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Sharnford & Claybrooke Magna from Sapcote

Leicestershire Walk

County/Area - Leicestershire

Author - David McMahon

Length - 10.0 miles / 16.3 km    Ascent - 580 feet / 176 metres

Time - 5 hours 40 minutes    Grade - easy/mod

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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Sharnford & Claybrooke Magna from Sapcote
Click image to see photo description.

Sapcote is a small village to the south-west of Leicester, accessible off the B4114, Coventry Road. Arriva Bus X55 offers a limited service. Parking is available provided it does not interfere with the residents. The walk begins from All Saints Church (grid ref. SP488931), on the south side of Sapcote village.

With the church on your left walk to the road and turn right and then go left onto Donkey Lane (grid ref. SP486932). Carry on along what starts off as a tarmac road, then becomes a grass track and after a left-hand bend becomes a footpath before reverting to a road (Mill Lane) as it enters Sharnford (grid ref. SP484919).

Turn right onto the B4114 and, after passing St Leonard's Church, The Sharnford Arms and The Countryman go to the left of the fork (grid ref. SP480917). Once you reach the Coventry Road walk left and cross the road to the metal gate almost immediately opposite. Bypass the gate through the opening on its right and walk up the drive a short distance. Then take the stile on the left into a field. Continue in the same direction passing through more fields until you reach a dead-end with an arrow indicating to the left. Go into the next field and, keeping the hedgerow on your right, aim for the top right-hand corner of the field. Cross the footbridge into another field. Cross it slightly left through a marshy section and after crossing into the next field go straight across, aiming for the left-hand yellow post of the three in view.

Turn left and then shortly after go right across another footbridge. Into the field and walk diagonally left. Cross another footbridge and then the corner of another field. Finally, go left along the hedgerow and at your discretion, go right diagonally to the yellow post on the opposite side of the field. Once reached follow the hedgerow up to the B4114 road (grid ref. SP465900).

Cross the road and walk into Wigston Parva. Go past the village green and turn left up to the chapel. Turn right before it and cross the small enclosure and head diagonally left to the far left-hand side of the next field. Continue into the next field, go past the elbow and then turn left and head for the left-hand side of the barn.

Go straight down into the courtyard of Bumble Bee Farm and take the lane immediately before you. Walk along this lane until you reach Bumble Bee Lane (grid ref. SP474897). Turn right and walk along this lane, eventually passing the remains of Highcross, an ancient stone monument. Follow the road as it bends to the left, past the Fosse Way section of the Leicestershire Round and carry on along the side road until you can turn right onto another section of the Leicestershire Round (grid ref. SP475886).

Continue along this well-marked route until you cross a wooden footbridge. You then turn left immediately afterwards onto an unmarked footpath. Head along this until you will eventually arrive down a flight of steps onto a road (grid ref. SP489888). Turn right and almost immediately you will see the 'Pig in Muck' pub on the outskirts of Claybrooke Magna. Go to the left along the side road just past it. This soon becomes a footpath. Go diagonally left and after crossing a wooden footbridge go right along the hedgerow until just short of the Claybrooke Lodge Farm where you go diagonally left onto the farm's driveway. Continue along it until you reach the road (grid ref. SP486904).

Cross the road and go into the field heading diagonally right. Cross the farm track into the next field and then go left when you reach the footbridge further along the field. Go right again and this will bring you onto a track. Turn left and walk along the track. Then turn right at the first junction. Behind the hedgerow on the right is a pond where there is a hide you can use to observe the birds. Carry on until you reach a track. Go right for a few paces then go left and follow a footpath to the corner of the field. Continue following the well-marked footpath, past a cricket ground, until you come into Sharnford Village (grid ref. SP482918).

Walk up to the Sharnford Arms, on to the B4114 Leicester Road. Turn right walking in the opposite direction to earlier in the walk. Continue past Mill Lane and turn left on to a footpath which passes through a batch of newly-built houses. Continue along this well-signed path until you arrive again in Sapcote opposite All Saints Church.

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Walk 1624 Willoughby Waterleys & Bruntingthorpeeasy/mod9.2 miles
Walk 2078 Peatling Magna & Arnesby From Countesthorpe easy/mod6.8 miles
Walk 1685 Peatling Magna easy4.1 miles
Walk 1543 Desford, Botcheston and Thornton Reservoir from Ratbymoderate11.0 miles
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