Bradgate Park is a historic former Medieval Deer Park created from the Charnwood Forest. It was first enclosed as a hunting park over 750 years ago. For many centuries, it formed part of the Leicestershire Estates of the Grey family and the Earls of Stamford. Even now, though only six miles from the centre of Leicester, certain areas look much as they must have done in the Middle Ages. It was handed over to the city in the 1920s and is now a much loved facility for local residents. The park is open access, apart from a few small areas designed to allow the deer some peace and quiet, so you can extend the walk by exploring the park at your own leisure.
[1] From the car park walk back out to the road and turn right past the church. At a mini roundabout keep right and continue along Main Street.
[2] Immediately beyond the old Blacksmith's Cottage and house number 19, take a signposted path on the right. Follow the grassy path uphill with a hedge on the left until you reach a dry stone wall with a gate leading into the deer park.
[3] Do not go through the gate, instead turn left and follow a good path that follows the wall on your right and crosses the top of a number of fields, with good views down to the left. The path eventually enters a wood. Go ahead 20 metres and find a gate on the right, opposite some public toilets on the left. You are now on the Leicestershire Round and will be following it all the way back, though you will not see many waymarks on this stretch. Go through the gate into the deer park and ascend to old John Tower, which you can see straight ahead.
(A) Old John Tower is sited at what must be one of Leicestershire's finest viewpoints. There is a view finder nearby. It is a folly, built in 1784 by a local man, Thomas Sketchley, as a mock ruin. It was later converted by a 19th century Earl for use as a watch tower when training his racehorses in the park. Many people think the arch makes the tower look like a beer mug with a handle. But perhaps they are thinking more about their post walk drink!
The smaller concrete tower you saw to your right as you climbed to Old John is actually a war memorial. It has an equally lovely view and it is worth going over to on a clear day. From Old John, spot a gap in the wall leading into a small wood, go ahead and out of the trees to reach the memorial. Retrace your steps back to Old John to rejoin the route.
[4] With your back to the tower door, go half left down towards a large meeting places of paths in a dip. On reaching some rocks just before the dip fork right, then head downhill towards a pond you can see just left of a large wood. Eventually follow a path along the left edge of the wood, with the pond a little over to your left, and continue ahead to the ruins of Bradgate House.
(B) The now ruined Bradgate House was completed in 1520. It was one of the first buildings in England to use bricks since the Romans left and was one of the first large unfortified houses. Is was owned by the Grey family for 220 years and it is believed Lady Jane Grey, the nine day Queen, was born here. The house was not lived in after the 2nd Earl of Stamford died in 1719, and had become a ruin by 1790. The chapel is still complete, and contains effigies of some Grey Earls. The ruins are open on various days from April to October.
[5] Just beyond the ruins there is a wide tarmac drive going left to right. Join it and turn right. This path, which gets busy on summer weekends, has fine views back up to Old John Tower and is lined with numerous beautiful and interesting trees, including a number of remarkable old knarled oaks. You soon start following the River Lin on the left, and you will often see deer grazing on the opposite bank. Eventually, the tarmac drive arrives back at the car park at the start.