[1] From the Griffin Inn turn left along the main street, pass the war memorial and memorial hall.
(A) Look in front of the Memorial Hall and you will spot a small memorial to the local slate workers who lived in the village.
Slate was quarried around here since Roman times, but particularly between the 13th and 19th Centuries. The coming of the railways killed off the industry as they made the much better welsh slate easily available.
Many older buildings in the area are still roofed with Swithland Slate, and the slate was really popular for use as gravestones. You will see a lot of it in local church yards.
Just beyond the telephone box turn right onto a bridleway. Follow the good track ahead. When it turns left to some barns continue straight ahead along the edge of a long field with the hedge on your right. At the far corner turn left for 50 metres and right through a bridle gate. Continue ahead with the hedge and a line of oak trees on your right to reach a track.
Go left for 10 metres then right through a gate. Continue along the right edge of the field, pass through two gates whilst passing a large new metal barn on your left. Continue down to the bottom of the following field and turn left.
[2] You are now on the Leicestershire Round, and will be following it all the way to Bradgate Deer Park. Go ahead, Following the right edge of a number of fields. Keep straight on, ignoring paths and tracks going right and left, to reach a road. Take the path opposite and follow the hedge on your left until it turns left. Continue straight on across the middle of the field to reach an enclosed path in the far corner that leads to the end of a road. Follow the road up to the main street through Woodhouse Eaves.
There is a pub and a Spa shop opposite you, and bus stops just to the right.
[3] Cross over and walk along Maplewell Road opposite. Follow the road uphill to the edge of the village. When the road levels off, with fields to the right, take a path on the left that goes down a track in front of a house. Follow the track round a right bend, then when it goes left, go straight on over a stile and follow the right edge of the field to the corner. Officially, the right of way goes clockwise around the edge of the next field to the far corner, but a well trodden path going half left across the field suggests plenty of people take a short cut through the middle. Cross a stile in the far corner that leads onto a golf course. Keep an eye out for golfers playing shots.
Turn right, keeping close to the hedge on the right. When the hedge swings right turn left across a gap to reach another hedge on the right. Carry on ahead between two greens then swing right. Just before reaching a surfaced golfers path turn right, going uphill with a ditch on your right. In 20 metres swing left and go uphill passing the 5th tee on your left. Keep ahead across a fairway then follow a hedge on the left past another tee then downhill to eventually reach a road.
[4] Cross straight over and take the path opposite. You are on the golf course again, walking across fairways, so keep looking right and left and watch out for golf balls. Go straight ahead across fairways, following a stream on your right, which sometimes goes through tunnels under the fairways. Eventually reach a gate on the top edge of the course that leads into a wood. Follow the main path uphill through the wood to eventually reach a road. Turn left to reach a T-Junction, walk across the car park opposite and through the gate at the top end to follow a path leading to a gate into Bradgate Deer Park. (There are public toilets just to the left here.)
[5] You are now leaving the Leicestershire Round at this point. Turn left, following the boundary wall of the deer park on your right and continue downhill until you reach a large steel gate in the wall.
Bradgate Deer Park is explored more in the adjoining Leicestershire Round route. But if the weather is good and you have the time and energy it is worth taking a bit in as part of this route.
Go through the gate into the deer park and climb straight ahead up to the big tower, which is known as Old John. This is one of the finest viewpoints in Leicestershire. Either retrace your steps back to the gate, or turn left and make your own way across the deer park towards the boundary wall and follow it downhill to reach a large steel gate in the wall. Go through the pedestrian gate just to the left to rejoin the main route at waypoint [6].
[6] Turn left over a stile and follow the track down to a road. Go through a gap in the wall just to your right on the opposite side of the road. Turn right and walk parallel to the road. Go straight ahead across a car park and along the exit road. When the exit road swings right, take a bridleway on the left. Follow the bridleway as it goes downhill, crosses a small stream then goes uphill. Soon after it levels off, find a track on the right. There is a signpost and a litter bin at the junction, and a large fence with razor wire on the left.
(B) On your left here, behind the large fence with razor wire, is main the quarry where much of the local slate was produced. If you follow the fence clockwise for a while you will get glimpses down into the huge hole, which now has a lake at the bottom. Do not attempt to enter the quarry.
Follow the track, which soon leaves the wood, then continues straight on between fields, then joins a tarmaced drive to reach a road.
[7] Go right for 20 metres then turn left onto another bridleway. Follow the track along the right edge of a long field heading towards a large brick house in the distance. Just before the house, go through a bridle gate, go half left across a small field to reach an enclosed path that goes up to the main street through Swithland. Turn left back to the start.