LEICESTERSHIRE DERBYSHIRE 11 CHARNWOOD FOREST 12 GRASSMOOR & THE FIVE PITS TRAIL MIDLANDS A MIDLANDS uDistance: 9½ miles/15km uTime: 4½ hours uGrade: Moderate B uDistance: 6¼ miles/10km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate Views west over patchwork PLAN YOUR WALK PLAN YOUR WALK fields from Beacon Hill. FEATURE SEE ON PAGE 52 PHOTO: PHOTO: STEVE GOODIER STEVE ROGERBUTLER ROUTE ROUTE Start/parking Car park at Easy walking on the good Start/parking Five Pits Bradgate Park in Newtown tracks of the Five Pits Trail. Trail car park, Grassmoor Linford, LE6 0HB, grid ref Country Park at Phoenix SK523097 Greenways, near golf CHOSEN BY... Leicestershire. There are many Is it for me? Well-signed CHOSEN BY… continuing on track. Curve L course, S42 5BP), paths and tracks through grid ref SK411672 ROGER BUTLER features of interest, including STEVE GOODIER at track junction (bench L) fields and woods, with Is it for me? Well-marked Charnwood Forest the impressive 13th century ascents totalling almost Grassmoor Country passing under road bridge. easy to follow tracks/ forms an upland tract ruins of Ulverscroft Priory and 3 0 0 m / 1 0 0 0 f e e t . Park and The Five Take track ahead passing paths. Some moderate of countryside between the hilltop folly known as Old Stiles 10 Pits Trail offer great walking through gap by stile/gate. ascents/descents Leicester and Loughborough, John Tower, and views stretch on well established paths and Stay ahead on track rising to Stiles 6 with undulating rocky tops, from the Peak District to PLANNING tracks. The main trail mostly continue more levelly. Stay PLANNING picturesque woodlands and distant Lincoln Cathedral. Nearest town L e i c e s t e r follows the disused line of The ahead at all times passing Refreshments Choice Nearest town Chesterfield a large ancient deer park. i n N e w t o w n L i n f o r d Great Central Railway which bench/small pond R. Continue Refreshments The area has a distinctive and Start Public toilets At start helped to service the five ahead to track ‘T’ junction Grassmoor/Chesterfield unexpected character and it 1From car park return to road Public transport colliery’s that our walk is (pylons/overhead cables). Public toilets None is here that the young David and turn R past village hall. Bus 120 from Leicester named after (the railway Public transport Attenborough developed his After road on L take path on Maps OS Explorer 246; closed in 1967). The route is ¾ mile/1.25km Nothing to start passion for fossils and wildlife L between houses. Cross stile Landranger 129 surprisingly rural and passes Go L for short distance to Maps OS Explorer OL269; 2 Landranger 120 – the rocks are amongst the into field leading to small gate. ponds and through woodland stay L (straight ahead) at most ancient in Britain and the Continue through two more across long field to stile and to make a pleasant circuit of junction of tracks. Continue famous Charnwood fossil is gates to footbridge, turn L for join track swinging R to stile this historic area. past Wolfie Pond R following 1½ miles/2.5km one of the oldest in the world. 20m and take path on R past and road. undulating track to pass under 3Go R passing past sign This circular walk explores old mill. Go through gate and Start road bridge. Rise slightly continuing on gently rising many facets of the Forest and turn L on grassy path leading 1½ miles/2.5km 1Exit car park at top end passing through offices/ track. After sign for ‘Steep climbs to 248m/814 feet at to footbridge/gate. Keep ahead 2Turn L and continue to going R of entrance to sign for factory’s to track junction Slope’, curve L to make steep Beacon Hill, which is the and enter wood on wide path T-junction at Priory Lane. Cross ‘Start of Trail - 200 metres’ and (signpost for ‘Williamthorpe descent. Stay ahead at junction second highest point in leading to next gate. Head to farm lane lined by tall poplar ➥ a track junction. Go ahead Nature Reserve’). passing through two barriers ➥ GRADIENT PROFILE GRADIENT PROFILE 600 600 400 400 200 200 metres metres 0 0 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 ✁ MIDLANDS MIDLANDS DERBYSHIRE LEICESTERSHIRE 12 GRASSMOOR & THE FIVE PITS TRAIL 11 CHARNWOOD FOREST uOS Explorer map OL269 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map 246 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop trees – look out for the large 1 START 3 watery remains of an old moat on R. Continue past ruined Ulverscroft Priory with fine 3 gothic arch and decorative stonework. Walk ahead to 4 cattle grid/stile and shortly join lane forking R. After 200m 2 MEDIA001/17 ORDNANCESURVEY. 2017 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN go through small gate and continue, with farm buildings 4 on L, through two gates, then immediately R via footbridge/ stile. Follow track past two gates/stiles and walk NE to MEDIA001/17 ORDNANCESURVEY. 2017 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN stile at farm lane. Turn L for 5 250m to road, then R to crossroads. Take small gate through hedge on far L, turn 5 2 R on path in wood leading to car park. 3¾ miles/6km 3Follow track to Beacon Hill, to cross bridge. At crossroads carefully. Pick up The Trail gate/kissing gate cut sharp past swathes of heather, and go R (signposted ‘Holmewood again by signpost for L soon curving R. Continue to enjoy far reaching views from Wheelchair Route’. Follow track ‘Holmewood Woodlands’ and reach road via gate by a gate. the trig point and viewpoint L of Williamthorpe Ponds to curve R on it. At a crossroad indicator. Drop S from summit 1 START rise into trees. Stay ahead at all of tracks go ahead passing L 5 miles/8km rocks to wide surfaced path times at any junctions. Just of playing fields. At junction 5Cross road, passing leading down through woods. before large factory/green L stay ahead on main track through gate by stile/gate. Pass small gate, take path on take small gate and follow of fallow deer, then head SE barrier curve L cutting back passing through gate by gate/ Follow track beyond for about R through trees and turn L at track to stile. Turn L around over broad slopes to gap in on yourself to continue uphill stile to reach road. Go L and half mile to pass by Wolfe Pond next T-junction. Follow wide edge of field down to gate. long stone wall. Head towards on ‘wheelchair route’. Continue then cross road R taking track/ (R). At track junction re-join path for 500m, take path on Turn R and follow good magnificent Tudor ruins of to crossroad of tracks and Trail on the other side passing outbound route going L/R R soon leading to road. Cross signage past golf course to Bradgate House, cut across ‘Five Pits Trail Sign’. Go R through gate by gate/stile. to continue under bridge to lane (signed Broombriggs cross next road. Keep straight pasture to join riverside path (Signposted ‘Holmewood’) Continue on track to pass and R back to car park. Farm), after 100m take on up woodland ride to stile/ leading back to start. following track past factory bench/‘Steep Slope’ sign. permissive path on L by gate at road and turn L to R/houses L. At end of houses Descend slope staying L at fork GET THIS WALK drystone walls. Veer R across T-junction and car park. to drop over a dip/stream. Rise GET THIS WALK (by barrier) go L to road. ON YOUR PHONE: 2017 March Walking © Country field to pass through first gate ON YOUR PHONE: 2017 March Walking © Country beyond passing bench. At next lfto.com/cwroutes and turn R for 800m to reach 7½ miles/12km lfto.com/cwroutes 3 miles/4.8km junction of tracks go sharp road. 5Walk up track into 4Cross road carefully going R (signposted ‘Grassmoor) IN ASSOCIATION WITH Bradgate Park and head uphill IN ASSOCIATION WITH R over bridge. Go L (‘Five Pits descending over dip/stream 5¾ miles/9.25km to the distinctive landmark Trail’) entering trees. Continue to rise and pass picnic tables 4Turn R, then left after known as Old John Tower. to another road and cross it staying ahead on track. At OS MAPS 200m on good track. At bend, Keep an eye out for the herds OS MAPS ✁.