Wednesday 3rd June 2020
Post date: 02-Jun-2020 09:16:33
Ride report 2/6/20 by Graham
The route I took was quite straightforward, it’s basically route 63 westbound all the way. Leaving from Woodhouse Eaves, I went through Newtown Linford, past Groby pool, picking up the 63 at the back of Groby and from there I simply followed the 63 signs, heading west. There are several really nice off-road sections, so you wouldn’t want to to do it on skinny road tyres, I was on my gravel bike. I took the optional Bagworth Heath Woods loop between Thornton and Bagworth, look for the bracketed (63) signs. The bit from Bagworth towards Ellistown is a bit tedious but otherwise it’s either quiet roads or completely off-road.
There’s a tricky hidden right turn off at Measham High Street, I missed it twice last week! Hint: it’s about 20m past the library on the right. From there it’s a lovely quiet disused railway track, apart from one section where you are spat back onto the road briefly in order to get under the M42. There is loads of traffic free cycling round here, the area has been completely “greened” since my 1991 OS map was printed, and I was enjoying myself so much that I sailed right past Conkers, eventually finding myself on the edge of Church Gresley. Fortunately a local lady cyclist had a more up to date map and was able to direct me back to my target, not easy to both point at a map whilst keeping 2m apart...
Conkers itself was a considerable anti-climax. The gates were closed but I could cycle through, but most of the features/attractions were behind locked gates. I did cycle down to a watery section where the photo was taken, and which I’d cycled within a couple of hundred meters of half an hour prior, but the main complex looked like it would be very busy in normal times.
Anyway I sat on the grass and munched my energy bars whilst plotting my return route. A bridleway just north of Conkers took me to Blackfordby, then I rode on through Smisby before picking up another track / bridleway round the NE of Ashby towards Lount. Then back down towards Ashby, over the M42 roundabout (not a place for nervous cyclists!) before picking up another lovely track through Rough Woods to Gelsmoor. From there I rode through Peggs Green to Whitwick then up past Mt St Bernard and up Charley road towards home, although I couldn’t resist one last off-road blast down the multi-use track round the back of the Beacon.
By the time I got home I’d clocked 58 miles. I could probably have shaved that down to 50 by taking a more direct route and not getting lost, but it’s still perhaps a bit far for an “ordinary” long ride. But there is lots of lovely traffic-free cycling in that area and it’s well worth making the trek, when the nice weather returns.
Last week, on a solo ride out to Derbyshire, I passed close to Conkers, so this week I decided to recce it for a possible future long ride for the group. Wednesday’s forecast wasn’t great so this was Tuesday.