[1] From the pub turn left up the Main Street and take a bridleway on the left, almost opposite the telephone box. Go through a gate and ahead along a long narrow paddock to the far end. In the next field keep the wooden fence on your left and descend steeply to a gate. Follow the right edge of the next field. Go through a gap in the far hedge and continue straight on to cross over a track. Go ahead towards a bridlegate on the left. Do not go through it, instead turn right and continue with the hedge on your left across two fields to reach a stile.
At this point the bridleway finishes, quite strangely, in the middle of nowhere, and continues ahead as a footpath. This will be because it crosses a parish boundary here. It was probably recorded by different people at different times who were only dealing with their own parish. Horse riders and cyclists have to turn back here, but happily, walkers can carry on.
Continue straight ahead across four more fields to reach a minor road. Take the path opposite which goes diagonally right to a gate between two barns that leads onto a road. Turn left into Laughton.
[2] Take the second road on the right, which is signed as a No Through Road and go past the scenic little church on the right.
(A) Take a close look at the interesting thatched wall running round much of the graveyard. It is actually made of mud! This was actually quite a common building material in the past for low grade houses and buildings, and it works well, but few examples now survive. The thatch is essential to stop it being washed away.
At the end of the road turn left for 10 metres and go right up steps to a stile. Follow the left edge of the field to a stile on the left just before the bottom corner. Cross it and go right over two more stiles and go straight uphill to find another stile at the top. Go ahead and slightly left to cross two more stiles in a hedgerow.
You now follow what is waymarked as a 'Public Access Route'. You will see vehicle tyre tracks ahead of you going down across the field to a gate. Follow the tracks down, and continue ahead alongside them across three more fields, then join an enclosed track which goes up to a road.
[3] Turn right for 150 metres, and just past 'The Grange', take a path on the left. Follow the left edge of the field down to the bottom corner, then turn right, following a stream on your left. Cross a stile and continue alongside the stream to reach a footbridge. Cross this and go right up the bank into a field. Follow the hedge on the left across two more fields to reach a road. You will get your first glimpses of Saddington Reservoir down to your right as you enter the second field.
Cross straight over the road and go ahead on a track opposite. Fork left at some barns and go up past the right side of the church to the road in Saddington Village. Turn right past the Queens Head pub then right onto Main Street.
[4] Go ahead 80 metres then turn right in front of Dale House down a path between brick walls. You are now on the Leicestershire Round and will be following it all the way back. Go down to the bottom of a narrow field and keep straight ahead across a large field. Cross a stream and continue straight ahead to cross three bridges over streams and leats coming down from the reservoir dam on your right.
(B) Saddington Reservoir was built in 1802 to supply water for the nearby Grand Union canal. It is the second oldest reservoir in the county.
After the third bridge, which doubles as a sluice gate, go steeply ahead up a grassy field to find a stile at the top. Follow the left hedge in the next field, and when it turns right go through a gap and continue with the hedge now on your right to another stile. Go half left across the next field to another gate. Follow the large hedge on your left until it ends then fork right up to a gate alongside a memorial bench, which turns out to be a fantastic viewpoint!
[5] Go steeply downhill and through a kissing gate, then follow the left edge of three more fields to reach a road. Take the path almost opposite which leads to Gumley church. Go along the right hand side of the graveyard to reach the church car park. Continue along the drive to Gumley Main Street and turn left back to the start.