Ivanhoe Way - Leicestershire Circular Walk

Distance: 36 miles
Time: 14 hours
Terrain: A wide variety of terrain - open country and crop fields, hills, woodland, canal towpath, dismantled railway, road and the odd housing estate.
Starting location: Anywhere en route, suggest Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire [location map]
Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer 245

The Ivanhoe Way is one of Leicestershire's long-distance paths, created by Leicestershire County Council and the Leicestershire Association of Parish and Local Councils, to celebrate the centenary of civil Parish Councils in 1994. At 36 miles, it's possible to do in a single day, but in mid-summer if you want to do it all in daylight. it's also possible to do as a series of shorter walks.

The route passes through two main towns, Ashby de la Zouch and Measham. They're fairly close together and will be the best places for topping up on provisions. Ashby has a large number of shops and public toilets (at the bottom of the town close to Somerfield supermarket), and the route passes the front door of Measham's Co-op convenience store. Ashby may be a convenient place to start / finish, as it has good car parking. Alternatively, if you start somewhere else on the route you can top up on provisions as you pass through the towns.

The route is clearly marked on Explorer 245. There's also a good guide available from Leicestershire County Council. This used to cost a pound, but I see that it's now free - unfortunately not available for download - you have to contact them or visit one of their TICs for a printed copy. It's also well worth printing off a copy of their web page as it lists some erata and updates to the maps and leaflet. http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/environment/countryside/walking/ivanhoeway.htm

Here are my own comments which I'd add to Leicestershire's list.

• At SK 457 142 Leicestershire's notes describe a variation between older and newer maps and their leaflet. The Ivanhoe Way signposts direct you through a housing estate. Some OS maps show that, while some show the Ivanhoe Way as using Agar Nook Lane which skirts the estate. I'm a little confused as to which of these LCC is recommending, but my own feeling is that Agar Nook Lane is a much more pleasant walk, and so that's the one I use.
• At SK 374 070, the Ivanhoe Way goes off the bottom of Explorer 245! Instead of carrying two maps, here's a link to OS get-a-map showing the missing bit - print it and carry it with you.
• Between SK 380 073 (Shackerstone) and SK 450 080 (Bagworth) the Ivanhoe Way and Leicestershire Round share the same paths. Unfortunately, more often than not the signposts just say "Leicestershire Round" (or give the 3-arrows-in-a-circle symbol).
• Bardon Hill is at SK 461 132. The Ivanhoe Way doesn't go to the top of the hill, but skirts around the edge. There is a footpath to the top and down the other side, and a great view from the top, and so I prefer to do that.
• At Bagworth (SK445085), the map shows a footpath marked with diamonds heading up the road towards Coalville, then looping back along a railway line. There's also a footpath with diamonds heading in a straight line through Bagworth, crossing a couple of fields and then under the same railway line. There's no clue as to which is the proper path. On the map, neither is marked Ivanhoe Way, but on the ground, both possibilities have Ivanhoe Way waymarkers! I have written to Leicestershire County to find out why both.
• I would also add - simply because I have got lost myself at this point - that just beyond Bagworth (if you're walking anti-clockwise), point SK452082, watch your compass and keep heading north-east. Don't cross the footbridge, or go down into the boggy part of that field, keep it to your right and look for the waymarker well to the left of it. A wooden fence joining the footbridge isn't marked on the map. There's a railway bridge in the distance which you should head straight for.

And my tips.

• Plan to be out for at least 15 hours - this means doing the walk as close as possible to midsummer (mid-June) or navigating in the dark.
• Take a torch with you even if you plan to finish in daylight. It could easily take longer than you expect.
• Take a map. Never navigate using wayposts only.
• As you pass through Ashby, look for 'Memory Lane Sweets' and buy one of their delicious ice-creams.
• Provisions can also be bought in Ashby, Measham and Moira Furnace.
• Ashby has public toilets.

blog posts about this walk:

• http://peacockmedia.blogspot.com/2008/08/ivanhoe-way.html
• http://peacockmedia.blogspot.com/2009/07/ivanhoe-way-2009.html

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