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Leicestershire Round 20 of 28

Difficulty Leisurely

Walking time 3 hours 19 minutes

Length 10.7km / 6.6mi

Route developer: Chris Dunne

Route checker: Andy Page

Start location The Red Lion Pub, Church Street, Sapcote.LE9 4FG
Route Summary Walk 20 of 28 circular walks covering the entire Leicestershire Round.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

By bus: The 148 Leicester to Hinckley service passes through the village. There is roughly an hourly service throughout the day until early evening. There is no Sunday service.  The bus also passes through Sharnford, about two thirds of the way round, which could be useful if you decide to shorten the walk there.

By car: Sapcote is on the B4669 about 2 miles east of Junction 2 of the M69. Note that this junction only has slip roads on its north side. If coming from the south you need to use Junction 1, then the A5 and B4114. Once in the village, the prominent church spire will help you locate Church Street, or the postcode LE9 4FG will get you there if you have a satnav.

There is plenty of unrestricted street parking on Church Street and other nearby streets. Only use the pub car park with permission.

 

Description

[1] From the front of the Red Lion, turn right and then left into the playing fields. Go across them to a gap in the far left corner and take the path opposite, signed 'Aston Flamville 2'.

(A) In the playing fields to the right there was once a Norman motte & bailey castle, which belonged to the important Basset family. The motte was levelled soon after 1778 and now only small bumps and crop marks can be seen.


Head half left across the first field to the far left corner. Do not cross the stile ahead, instead go left 10 metres along the track to a waymarker post at the end of an old motorway barrier. Go half left, as indicated by the arrow, up to the top left corner of the field, and along the right edge of the next field. Pass a large gap on the right and continue to a smaller gap with a waymark. Go through and straight across. In the next field, go half left to a stile midway along the left hedge, then continue to a path junction in the far right corner of the next field.

[2] Follow the track ahead in roughly the same direction you have been coming. It zig zags, then goes along the right edge of a field and down to a road.

Turn right and continue ahead through the edge of Aston Flamville village, ignore a left turn as you pass pleasant cottages on the right, and a  church yard with some beautiful trees on the left.

(B) If you do take a diversion up the road to the left you will find, in a field on the left just beyond the church, a rare 18th Century dovecote, with room for over 800 nests. A sign above the door says it was restored in 1977.

Just before reaching a bridge over the motorway, turn left down a road for 10 metres and take a path on the left. Go ahead across the first field to a gate, then half right down the next field to a gate in the bottom right corner. Go straight ahead over a number of stiles, keeping parallel to the motorway just to your right, until a flight of steps lead up to a road.

[3] Now on the Leicestershire Round, turn left along the road and back into Aston Flamville.    

Look out for a kissing gate on the right about 100 metres before a sharp left bend. Follow the direction of the waymark, gradually angling away from the road, going down to two gates by a clear waymarker. Go through them, and right for 10 metres to go through 2 more gates. Go half left up the next field to the top corner. Go along the right side of the hedge ahead to another gate, and straight on, now left of a hedge, then straight across an open field to join a track coming in from the right. Shortly before reaching barns ahead, go right through a kissing gate and left alongside the hedge to a wide gap by a barn. Go half  right on a track, from where the path crosses two horse paddocks and reaches a road.


[4] Turn right, and then left along the main street through Sharnford. Pass the Countryman Inn and go right just before a blue brick bridge to a waymarked gate at the end of the lane. Follow the path with a stream to the left then across the left side of a cricket field to a wooden gate. Follow the path round to a second gate that leads into Fosse Meadows Nature area. Go ahead 50 metres and through a gate by a waymarker post on the left.

[5] Now leaving the Leicestershire Round, go half right across two fields to a gate, from where a clear path goes up between trees. Follow this over a footbridge then half right up to a road.

Turn left along the road, then left at the cross roads. Follow this all the way down to the B4114. Go right for 20 metres, cross and take a footpath opposite. Go half right to a wide hedge gap in the far right hedge. From here, a clear track follows the right edge of four fields to a road.

Turn left along the road, ignore a couple of small left turns, then turn left down Cooks Lane. Immediately beyond the church turn right up Church Street and back to the start.

POI information No details available.
Notes No details available.
Acknowledgements No details available.
  • The slender spire of Sapcote church.
    The slender spire of Sapcote church.
    By - Andy Page
  • Thatched cottages in Aston Flamville.
    Thatched cottages in Aston Flamville.
    By - Andy Page
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