Next in our series of Leicestershire walks we’re heading over to Groby Pool and Newtown Linford.
This walk takes in the beautiful scenery of Groby Pool, the edges of Bradgate Park, a coffee and cake stop and takeaway dinner on the way home!
The 4 mile walk will take a couple of hours but can also be shortened for smaller or more tired legs.
ROUTE
The walk starts at Groby Pool car park. Leave the car park via the path in the corner to the left. This leads to steps taking you down to Groby Pool. You’ll be greeted by duck, geese and swans and it can be a lovely spot to have a picnic. Stay by the water until you reach a kissing gate marked by a yellow post, go through this gate and you’ll be on a well defined path with nice views of the lake.
After about 10 minutes you’ll reach a field gate with a pedestrian gate to the side. Go through the gate and continue along the track. After a while this turns to the right and begins to climb a hill. At the top of the hill you’ll reach a bridleway, with a field on the left. Follow this bridleway until you reach a busy road with a blind bend on the right. Go over the road and find the stile by a footpath sign marked Newtown Linford. Cross this style and keep to the right hand hedge to walk down the narrow field. At the bottom right hand corner you’ll find a stile which leads to a narrow path and comes out in Newtown Linford opposite the church.
Here you’ll be close to the entrance to Bradgate Park should you want to visit or see the deer. Or why not stop for a mid-walk break at The Park Kitchen & Deli. Open daily from 9.30am – 4pm for coffee, sandwiches, cakes and refreshments (and for takeaway during lockdown).
After refuelling you can continue on the walk by taking the main road past the church and the entrance to the car park. After a short distance you’ll reach a road called Bracken Hill on your right. Just after this you’ll see a footpath sign pointing up the hill to the right – this is the path you want. Take the track up the hill and at the top you come to the car park area for a house and here the footpath follows a narrow path to the right of the main track, as indicated by the sign. The path soon comes to 2 stiles at right angles which you should cross. The follow a short path with the hedge on the right. You’ll then turn right over a stile and immediately left to follow the path with the hedge now on your left. At the end of this hedge go through the small gap and turn right on the little track.
You’ll soon come to the field corner where you should turn left then right through a gap. You’ll be walking with the hedge on your left and follow this path around the field (rather than across it as indicated by the yellow marker). You’ll find that you’re walking alongside a wood on your left until you reach a stile to take you into the wood.
Cross the stile and turn immediately right, then after a few yard right again. You’ll then follow a very pleasant path that winds through Sheet Hedges Wood. After a short while the path starts to go downhill and you arrive at a wooden bridge over a stream. Cross the bridge and then turn right to use the fenced in pathway that goes up the hill and across the top of the field.
After crossed the field you reach a pedestrian gate and then follow the signs to turn left, then almost immediately right. The path then winds down through another section of the wood and reaches a sign board and small car park. To finish the walk go out of the car park entrance and turn left walking with the grass verge on your right. You’ll see Groby Pool in front of you and walking a short distance around the pool will bring you back to the car park section in which you started.
Takeaway to finish
Once you’ve finished why not pop 2 minutes down the road to either The Stamford Arms or Reece’s Kitchen in Groby, both on Leicester Road, and grab a takeaway? The Stamford Arms is doing takeaway pizzas and desserts from 12pm – 8pm Thursday – Saturday, as well as Sunday lunch. Reece’s Kitchen is open for takeaway meals Friday and Saturday evening from 5pm, Saturday breakfast from 9am – 12pm and Sunday lunch 12pm – 6pm. Reece’s also do fantastic homemade cheesecakes which would be most welcome after a 4 mile walk!
