[1] Start from outside the Wheel Inn. With your back to the front door of the pub turn left along Melton Road and take the first on the left down Brook Street. Pass Brook House Close on the left and then turn left into Brookside. At this point you have joined the Leicestershire Round. Walk on the pavement with the river on your right and continue round to the left into Mill Road. Look on the right for a footpath sign to "Rearsby Mill" leading up a gravel drive between two houses. A few yards up the drive take the footpath to the right between a wall and a fence. Follow the narrow path between fences until you come to a stone track. Go left then immediately follow the stone track as it turns right between hedges heading to the railway.
[2] Cross the railway. Caution: This is an unmanned crossing. Take great care crossing the railway. Continue down the track between hedges until you reach a wide concrete farm bridge. Go through kissing gate and cross grass field to the corner of the white wall of Rearsby Mill Cottage. Continue past the cottage towards black gate with small gate at the side which leads you to a driveway. Turn left on the driveway and cross the bridge then walk in front of Rearsby Mill on your right, and continue round the mill then cross two more bridges. Continue along the tarmac drive across an open field to a yellow post in the distance. Just before the road where the tarmac drive bears right go straight on through the kissing gate to the gate in the hedge.
[3] When you reach the road turn left, ignore footpath immediately on the right, and walk down the verge round the double bend. Caution: In places this verge is difficult to walk on. 100m past the double bend take the footpath on the right up the drive to Spinney Farm. 100m before Spinney Farm look out for a yellow post on the left and a small gate leading into the field. Go through the gate and walk along the edge of the field with the hedge on your left to a small gate then walk diagonally across the next field up the hill to another yellow post. Go through small gate and continue in same direction with the hedge on your right until you reach the kissing gate onto the A46.
[4] Go through the kissing gate onto the verge of the dual carriageway. Caution: Take great care crossing this road. Vehicles are traveling at 70 mph! Look for the gap in the steel safety barrier in the central reservation and cross the carriageway here. Cross the second carriageway and go over sleeper footbridge into the field. Bear slightly left and cross field through the plantation heading for the gap in the hedge with the rugby pitches beyond. Go through hedge and head for gap in left hand hedge with a yellow post. At this gap you will see the green dome of the college buildings ahead, but you bear right diagonally across the sports field heading for the left hand end of brown wooden railings. (If the sports field is in use - go round the edge of the field with the hedge on your right.) Go through the gap between buildings just to the left of the Nursery School which leads to a tarmac track.
Ratcliffe College is a coeducational Catholic independent boarding and day school in the village of Ratcliffe on the Wreake, Leicestershire, approximately 7 miles (11 km) from Leicester. The College, situated in 100 acres (0.40 km2) of parkland on the Fosse Way about six miles (10 km) north of Leicester, was founded on the instructions of Blessed Father Antonio Rosmini-Serbati in 1845 as a seminary. In 1847, the buildings were converted for use as a boarding school for upper-class boys.
[5] Turn left on the tarmac track and walk past the back of college buildings on your left. There are extensive views of the Charnwood Hills to the right. At "Give Way" sign continue along wider tarmac road in same direction, and then go straight on when road turns left into college property. Ignore kissing gate and footpath to right to "Park Hill Lane", and go straight on through unmarked gate down tarmac road towards the farm buildings. The tarmac lane bears right skirting the farm buildings on your left and keep on down the lane. About 200m past the farm buildings there is a footpath sign pointing to the left and the right of this lane. At this point you leave the Leicestershire Round.
[6] Take the path to the left through the kissing gate and walk along the edge of the field with the hedge on your right. Go through kissing gate, cross tarmac road and second kissing gate into wood. Notice the sign on left "Ratcliffe College Private Property" so keep to the footpath through the wood with the hedge on your right. Go through gap in hedge with yellow post and continue into field with hedge on your right. At the large white "Gas" post in the hedge, where a track comes in from the right, the footpath turns left and crosses the middle of the field diagonally to a yellow post in the far corner. (If the field is full of crops it may be easier to walk round the edge of the field keeping the hedge on your right.) When you reach the far corner go into the copse and turn right towards the A46 dual carriageway. Caution: Take great care crossing this road. Vehicles are traveling at 70 mph!
[7] Cross over both carriagways of the A46 where there is a gap in the steel safety barrier and look for footpath sign leading off the verge over a footbridge and a stile into the field. Go over another stile in a wire fence and bear left to the stile on the other side of this field where there is a yellow post in the trees. Go over this stile and cross dry dyke then bear right diagonally up the field, (ignore yellow post visible to the left) and a yellow post will come into sight in the right hand hedge. Go over this stile and bear left across the field to another yellow post and stile in a wire fence. Continue in the same direction down the hill towards the village and you will see a yellow post in the hedge at the bottom of the field just before the houses. A kissing gate leads to a narrow path between houses which emerges on Main Street of the village of Ratcliffe on the Wreake. Turn left and walk a few metres down Main Street then look for the footpath on the right, just before the church, with the footpath sign "Ratcliffe Mill". Go through "ER" kissing gate and up a few steps with church on your left, then through kissing gate at end of track leading into open field.
[8] Continue in same direction along the side of field with the hedge on your left until you approach the end of the field. Here you turn right and look for a yellow post in the corner of the field by an old half-timbered cottage. Continue to the metal gate and stile with a yellow post. Go through gate and walk up the grass past the building with bricked up windows on your left, and continue on to kissing gate in left hand corner of the field that leads out on to Broome Lane. Turn left and walk down the road past sign "Single track road etc", cross the private drive and continue along footpath for short distance towards the bridge where you have to walk along road over the bridge. Caution: Take great care walking on this road. There is no pavement, and in places the verge is very small. Face the oncoming traffic. Continue along this road for 1 km / 3/4 mile past Beedles Lake Golf Centre until you see the level crossing.
[9] 300m before the level crossing take the footpath to the left through kissing gate and cross field to railway. Caution: This is an unmanned crossing. Take great care crossing the railway. Cross the railway, go down steps on far side of embankment through gate and head slightly left across field to yellow post. Go over footbridge in middle of field and continue diagonally across field to another yellow post. Go through gate and continue with hedge on your right, then bear right diagonally across field heading for large yellow house in distance. Go over stile and bear right diagonally across field, yellow house now on left, and head for yellow post in far hedge where there is a kissing gate leading out onto Melton Road.
[10] Turn left along Melton Road and walk along the pavement into Rearsby. Go past Horse & Groom pub on the right, cross Mill Road to the left and the Wheel Inn will appear ahead where the walk started.