A Local walks around

Walcote B

The Parish of lies just to south east of Lutterworth. Misterton is less than a mile east of junction 20 on the M1. It is now little more than a church and a hall but was once a considerable village. St Leonard’s Church is a mainly 14th century building with good decorated window tracery. The site is an ancient one as the name, which means “minster” – tun, indicates. Apart from services, the Church is opened on Saturdays from Easter to September between 10am and 4pm, with tea being served from noon to about 2pm. Here are details of two short walks that can be linked together, with two variations making use of permissive paths.

START: Misterton Way, Lutterworth NOTES: Walcote is the larger village just to the east, lying on the PARKING: Roadside parking is available in Walcote and on Misterton road from Lutterworth to , and served by the no. Way, Lutterworth or in the car park at the top of High Street, 58 bus service (Monday to Saturday until early evening) running between the two towns. Lutterworth. For more information GETTING THERE: Facilities in Walcote there is a small shop in the garage on the main and to report Plan your journey on foot, by bike, public transport or car by visiting road. problems contact: www.choosehowyoumove.co.uk or calling Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks go to Misterton with Tel 0116 305 0001 (charges apply) for the latest public transport information. Walcote Parish Council and Vattenfall whose grant has paid for Email footpaths@ footpath improvements. leics.gov.uk A Local walks around

Walcote B

Walk 1: A walk from Misterton Way, Easy walking, mostly on field C. Go through the gate and over paths and a quiet lane/tarmac two footbridges crossing the Lutterworth to St Leonard’s Church, path to Walcote. There are . Follow the narrow Misterton or Walcote. four stiles and about the same path to a stile into the next field number of gates. and then uphill, aiming for the Easy START: The end of Misterton Way, Lutterworth A. At the far end of Misterton Church, and climb the stile into the churchyard. Way (just off High Street, 1 hour N Lutterworth) – point A - follow D. If you wish to carry on to the footpath straight up the Walcote turn left on the lane 2.4km grassy bank and under the old and follow it past the lake at 1.5 miles railway to a gate, then follow Misterton Hall. Where the lane H the path left round to another bears left, keep straight on past gate in the far corner of the field. a large log along a hedge and Almost immediately turn right tree lined tarmac path. Where through a third gate, then follow it opens out into an arable field, J the path, first along the left edge ignore the path on the left and G of the field and then right across continue along the same tarmac it to a bridge over the motorway. path through the playground and K L B. At this stage (B) it is joined into Chapel Lane, Walcote (E). from the left by Walk 2. Turn If you wish to venture further, B START M right, aiming for a stile in the carry on with Walk 2. fence line. Next bear left to a pair of gates in the hollow and a A F C footbridge over the brook. Then climb another stile and continue in the same direction across the D next field towards the wood and For more information a gate (C). E and to report

0 miles 0.6 miles problems contact: 0 km 1 km Tel 0116 305 0001 © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. County Council. 100019271. Published 2012 Email footpaths@ Key to map symbols see: www.leics.gov.uk/explorerkey.pdf leics.gov.uk A Local walks around

Walcote B

Walk 2: A circular walk from Walcote, across E. From Chapel Lane, Walcote, yds look in the hedge on the opposite no 13, (point E) take left for the next pair of gates the River Swift and countryside, along the the narrow footpath to a kissing (H), then continue in a straight edge of Misterton Marshes Nature Reserve. gate and across the next field, line over two stiles, entering the climbing two stiles in quick edge of the Misterton Marsh Easy START: Chapel Lane, Walcote succession. Then take the reserve (www.leics.gov.uk/ footbridge over the River Swift to mistertonmarshes). 1 hour N a gate. H. About 20 yds after the path 45 minutes F. As you continue over a bears left, look to your right for 5.5km short grassy field you will see a kissing gate and take the path 3.5 miles the yellow post indicating out of the reserve into the next H the start of a permissive path field (J). (See Variation 2 below). (Variation 1 below) (F). For this The route then heads roughly walk however continue over a in a straight line through two stile and through a gate, then more gates, over a footbridge J diagonally across the next field across a ditch and a stile to the G aiming for a stile at the corner of motorway. Turn left and walk alongside the motorway over L the wood. Almost immediately K climb the next stile on the left another stile to meet the path and then head diagonally across from Lutterworth (B) coming START B the field to a stile in the far across the bridge. Continue in a M corner. Go along the left field straight line as for Walk 1 and edge and after another stile, back over the Swift (C), via the A C F along the right hand edge of the Church (D) and left along the next field. The path, recently lane and track to Walcote to diverted behind Oback Farm, your start point (E). D now goes over a stile and This walk can be shortened by For more information through a gate (G), after which it using either of the Variations E and to report angles left past a telegraph pole or added to by a trip into and through two pairs of gates. problems contact: 0 miles 0.6 miles Lutterworth. 0 km 1 km Tel 0116 305 0001 © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Leicestershire County Council. G. Now head for a bridge over 100019271. Published 2012 a brook and after about 100 Email footpaths@ Key to map symbols see: www.leics.gov.uk/explorerkey.pdf leics.gov.uk A Local walks around

Walcote B

Variations Variation 1 Variation 2 Walk 2 can be shortened by using either of these Variations or This uses a permissive path This takes you a little further added to by a trip into Lutterworth. through Winterfield and Rye into Misterton Marshes Reserve Close Spinneys taking you back and along its eastern boundary, via Misterton Church and the before heading back via Easy latter section of Walk 1. This Misterton Church and the latter circular walk is just under 2 section of Walk 1. The circular N miles long. walk is about 3 miles long. After crossing the River Swift Having followed the path in in Walk 2 look for the yellow Walk 2 through the edge of marker post (F) indicating the the Reserve and turned left, H start of the permissive path instead of turning right through and turn left. Climb a stile into the gate (J), carry on until you the wood and follow the tack reach a kissing gate (K). Turn J through the woodland. At the left along the track and as you end of the first section you will walk under a telegraph wire at G come to a grassy track. Turn left the edge of the Reserve (L), look K L and shortly afterwards right, in the fence on the right for a to enter a further section of stile. Now continue along the woodland. When you emerge right hand edge of the next field, B START M bear right and continue along with the Reserve on your right, the right hand edge of the next climbing a further pair of stiles. field. Go through the gap at the When the Reserve ends, climb A F C end (M) and turn left to follow another stile (M) and continue the left hand edge of that field. along the left hand edge of the This will bring you to the gate next field to the gate(C) and D (C) and the two footbridges two footbridges over the River For more information over the River Swift described Swift described in Walk 1. E and to report in Walk 1. Continue up to the Continue up to the Church (D) problems contact: 0 miles 0.6 miles Church (D) and along the lane and along the lane and track to 0 km 1 km Tel 0116 305 0001 © Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Leicestershire County Council. and track to Walcote (E). Walcote (E). 100019271. Published 2012 Email footpaths@ Key to map symbols see: www.leics.gov.uk/explorerkey.pdf leics.gov.uk