The Leicestershire Round
7th August 2006
Thorpe Langton - East Langton - Foxton - Gumley - Saddington - (Fleckney) (9 miles)
Kibworth By Default
The perils of using public transport for walks - I got up late, missed one bus from where I lived, got in late to Leicester Bus Station, got a later bus to Kibworth Beauchamp, just missed the next bus I needed... A helpful guy at the stop tried to get me a taxi, alas without success. No cafe. Just 55 minutes to kill. He did however say that this place should be pronounced 'Kibbuth Beecham'.
Thorpe Langton
After unintentionally reading the paper at K.B., I managed to make it to Thorpe Langton, leaving as soon as I'd arrived to walk past their church ('much restored by Goddard in 1868'). The day was heating up, but a cool breeze refreshed me as I walked.
A Poorly Calf
Soon after, walking past the farm down the track, two cows came charging over to me, making lots of noise, like continual, tiny, high pitched moo's. They stood staring at me. I was compelled to go over and say hello. It was then I noticed this calf, hidden from the track, looking poorly. It didn't even move when I stroked it.
I went back to the farmhouse and they had a look, agreeing it looked poorly. They would notify the farmer. I stood there awhile, sorting out my rucksack, and in all this time the mum stood and stared at me with an expression of "Well, what are you going to do?". I explained I had done, wished her and the calf well, and set off.
The Sloe Country Life
This is a bit of a botanical edition - I am always fascinated by the physical changes of the countryside through the seasons. Remember the white Blackthorn flowers from April? These are what they turned in to - sloes - not yet ready to harvest, but swelling bigger every day.
Who's hairball is this? Found just south of East Langton, this is not from an animal, but is caused by an insect. It's called a 'Robin's Pincushion', often found on wild roses. It's caused by a small gall wasp, that lays its eggs in the stem of the rose. This causes the rose to grow strangely, and it forms this hairy growth, which is the home to a number of the wasp larvae. Isn't nature amazing?
This is an old footbridge that crosses a small stream just south of East Langton. I crossed it. All was well.
It had rained slightly in the morning, and now the sun was high and blazing in the sky, the plants were drying in the heat. As this wheat dried, it made a small cracking sound. As I stood still, I could hear the sounds of tiny cracks popping off all around me.
After fighting my way through the broad bean fields a few weeks ago, nature now helped me out and made them a lot easier to fight through. Soon these will be harvested by the farmer and, I presume, used for animal feed.
Was this the sight of a weary traveller who, grateful for a moment's rest from his walk, leaned on this post, only for it and him/her to go crashing to the ground in a sprawled heap? Or was it the force of nature eating away at the wood? Or was it the sight of some mindless act of destruction? I may never know.
Some days (weeks?) previously, this meadow had been cut and the grass baled together and stored inside the plastic. If used for animal feed silage, the grass will ferment slightly inside the plastic, which helps to preserve it throughout the winter months. The smell of silage is a very characteristic smell from farmyards.
Wandering through the attractive village of Foxton, I came on to the canal and rested awhile, watching the boats pass by. Having gone on a canal boat last year, I know just how unhurried these boats are. They are the symbol of a relaxed life. N.B. If you haven't explored the series of stepped locks at Foxton, do so. They're quite something.
This is the Grand Union Canal combined with the River Soar, which passes right through Leicester and was my path from the city to Loughborough some months previous. Tranquil is the word I would use to decribe this scene.
This bridge lead me away from the canal, packed with boats and people at the Foxton Inn pub, to take me towards Gumley. I wandered with some fellow 'Rounders' for a while, who had been doing different sections over the past few years, on their way to Saddington. Clockwisers, just like me.
It is a common fact that animals and humans will follow known tracks (it's a safety thang). But someone/thing has to make the path in the first place. Now the point to head towards was obvious in this field. Yet the path, on a flat field and with a clear view, wandered from right to left and back again. Why? Was the first person who made the path drunk? Or did the goalposts of the exit keep shifting? These are the deep mysteries of life.
Should the Tourist Board of Gumley village use the above catch-phrase in future promotions, I shall naturally expect a hefty cut of the royalties. Gumley church is set within an attracive array of old yew trees, with ancient headstones leaning at strange angles in the yard.
The fruits of the horse chestnut tree are getting bigger by the day. When the Olympics are held in London in 2012, will they allow conkers to become an Olympic sport? Surely, if the Americans were allowed to have beach-ball, then the Brits will be allowed to have conkers? Perhaps it was the swim-wear that influenced the beach-ball. Hey! Conkers in swim-wear...sorted!
Has Leicestershire County Council held a competition for novel and practical designs of stiles? This design, simple yet very effective, could come out with a prize or two. I propose Star Trek type doors, with the swishing sound, or perhaps revolving doors, or even puzzle locks to keep the ramblers mentally as well as physically alert.
There were a large number of these blue damselflies as I walked up Smeeton Hill by the side of Smeeton Gorse. Their name was therefore apt: the Common Blue Damselfly. This is a male in bright colours. The females are a dull brown. This is quite the opposite in the human world - the females doll up, and the blokes...
Freshly dug, I paused by this hole to listen for any sounds of activity. Nothing moved. Yet how did I know that something wasn't watching me from inside? I didn't. I slowly moved on.
We've had the hottest July on record, with temperatures reducing most of the British population to apathy over the past few weeks, but these fields still look remarkably green.
Saddington Reservoir looked very inviting during the heat of the day. I passed by the reservoir. All went smoothly.
I did see a kingfisher as I was heading down to Saddington, flashing in metallic blues and other colours of the rainbow.
Saddington. 'During the summer, teas are served in the church. The Queens Head pub serves food and there are fine views over the reservoir from the pub garden.' I passed through Saddington. There were no disturbances.
Leading out of Saddington was this green alleyway, bordered on either side by Hollyhocks and other flowers. It was naturally pleasant to walk down.
I stopped the Round where the path took a sudden lurch to the left, and carried on in to Fleckney for the purposes of getting a bus. I was wanting to continue, but it would mean I would have to get a series of 3 buses just to get to Leicester, and decided that life was just too short to be doing things like that.
Whatever befell this house in its past, it stands as a monument to the greatness it once was.
In 1870 it all began, as noted by J Croft on the side of the ruined house. When 'they' finally come to bulldoze the house, as 'they' will inevitably do in the future, I hope they hang on to this piece of history and incorporate it into the new development that will inevitably stand here. History is worth preserving.
