[1] From the car park, with your back to the doctor's surgery, turn right and walk to Astill Lodge Road. Turn right and continue forward along Astill Lodge Road, crossing Kingsbridge Crescent (twice).
[2] Just after the second turn go right through the kissing gate into Castle Hill Country Park. After 20m go right through the hedge gap then take the rightmost path and continue along the edge of the park, passing the Castle Hill Earthworks on the left, with a fine view over Bradgate Park. Continue down the hill towards a depression which is the site of the medieval fishing pool.
Take care on the paths around the park as they are mostly mown grass and are uneven and in wet conditions muddy and slippery.
(A) Castle Hill Country Park was established in the 1980s and has an area of more than 80 hectares. It was split in two when the A46 trunk road was completed late last century. The park contains a wide variety of trees, a Bluebell wood and Community Orchards. There are two scheduled monuments - Castle Hill Earthworks with a medieval fishpond on the east side and King William's Bridge on the west side.
(B) The earthworks are actually the remains of the enclosure of a monastic farm complex associated with the Knights Hospitaller. Dating back to 600AD they were originally founded to care for pilgrims who had reached Jerusalem. They eventually took on the role of protecting pilgrims on their journey and to fight the 'infidels'. Many knights joined the brotherhood, became Knights Templar and eventually joined with the Knights Hospitaller. (English towns bearing the name Temple were associated with these knights).
(C) The medieval fishpond would have provided fish for the farm's occupants.
[3] When you reach the pool go right and continue up a steep bank and over the footbridge and up steps, then turn left onto the footpath down to the A46.
You may wish to visit the Nothill scenic viewpoint (D). Pass under the A46 and turn left then follow the track for 20m to a squeeze stile on the left into the field. Bear slightly left uphill on a well-marked path and then left again to the top where there is a pile of rocks and a bench seat. Return under the A46.
[4] Turn left at the A46 and continue along this path for about 100m.
[5] Bear left onto the path across the field to pass through the gap in the trees, crossing a plank bridge.
[6] Go ahead down the left side of a long thin meadow, for about 500m. Ignore the first path left through a kissing gate, which leads back to the castle mound. Take the second left over a footbridge into an area of newly planted trees (which is a new community orchard) sloping up to a row of houses.
[7] Go up the left hedge line to reach the park entrance where you came in and return along Astill Lodge Road.
In the spring you may wish to take the circular walk to see the carpet of bluebells (E). Go along the right hedge line 40m to a stile into the wood, going down and up steps then bear left to reach an information board and a waymark. Go left across a plank bridge. Be careful you don't get lost! Return to the plank bridge.
Take care on the narrow footpaths - beware of branches at head height and also those laying on the path.