Walks in Leicestershire
A Leicestershire view from Bradgate Country Park
Leicestershire is a lovely county to go walking in as there is so much variety and lots to discover. From old hill forts and burial cairns to medieval castles and on to our more recent industrial heritage the middle county of England has examples of all. The walks on these pages feature a bit of everything like the splendid baronial castle of Belvoir or the simple hill fort on Burrough Hill. Old dismantled railways can be found across the county and many canals are maintained as pleasure waterways now rather than the industrial revolution arteries of the past. There is much beauty in the countryside too and for a county not noted for high country there are many interesting hills to climb. Ascend one yourself and take in the tremendous view.
Interactive map of the walks
| Walk | Miles | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Great Glen, Grand Union Canal, Wistow and Newton Harcourt | 5.6 | Not to be confused with Scotland's Great Glen, this is a much more sedate offering of a pleasant five mile walk in the beauty of rural Leicestershire. |
| Ashby Folville, Thorpe Satchville, Twyford and Midshires Way | 6.8 | Gently rolling countryside once ridden by Royalty and the upper classes to eradicate the Fox. They failed but they left behind a pleasant area for walking. |
| Nether Broughton, Queensway Old Dalby, Old Dalby and Upper Broughton | 7.6 | A circular walk of eight miles on the Nottinghamshire & Leicestershire boundary. Nether Broughton is near Melton Mowbray, famous for Pork Pies & Stilton cheese. |
| Thorpe Satchville, Burrough Hill, Somerby and Burrough on the Hill | 8.7 | A lovely Leicestershire walk from Thorpe Satchville to the site of an iron age hill fort and then in rolling landscapes which are typical of this part of the rural midlands. |
| Sutton Cheney, Bosworth Field, Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal and Market Bosworth | 8.8 | Walk on the site of the defining battle of the Wars of the Roses and then take a quiet stroll along a canal during this interesting Leicestershire walk. |
| Bottesford to Grantham (along Grantham Canal) | 9.1 | A nine miles linear rural walk between county boundaries from Leicestershire into Lincolnshire. The walk ends in the home town of Mrs Thatcher. |
| Bradgate Country Park, Beacon Hill and Swithland Wood | 10.5 | A walk near the northern outskirts of Leicester through a series of country parks with two hilltops providing excellent views. |
| Rutland Water, Empingham, Greetham, Exton and Whitwell | 11.4 | A eleven and half mile country walk in evocative Rutlandshire from Rutland Water to the neighbouring villages of Greetham and Exton. |
| Allexton, Blaston, Medbourne and Hallaton | 13.6 | A north Leicestershire villages exploration of thirteen and a half miles in which Allexton, Hallaton, Medbourne and Blaston are all on the route. |
| The Belvoir Castle Circuit | 21.0 | A circular tour of 21 miles around the Duke of Rutland's ancestral home, Belvoir Castle. The walk can start in any of the delightful villages along the way. |
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(Note: Walking without proper preparation can be dangerous. Information and downloads on this website are provided free of charge; it is each walker's responsibility to check the material and use accordingly. Postscript: My walk reports are not route guides and should not be treated as such. They are written with personal reflections of my walks)
