U3A WTT Mountsorrel Circular Stuart Galloway
Route Summary
A circular walk around Mountsorrel taking in a visitors centre at Mountsorrel Station, part of the Great Central Railway heritage railway. Also includes a walk through a working quarry. One stile with some rough terrain and road walking which requires care. Christine Burnett July 2016
Route Overview
Category: Walking Length: 5.550 km / 3.47 mi Parking: At Waterside Inn if eating there. Last Modified: 26th August 2016 Difficulty: Medium Rating: Unrated Surface: Average Refreshments: Pub and Granite Coffee shop at station Date Published: 26th August 2016
Description
Start and Finish at the Waterside Inn Sileby Road LE12 7BB. Turn left out of the car park, carefully crossing road and carry on over bridge. Turn left on to the main road by the Peace Gardens and replica 15th century Market Cross. Continue down the main road and cross over when you reach the Buttermarket
Waypoints
Buttermarket. (52.73002; -1.13984)
1 / 9 The site of the original Market Cross, the Buttermarket was erected in 1793 to protect stallholders from the weather and to replace the original medieval market cross, which is now sited in Swithland.
MOUNTSORREL VILLAGE: The village is in the borough of Charnwood, surrounding a steep hill once crowned by a castle and is bordered to the east by the River Soar and is well known for its large granite quarry. The local area is built on granite. Leicester's Humberstone came from here and as you walk around you will see it forms many of the buildings. Mountsorrel grew as a linear village between river and rock and had a long history of industry even before the exploitation of its granite.
In 1292 Nicholas de Seagrave became Lord of the Manor and was granted, by Edward I the right to hold a market each Monday. Seagrave’s father was Chief Justice of England at the time, a position of great power, which may explain the granting of such a market. He was also permitted to hold an Annual 8 day Fair. It became known all over the region as an ‘extravaganza’ and eventually became known as a 9 day fair - the extra day to recover from the rowdy, drunken behaviour and it became necessary to secure 12 extra constables. The market was discontinued after 1850 and the fair carried on until it was abolished in 1873. By the 18th and 19th century Mountsorrel market had become increasingly important with trade in raw wool, leather, woollen yarn, horses and cattle as well as 'Mountsorrel gloves' which were highly regarded.
Although over the years a number of significant buildings have been lost, there are still a lot of ancient churches, inns, farms, workshops and housing to be found which reflect its early industry.
More recently depth has been given to the village by development to the south including the large village green. Since the opening of the Bypass, the environment has been transformed. It has removed the old A6 traffic and quarry traffic. It now has the protection of listing some of the buildings and the establishment of a Conservation Area, so no further destruction should occur and any new development is generally to a high standard.
2 / 9 The origin of the name is still not understood, but is thought to be named after Monstsoreau, a village in France close to Fontevrault where Henry II was buried. The name Mountsorrel is of Norman-French origin and is thought to have developed due to the close likeness of the two villages - both settlements sitting on rivers, the Loire and Soar and overshadowed by surrounding hills.
Turn right and proceed up Watling Street. As you reach the top, the road veers right, and you should see some steps going off to the left. Go up the steps and head towards the left and up another set of steps until you reach the War Memorial with panoramic views across Rothley and beyond.
Castle Hill (52.72916; -1.13960)
You are now standing on Castle Hill, a registered Ancient Monument described as ‘Mountsorrel Motte and Bailey Castle and administered by the Parish Council and overseen by English Heritage.
Retrace your steps and keep bearing left until you reach the Beacon, again with lovely views. Start to walk back down and you should see some steps on the left. Follow them down into Castle Gardens. Walk through the gardens, passing a statue and plaque of William Marshal
Castle Gardens (52.72732; -1.13787)
3 / 9 Note the statue and plaque of William Marshall, a medieval knight born in 1147 to a minor nobleman who rose to become one of the most formidable warriors and powerful statesman of the medieval world, serving 5 English kings. His association with Mountsorrel dates to 1217, when, despite being 70 years old, he helped besiege Mountsorrel Castle which was being held by Prince Louis of France and his rebel barons. He was knighted in 1166, received the title of Earl of Pembrokeshire through marriage in 1189. He died in 1219 and is buried in Church Temple, London, where there is a tomb effigy of him.
Turn right onto the Green
The Green (52.72720; -1.13851)
A very large and beautifully kept village green, note the old village pump built in local granite and erected to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria
4 / 9 Walk a short way up the Green and then turn right into a narrow tarmac lane (Castle Hill) just before Christ Church at the top. This will lead you to the bottom of the castle mound.
Mountsorrel Castle (52.72775; -1.14016)
Mountsorrel Castle was situated on this granite outcrop. The Gatehouse (a comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of medieval castles, fortifications, palaces in England, Wales and the islands,) describes it as a medieval motte and bailey comprising motte and second mound and part of bailey ditch surviving as mutilated earthworks. The castle was probably built circa 1080 by Hugh Lupus. It came into the possession of Henry II in 1174. The Earl of Leicester took it after the battle of Lincoln and later raized it to the ground in 1217. The highest point is where the war memorial now stands and was probably the site of the original motte. Small scale excavations in 1952 revealed granite foundations within the motte, most of the original stones being quarried away.
Bear right into The Neavins, then left when you reach the Leicester Round footpath signpost into Cufflins Pit Lane. Follow the yellow markers, turning right at a T-junction. After a few hundred yards turn right into a footpath which will lead you into Broad Hill. Bear left up to a memorial stone and note the view.
Albert on Broad Hill (52.72802; -1.15085)
This commemorative sculpture of "Albert" is at the high point and depicts a quarryman sett (paving stone) making.
Broad Hill is the former Mountsorrel Granite Company No. 1 Quarry - Castle Hill Quarry and having been reconstituted is now designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is subject to a Management Plan and access has been facilitated by the quarry operators the new hill is still in the early stages of ecological redevelopment.
Back track back onto lane and turn right. Follow the track, turning left into Bond Lane. Carry on passed Mountsorrel Station.
5 / 9 Mountsorrel Station (52.72715; -1.15419)
This is the Mountsorrel branch line of the GCR. It is about 1.2 miles long and runs from here to Swithland Sidings where it joins the GCR. It has gradually been restored since 2007 by a team of volunteers and was completed last October (2015).
The Mountsorrel Railway was a network of industrial railway lines that served the granite quarries of Mountsorrel. As early as 1860 there were 8.5 miles of track. It ran from the GCR at Swithland Sidings, around the quarries, over the Grand Union Canal at Mountsorrel, to the Midland Main Line at Barrow-upon-Soar. It fell out of use in the 1950s and the track was taken up in the 1960s. Then over the next 50 years this western section disappeared under trees and vegetation, and few people realised it had ever existed. It is now gradually being restored to connect up to the rest of the preserved network.
Carry on and turn left into Wood Lane and head towards the Mountsorrel and Rothley Heritage Centre and Granite Cafe, which you will see a few yards along on your right.
Nunckley Quarry (52.72227; -1.15755)
This is the site of the old Nunckley Quarry. Here you can have a cuppa and a look around the museum, which has a heritage room telling the story of Mountsorrel and Rothley. The creation of this centre has been led by volunteers behind the previously mentioned Mountsorrel Railway project. There is also the Nunckley wildlife trail, a half mile long nature trail and picnic site with lovely views over the railway, but not part of this walk.
Turn left out of Visitor Centre back onto Wood Lane and retrace steps turning right into Bond Lane and almost immediately left onto a dirt path under a spreading tree into woodland. (not marked)
Bear left when the path meets a fork and then right down a small slope to follow the narrow dirt track generally keeping the main road to your left. If It seems as if you may be getting lost in places just keep going in the same general direction and all the paths will lead to some new wooden fencing and you will be in Centenary Wood. Go through the fencing and follow the tree lined path.At the end you will go over two sleepers between new fencing.
6 / 9 Turn right and over a new (dog friendly) style and follow the path by the side of the quarry. You will reach a marked public footpath taking you through the quarry.
Mountsorrel Quarry (52.73032; -1.15456)
The quarry works an outcrop of granite (grandiorite) formed about 40 million years ago. Movements in the earth's crust forced molten magma up through the surface. As it cooled, it crystalized and formed the pink crystals that give it its characteristic pink colour. Granite quarrying has been at the heart of communities in Charnwood for at least 250 years and in one form or another since Roman times. The first known site was located at the present day Castle Hill. It began in earnest during the second half of 18th century to meet new demand for building materials during the road building boom with demand to make cobblestone setts, kerbs and chippinngs. Modes of transport changed throughout the centuries from horse and cart, canal barges, and railways.
The Mountsorrel Granite Company was formed in 1854 and operated four sites - Broad Hill, Hawcliffe Hill, Nunckley Hill and Cocklow Wood. By the 1930s new methods of road building heralded the end for the granite sett and kerb production. In the 1960s Redland Roadstone bought the Mountsorrel Granite Company hailing a new era of development and investing. Broad Hill ceased production in 1967 and in 1970s larger scale quarrying began in a new area of Buddon Wood - the site of the present Mountsorrel Quarry. Demand rose throughout the 1970s, 80s and by 1989 it was the largest granite production site in Europe. Lafarge acquired it in the 1990s and it is now operated by Tarmac. It provides work for about than 150 local people. It supplies granite to construction projects across Leics, the Midlands and East of England.
7 / 9 Carefully follow through the yellow metal walkways, turning right when you reach the tree lined gravel path.Turn left onto Bond Lane at the end and follow the road under two bridges passed Stonehill Farm. Turn right onto the main road passed The Swan sculpture and proceed until you come back to the Market Cross and turn left and back to the Waterside pub.
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