Woodhouse Eaves, Bradgate, Beacon Hill, Outwoods

Date: 21 May 2011

Area: South of Loughborough, Leicestershire

Distance: 12.2 Miles 19.6 k

Start Location: Public Car Park in Woodhouse Eaves or on Main Street

OS Sheet: Explorer 246

Grid Ref: SK 5310 1446

Outline: Woodhouse Eaves, Swithland Wood, Cropston Leas, Bradgate Park, Lingdale Golf Course, Broombriggs, Beacon Hill, Outwoods, including Buck Hill, back to Woodhouse Eaves via Brook Road

Route

I've not detailed the route we took.as using the outline above and a 1 :25,000 map it should be possible to devise a lovely walk through the beautiful and ever changing hills and woodland of Charnwood Forest.

Journey

Due to a very painful injury and the demands of large scale decorating, 'paint and paper everywhere', we have not been able to get out for more than stroll around our local fields since the 18th April 

The injury was sustained by Mrs G as she nipped out to the loo one dark night. NHS Direct thought her little toe might be been broken, but said nothing can be done about it other than to tape it to the adjacent toe and take asprins.

So our planned training walks in preparation for our Cumbria Way walk  in June have been put on hold. Until Saturday when we opted for the old favourite training walk of about 10.5 miles. In the circumstances the advantage of this walk is that there are several places where, if the foot got painful, we could nip back to the car or Mrs G could sit while I went to get the car.  A sound plan I thought as we strolled out of Woodhouse Eaves (passing the Cup Cake Shop with only the briefest of pauses) and into Swithland Woods, only to find the field path to Bradgate Park had cows in it so we implemented diversion number one.

Seeing as Saturday was such a nice day warm, sunny with a strong at times but not to cool breeze we were surprised that there were so few people about. It was the same during the rest of the walk. From the top of Bradgate Park we followed the Leicestershire Round and drop down through a section of  New National Forest on to the back nine holes of Lingdale Golf Course, which looked immaculate, pristine and totally devoid of golfers. Crossing John Moores Lane we entered the first half of the course and could see that the driving range was full but only the first three holes were in play. Quick as a very slow flash I realised  'there's a big  match on'. The golfers were fine, waving us across the couple of fairways crossed by the footpath.

Diversion two occurred as we walked across Broombriggs Farm and Country Park where there were cows with calves right on the route over to Beacon Hill so we went the longer way around. I had to agree with Mrs G that this was a sensible decision. I once made the mistake of nearly getting between a calf and its mother, she was not happy and let me know it, very b..... scary.

We stopped for lunch on Beacon Hill laying in the sunshine, talking about the grandchildren, one was due to be born that day, the Cumbria Way and how little Mrs G could take with her (as I'm carrying about half her gear), then chatting to a couple walking by.

We followed the newish cycle/horse path down the north side of Beacon Hill to Breakback Lane and headed along the road  and into the Outwoods. Coming back out on to the road we took the permissive path alongside Charwood Hall and walked along Buck Hill which a lovely exposed ridge with a rocky little hill top.

Crossing back over Breakback Lane and into the Outwoods we headed for Woodhouse passing the charcoal burners site and along Brook Road to the Old Bulls Head for a pint and received a phone call to say grandchild number 6 was on the way.

He was born just after midnight 8lb 2oz mother, baby, father and two sisters all well, still waiting for a decision on the name 3 days later!!

What a cracking day.

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!

Swithland Woods, Cropston, Ansty, Groby Pool, Newtown Linford and Bradgate Park

Date: 21 May 10
Area: North Leicestershire. South of Loughborough
Distance: 9.8 Miles 15.8 k
Start Location: Swithland Woods, south car park
OS Sheet: Explorer 246
Grid Ref: SK 5369 1180
Outline: Swithland Woods, Cropston, Ansty, Groby Pool, Newtown Linford and Bradgate Park

This walk is a local one for me, it is a mish mash of the miles of paths and roads that I frequently mix together to make walks of between 5 and 15 miles.

The walk is through woodland, fields and wild park land, with some road walking, which is inevitable in an area such as this. There are good viewpoints of Bradgate Park, Cropston Reservoir and Lady Jane Greys house at Bradgate and I could see Leicester simmering in the haze. Groby Pool was alive with twitchers.  I managed to spot three pubs, and in Newton Linford two cafes, plus a shop selling a wide range of ice creams (I had a scoop of red cherry and one of pistachio).