Walks

Welcome to my Walks page...the selection of walks outlined here are intended to provide some interesting variants a little 'off the beaten track' in Leicestershire. Each one has an attached .pdf guide describing the walk in more detail which you can download and take with you. Please note also the recently opened Garendon Park footpath network to the west of Loughborough - you'll find more info on this, and how it's likely to develop on my Garendon page.

Enjoy........

Version Date 6.7.25

Leicestershire 4-Counties Walk: Chilcote and Netherseal

Leicestershire hosts an almost unique geographic phenomenon within the UK, and borders neighbouring Staffordshire directly over a distance of only about a mile. 

In this small area to the west of the hamlet of Chilcote, Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Leicestershire almost come to a point. County boundaries this short only occur at one other place in UK and the local geography around Chilcote makes it possible to complete a local walk using public rights of way and taking in 4 different counties and 2 English regions in under 2 hours. 

Chilcote itself, around which the walk is based, is also something of a geographic curiosity, in that it is the only settlement in Leicestershire which cannot be reached by road without entering another county (see link to Chilcote Wikipedia entry).

Why not take the ‘4 counties in under 2 hours’ challenge yourself, and enjoy some healthy exercise in pleasant countryside…..?

Download the 'Leics 4 Counties Walk' .pdf file from the downloads page to find out how....

Leicestershire: Charnwood Forest NW: Blackbrook Reservoir Circular walk

This walk  is set in the northwestern part of Charnwood Forest  and is designed to provide a circular route round Blackbrook Reservoir, taking in Mount St. Bernard Abbey (http://www.mountsaintbernard.org)  Shepshed’s recently upgraded Jubilee Walk and the Morley Quarry Nature Reserve. The walk starts and finishes at the Morley Quarry Car Park, Shepshed and provides some spectacular views of north Charnwood...and plenty of healthy exercise.

The walk covers a distance of ca 6.5 miles so would be suitable for a day’s excursion. A shorter route back from the Abbey, returning to Shepshed via Iveshead Road, and taking in St. Josephs Tea Room,  is also available (total distance ca 4 miles) if required. This would be more suitable for an afternoon walk.

Download the full details from the downloads page using the link to 'Blackbrook Reservoir Walk'....

Leicestershire: Charnwood Forest NW: Bardon Hill Summit Circular walk

This walk  is set on the western fringes of Charnwood Forest  and  provides a circular route round the Bardon Hill summit area,  with a visit to the summit to view the surrounding East and West midland countryside and the  main quarry workings. 

The walk starts and finishes at Vercor Road , Agar Nook, Coalville  and car parking is readily available in the local area. Public transport is available from Coalville centre. The walk provides some spectacular views of north Charnwood...and plenty of healthy exercise. Please note some sections are quite steep and can become waterlogged in rainy conditions. stout waterproof footwear essential under these conditions.

The walk covers a distance of ca 2.5 miles so would be suitable for an afternoon's excursion. A shorter route back from the summit  is also available (total distance ca 1.5 miles) if required. 

Download the full details as a .pdf file from the downloads page using the link to 'Bardon Hill Walk'....

Leicestershire: Round Shepshed Walk

This circular walk is designed to explore the countryside immediately  adjacent to the town of Shepshed, and incorporates the recently upgraded Jubilee Walk, which follows a section of the old Loughborough to Ashby railway trackbed. It is largely off-road and follows the available public footpath network for much of its length. 

The walk has links to the BlackBrook Reservoir walk; Morley Quarry  nature reserve is also within 1km of its starting point. The recently opened Garendon estate footpath network will also be available to walkers via the Coach Road, and will be available once the new estate road construction project is complete and the M1 tunnel access to the estate from Shepshed is reopened. You can check on progress with this project and download a guide to the footpaths from my Garendon page

The Guide to this walk, which you can download using the link (Round Shepshed Walk.pdf), provides detailed maps and advice on how to track your progress electronically if you have a smartphone.

Update 2.8.25: Aproximately half way between RM1 and RM2 (Figure 1) the path crosses a small stream. This used to be bypassed by a diversion to the route including a small bridge, but a recent check has revealed that this has become overgrown and impassable. Please take care crossing the stream via the current path, as the improvised assemblage of branches placed across the stream is not particularly stable and could easily cause an ankle injury.

Spring 2026 Update 22.3.26:

I was able to check all sections of the route during the last week, and am happy to say it remains open and passable throughout. Although the unmetalled stretches are drying out nicely in the March sunshine, waterproof footwear is advised, since some sections still bear the hallmarks of this winter’s rains. Herewith some notes on conditions - you can  identify positions using the numbering shown on Figure 1 below this box:

1) Prone sections of the Jubilee path were frequently waterlogged during the winter months but are mostly dry now. Keep to the edges to avoid the worst bits as appropriate. The building work on the new estate  to the south of the path is proceeding apace now, with houses replacing the once splendid views across the fields. Such is progress, I guess…(1)

2) The footpath leading down the hill to Black Brook is in  a mostly dry condition. The section adjacent to the brook is still wet in parts, and subject to field runoff. It’s often possible to circumvent the boggy patches by heading into the wooded area on the stream bank….(2)

3) The brook tributary crossing is no longer useable due to winter flooding. The foliage which was blocking access to the bridge last summer has been cleared and the bridge is now useable – use this if you want to avoid wet feet!...(3)

4) The section leading to the first bridge across Blackbrook is still very muddy and heavily rutted – take care when negotiating this section….(4)

5) Two new bridges have appeared within the past month across the deepest field dykes – the first (5)  replaces the rather unstable single plank that preceded it. The second (6) is an upgrade to the existing version incorporating a new handrail. Both are welcome upgrades and make the route much safer.

6) The impromptu bridge  (7) across to the new Jelson estate, which appeared last year and was washed downstream in the recent winter floods has now reappeared. Unfortunately it is still sited on a particularly low section of either bank, and will doubtless suffer the same fate next time the brook bursts its banks. (It would be worth resiting this next the tree trunk with a concrete support on the near bank to level the bridge.)

7) The shortcut bypassing the stile near the road bridge (8) is quite boggy due to field runoff, but still passable. Please take care when crossing Hallamford Road whichever route you take. (The area around the bridge is arguably the most dangerous RTA ‘blackspot ‘ in the area and it’s high time this road was upgraded, as confirmed by the demolished bridge section. It’s a miracle nobody has been killed so far.)

8) The Hallamford Road to Tickow Lane section is in good condition. At its end, the crossing onto the field section leading to Hathern Road using stepping stones (9) is quite difficult with the middle stones being submerged. Take care  you don't slip when negotiating this feature. I would anticipate the water level will fall if the dry weather continues. The remainder of this section is relatively dry but there are boggy patches where the stream has previously overflowed.

9) Hathern Road to Butthole Lane M1 bridge. No real issues – the footbridges leading off Hathern Road  are serviceable and the field margins are relatively dry already.

10) M1 bridge to Coach Road: Again this stretch is passable, with fencing still down at either end (10), (11) of the playing fields area. No sign of either school replacing the damaged sections that I can see so far.

11) Coach Road to ALDI site: Ground conditions are good apart from a few rutted sections where farm vehicles have churned up the surface and created deeper pools. The main change over the winter is a new and obviously frequently used gap in the fencing leading onto Fairway Rd South, which can be used to bypass the remaining field path section (12).

12) ALDI site to Jubilee path: The Kings Road FP is slowly drying out, but the remedial repairs to the surface I suggested last year have not yet been undertaken. LCC did replace some of the damaged concrete flagstones lining the section adjacent to Holt Drive (13) last week. An extra couple of loads of gravel on the boggiest bits would work wonders, but I suspect it will be a few years yet before council budgets will run to such luxuries!

13) One further suggestion springs to mind- anyone accessing the walk by bus might usefully save themselves a climb by using the footpath parallel to Oxford Road (14) rather than Kings Road. The 127 service to Loughborough now passes the Anson Road stop on its way to the Bullring and the FP emerges just downstream from the stop. You can also catch the #16 and Skylink services from the stop adjacent to the Top Railway pub (just across Oxford road) if travelling towards Coalville.

Happy Spring rambling...

Figure 1: Round Shepshed Walk -  Update Spring 2026