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.
