doing so I gave myself  two K of road walking from Wycomb to get back on route at Scaleford. But it was worth it, Wycomb is a village of   very pretty houses, barns and church  mostly built of orange yellow sandstone. I also hoped that by taking the road I might get to Melton in time to catch the 1440 bus home.

The walk fro Scalford down to Melton was alright but, four consecutive fields with young cows in took out much of the enjoyment. The final kilometer and a half is through Melton Country Park which was fine, a nice place with good variety of wildlife and public areas, gardens and lakes, sports pitches and flood control measures. Unfortunately the route from the park to the town center takes you into an industrial estate, I am sure it could not be helped and it’s probably the most direct route, I just felt a little let down that after 10 miles of walking through such wonderful countryside and a great park I ended up in an industrial estate. C'est la vie.

On the upside I made the bus with 15 minutes to spare