If starting from Hinckley Railway Station, leave the station by the exit at the bottom of the footbridge on platform 2, and go ahead down the road to turn right along Brookside in front of some shops. Continue following the instructions from Waypoint [3].
[1] Leave the visitor centre heading south west, past the playground and across the parkland, keeping the blocks of trees on your left. Where they finish cross the open area still keeping the next block of trees on your left and ignore a grassy ride coming from your left. Keep going through the open countryside with the tree line on your left until you come to a large green metal kissing gate leading into the trees. There is an information board about coppicing next to the gate.
Enter Sheepy Woods by the gate and turn right along the path which follows the edge of the wood eventually swinging left still just inside the wood with a golf course just outside.
[2] At the end of the woods, pass under a railway line and turn right to follow the track alongside the railway. Eventually the track becomes tarmaced, at which point it becomes a road called The Outwoods. Continue ahead for 30 metres to a railway bridge. Take a right over the railway onto Forest Road, turning left there to come out onto London Road and go right towards Hinckley. Cross the road at the pedestrian crossing before turning left along Parson’s Lane. At the T-junction turn left back over the railway and right along the footpath nearest the railway embankment. When the path opens out with houses ahead – follow a path to the left down to Sketchley Brook and its footbridge and eventually a road.
[3] Turn right along the road, which is called Brookside. If returning to the station, turn right along Bridge street when you reach some shops. Carry on until you meet Rugby Road, where you turn right again for a short distance, crossing with caution to continue on the left-hand side of the road as it slowly swings left to come to a large roundabout and housing development.
[4] Immediately after crossing Sketchely Brook, take a surfaced footpath on the left, which has blue signs indicating a joint pedestrian and cycle way. Follow it, with Sketchley Brook to the left, through the new housing. After passing over the brook and between the fishing lakes, you come to a field with an indistinct path up the right of the field - this is very muddy at times and you can sweep left across the field to avoid the worst. There are cattle in this field and dogs are not advised. Continue ahead up a second field then up an enclosed path that brings you out onto Sketchley Lane. Turn left, passing the Sketchley Grange Hotel on the right, then The Stables on the left, to reach a bridleway on the right. Go down the bridleway, which is known as Chappell’s Drive, and follow it to a drive, and on ahead to the A5 trunk road.
[5] Turn left on reaching the A5 and then left through a gap into the end of Welbeck Avenue. Go ahead then turn right into Beechwood Avenue and then left along Wolvey Road. Take the first road on your right (Three Potts Road) to come out onto Rugby Road by a roundabout and take care crossing to go straight on into Canberra Way. Look for De Havilland Way on the right and go down it and first left into Wyvern Close to join a path across its end. Alternatively you can access the path by walking through the informal grassed area to the right of these roads. Go right along the path, on reaching a field, continue ahead along the left edge, left through a gap in the far corner and right over a plank bridge to cross another field. Join a track coming in from your left. (Bullfurlong Lane) Take this lane to your right and continue along it as it swings hard left.
[6] When it then swings hard right, leave it and go straight on and then left following the footpath to the corner of a sports field. Ignore the path going into the sports field field and continue up the right side of the field you are in up to an enclosed path that leads to a road. Turn right along Coventry Road, which soon becomes Windsor Street after a fork, and continue to a major road. Notice the plaque by the door of the Sycamore Inn, commemorating the American airmen who used to drink there during WW2. Turn left along Church Street, into Burbage conservation area, and follow the road as it swings right past the war memorial to find Aston Lane leading off to the right. Just by the bench on the left here, there is a good information board showing a Burbage Heritage trail, and lots of information about places of interest in the vicinity.
[7] Follow Aston Lane as it swings right and ends at two footpaths. Take the footpath going left. When the track swings right go ahead over a stile and along the right edge of the field. At the far end you meet the Leicestershire Round near some farm buildings to the right. Do not go over the stile ahead, instead go left to follow the Leicestershire Round, which is well waymarked with prominent yellow posts as it crosses a number of fields, to eventually come out onto Sherborne Road. Follow this up to Salisbury Road. Follow Salisbury Road to the right until it meets Winchester Drive and go right again to come to and cross Sapcote Road, continue in the same direction on the path opposite, which is still part of the Leicestershire Round.
[8] You eventually start walking up the side of Burbage Woods. Where a path comes in from the left along a hedgerow turn right with it to go ahead through the woods. As you leave the woods you come out onto Smithy Lane which you take to the left, but you could also stay in the woods and follow a track parallel and just inside the woods. From the end of Smithy Lane carry on along the footpath bearing slightly right to go under the railway line and take the right hand fork to cross Burbage Common, following some blue topped posts, to your start point.