Author: Stella

Cost : £1

The Woodfield Walk
Situated in the North-western corner of Leicestershire, the Woodfield Team of churches share a common Anglican heritage and current ministry. Inaugurated as a team by the Bishop of Leicester in January 2009, the group comprises these 8 churches.
St. Michael and All Angel, Appleby Magna
St. John, Donisthorpe
St. Laurence, Measham
Holy Trinity, Normanton le Heath
Holy Trinity, Norton Juxta Twycross
Holy Rood, Packington
St. Bartholomew, Snarestone
St. Peter’s, Swepstone
St. Michael’s, Stretton en le Field, although not a part of the team, is
geographically in the area and now administered by The Churches
Conservation Trust.
This walk was developed as a symbolic linking of the churches and first undertaken by a small group of parishioners to participate in the Ride and Stride event of 2009. Using mainly local footpaths, the walk covers
approximately 23 miles (38 kilometres) and reflects the mixed industrial and agricultural nature of the parishes, which are all now located within the bounds of the National Forest.
Although the whole makes up a circular walk, so enabling a start at any point, there are possible paths indicated to form shorter circuits.
The walk follows paths as set out in the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map of the National Forest, No. 245 or Pathfinder Series SK 21/31 and SK 22/32 (Saint Michael’s Stretton is just off the main Explorer Map, but is included on SK 21/31.)
‘Ride and Stride’ is now an annual event, held each September, which encourages churches to open their doors to welcome walkers and cyclists who raise funds through sponsorship by travelling between as many churches as possible on the day. These funds are then divided, in this area, between the walker’s/ cyclist’s own church and the Leicestershire Historic Churches Trust, a charity which issues grants to help finance restoration and repair of some of the beautiful churches in the County.

St. Laurence, Measham to Holy Rood, Packington
(5 kilometres/ 3 miles moderate, flat, some stiles)
Car Parking is available at St. Laurence Church or at various places within the village of Measham
There are several cafes and pubs for refreshments in Measham and 1 pub in Packington.
From the church, turn left onto the High Street and take the first left into Bosworth Road. Walk along the road for approx. 400 metres to an alley on the left (Brickyard Cottages). Pass through this alley, past the end of a close and eventually emerging onto Leicester Road. Cross the Road and turn right to come to a lane marked as a footpath at the side of No. 68.
Go down this lane, through the gate and diagonally across the field, passing over the top of the slight mound to a post on the opposite side of the field. Go over the stile and proceed along the left-hand edge of the field to the next post. Go through the gate, cross the grassy lane and go across the field to a post in the opposite hedge approximately 1 third of the way up the field. Go over the stile, across the next field, cross a
double stile then proceed up to a gap in the far hedge to enter a road (Gallows Lane) via a stile.
Cross the road to a marked footpath through a copse to enter a field. Follow the path to a post, then cross a driveway and continue over
another stile and along the path. Pass to the left of the next post around a small stand of trees and continue to the end of the field. Cross a
double stile and continue to a post in the bottom right-hand corner of the field. Cross the stile and proceed to the next post. Cross the footbridge and continue down the field to pass between two sections of newly planted trees (2010) to a post. Continue alongside the fence, then
between some more mature trees, across a plank bridge and straight ahead to reach a road (Measham Road). Turn right along the inside of the hedge, then the road for 100 metres to a footpath sign immediately after the first tree on the right. Go through the hedge and follow the path across the field to emerge onto a lane. Turn left and walk down the lane to the crossroads, then go straight across into Mill Lane, past the school to a footpath on the left which leads up to the church.
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Holy Rood, Packington to Holy Trinity,
To Normanton le Heath
(2.5 kilometres – moderate, stiles)
Car Parking is available in the recreation ground off Measham Road near the church.
There is a public house in the village (on the route of the walk) for refreshments.
The church is open every day.
From the north door of the church, take the path to the right down to the road (Mill Lane), Turn right and walk past the school to the end of the road. Cross the main road and turn left, going past the pub on the left hand side. Opposite the road junction by the pub is a marked footpath to the right (entered along a driveway). Follow this path across a stile and through a short field until it divides into 3 at the field boundary. Take the left hand path across the field, exit the field and cross the lane, then
follow the same path into the opposite field. The path curves first to the right, then to the left, continuing for just over a kilometre, finally following the curve of the nearby road (on your left) to the right. Find the
footpath sign in the hedge on the right and follow this path for 100
metres, then turn left onto the path to reach the road with the church on the opposite side of the road to your right.
(From Normanton it is possible to return to Measham (4.5 kilometres) by continuing past the church, following the lane round to the right,
continuing along the lane for 1 kilometre until it curves sharply to the right. At this point a path continues straight forward across several fields for 2 kilometres, then moving around the caravan site and farm to the right before reaching a road through a small copse. Cross this road and take the opposite path which goes diagonally to the left across
several fields for 1 kilometre before reaching Leicester Road. Turn right and go to the end of this road, turn left onto the High Street to get back to Saint Laurence’s Church.)

Holy Trinity, Normanton le Heath to
Saint Peter’s, Swepstone
(2.5 kilometres – moderate, stiles)
There is parking on the street outside the church in both Normanton and Swepstone.
There are no refreshment opportunities in either village.
From the church turn left and continue down the lane, past The Hollow, until it curves sharply to the right after 150 metres. A footpath is marked on the left approximately 50 metres before the derestricted sign. Follow this path by the edge of the trees up onto the bank and to the left-hand corner of the field. Swepstone church is already visible ahead. Cross the stile and take the left of the 2 paths (going straight ahead). Cross the next stile and follow the direction of the marker across the left-hand corner of the field to the waymarker, then continue up the left-hand edge of this field. At the top of the field go through the gap and continue on the path along the left-hand edge of the field. Cross a footbridge into the next field and after 30 metres cross the footbridge to the left into another field, proceeding up its right-hand edge. There is a path and stile to lead into a lane by several barn conversions. Go along this lane for about 100 metres, then take the path to the right to reach a road (Swepstone Road). Turn right along the road for 200 metres as far as the T junction. Turn left into this road to find Saint Peter’s Church on the right.

Saint Peters, Swepstone
to Saint Bartholomew, Snarestone
(3 kilometres – moderate with many stiles, flat)
There is street parking outside the church in Swepstone and near the Globe Inn in Snarestone.
There are no opportunities for refreshment in Swepstone.
From the south door of the church, cross the graveyard towards the small copse to find the waymarker near the back corner of the churchyard. Cross the stile and follow the path through the copse, go over
another stile, cross the field to the left to enter another field through a gap. Continue diagonally across this field to the southwest corner. At the corner go through the hedge into a field newly planted with saplings (2009). Pass along the left-hand edge of the field until reaching a stile on your right after about 200 metres. Cross the stile and proceed
diagonally through the saplings. 2 further stiles lead you through
another field, then cross a 3rd stile and continue straight across a small field to pass through a gap with a waymarker and follow the right-hand field edge. Cross the next stile into Wynn’s Wood at the National Forest Post and go straight ahead to the next waymarker. Cross 2 stiles and proceed diagonally to the right to another waymarker. Cross 2 more stiles to enter the road and cross to the stile in the opposite bank.
Follow the direction of the waymarker across several fields by a clearly marked path, finally reaching a stile in a corner between some houses and a llama farm. Cross 2 stiles and follow the path to the road (Quarry Lane). Turn left and at the junction turn right along the road, eventually passing Snarestone School on the right. Take the track on your right by the Parish Noticeboard, go through a gate into the recreation ground and proceed along the left-hand edge of the field to reach the road and the church opposite.

Saint Bartholomew, Snarestone to
Holy Trinity, Norton-Juxta-Twycross
(3 kilometres – gentle to moderate depending on the season, flat)
There is parking by the Globe Inn in Snarestone (in the side street to the south of and opposite the church) and near the church in Norton-Juxta-Twycross.
Refreshments are available at the Globe Inn, but there are none in
Norton-Juxta-Twycross.
From the church walk to the right along the verge and turn right into
Appleby Lane. After 100 metres at the bottom of a dip, take the marked footpath up the bank on the left and cross the stile into a field. Follow the path straight across this field, proceed along the left-hand edge of the next field, across a 3rd field and cross the footbridge. Proceed around the left-hand edge of the field, diagonally across the next field to a waymarker and stile. Go along the left-hand edge of the field, through a gate and straight ahead near the right-hand side of the field to
another marker set between 4 trees facing you. Cross the footbridge and follow the direction of the marker across the field to the next marker. Cross the stile and follow the path straight across the field until you reach a ditch. Walk alongside the ditch towards the (white) house. Look for a path into the field to the left (not marked but at times defined in the crop) which heads to the field corner to the left of the house.
Alternatively, continue by the ditch and turn left along the lane in front of the house. At the junction by the corner of the field, turn right and follow the road into the village and to the church at the next corner.

Holy Trinity, Norton-Juxta-Twycross to Saint Michael and All Angels, Appleby Magna
(3 kilometres – gentle to moderate, mainly flat)
Parking is available outside the church or by the adjacent Village Hall in Norton-Juxta-Twycross and by the church in Appleby Magna.
There are no refreshments available in Norton-Juxta-Twycross, but there are a pub and a shop close to the church in Appleby Magna.
Follow the track between the Church and the Village Hall round to the left edge of the field, cross the footbridge and continue straight ahead. At the next waymarker (after approx. 150m.), cross the footbridge to the left into the next field and follow the path to the right. Continue along the edge of this field and straight across the next field with a view of the spire of the church in Appleby in the distance ahead. (To the right are clear views of the fairly flat Leicestershire countryside.) Cross a stile into the next field and continue straight across 2 fields. Cross another stile by the waymarker and proceed along the field edge ahead and then to the right. (The large building visible from the corner is the Sir John Moore Foundation school.) Cross the paved driveway, follow the waymarkers across the field, then to the left and come to the road. Cross the road, go over the stile, cross the field and enter another road across a stile. Turn right and follow the road, eventually passing the Crown public house and reaching the church on the right.

Saint Michael and All Angels, Appleby Magna to
Saint Michael’s, Stretton en le Field
Allow 45 - 55 minutes
Take the footpath opposite the church (between the hall and the cemetery) and, at the top, turn right across the field to emerge onto Rectory Lane. Turn left and walk along the road to the Rectory to a Footpath sign pointing across the road to the right. Follow this path down the driveway, taking the right hand fork and go through a small gate by the hedge on the left. Cross this field, pass through a gate in the top left-hand corner and continue up the left edge of the field. Turn left through a gate in the top left-hand corner and cross the next field. Follow the markers across this field to emerge on a road. Take care when crossing this road to the next marker. Descend into the field and go straight across towards the A42 trunk road, veering half right about half way across, then continuing across another field. Turn right alongside the noisy A42 for about 800 metres, then pass under the road through a tunnel. The route now turns left and eventually veers to the right away from the road. At the end of this track is a gate (padlocked against motorbikes when we passed this way.) Climb over the gate into a lane which leads around to the left to the church.
St. Michael’s, Stretton to St. John’s Donisthorpe
Allow 45 - 50 minutes 4 kilometres/2.5 miles
Return along the lane round to the right to a signposted track off to the left. Go along this driveway, straight on through a narrow grassed area, through a gate and along the right edge of the field. At the marker cut right through the hedge and cross 2 fields and a Footbridge and veer 45 degrees right across a meadow. At the marker follow the path to the left and after 75 metres take the right-hand path across the field to the far right-hand corner of the field. Pass through the gate and continue down to a road. Cross the road (signposted - Ashby Woulds Heritage Trail – Spring Cottage). Continue along the trail for approximately 2 kilometres, then take the left hand fork through a small car park onto a road. Turn left and reach the church on your left in a very short distance.
St. John, Donisthorpe to St. Laurence, Measham
Allow 45 - 55 minutes 3.5 kilometres/ - gentle, mainly flat
From the church turn right and retrace your steps through the car park onto the trail. Take the left-hand fork behind the houses, go over a stile and continue down the field passing a small lake on your left. Continue over a footbridge as the path curves slowly to the right between 2 more lakes. Follow the path up past a large metal gate and carry straight on up the track which soon becomes a tarmaced road. Take the right-hand fork, then continue to the right along the road for approximately 150 metres. Turn left down Silver Street (just before the pub) and, at the bottom, cross a stile to take the path up the field to the left. Continue across this field, gradually curving round to the left when the hedge turns to the right. Carry on across another field, curving to the right along the hedge to reach and cross a bridge over the noisy A42. Turn left along the edge of the field, then down to the right to pass through a gate and up a lane to Chapel Street. At the main road, turn left and cross the road to reach the church.