Scott led 16 VBR members on an 8.4 mile walk starting in a very busy Swithland Wood South Car Park making extensive use of both the Leicestershire Round and the National Forest Way. From the wood we skirted the edge of Bradgate Park thus avoiding the climb up to Old John Tower (221m) and instead circled back across the Charnwood Forest Golf Club fairways towards Woodhouse Eaves.
The group then climbed up towards the first of today's hills, Broombriggs Hill (237m), before descending to Beacon Hill Country Park. After a climb to the trig point (248m) at the top we lunched in the shelter of the hill before dropping down to Beacon Hill Lower Car Park then climbed the third hill of the day, Windmill Hill (164m). The return was through Woodhouse Eaves and past the slate quarries in Swithland Wood.
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| Scott briefs us at the start |
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| Setting off in Swithland Wood |
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| Distant view of Old John Tower, climbed often ... |
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| ... but not today |
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| Circumnavigating Bradgate Park |
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| Coffee stop after leaving the golf course |
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| Ewe and Lamb - one of many wood carvings in the Country Park, see link below |
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| Uncooperative highland cattle |
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| Shepherd and Ram |
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| Trig point on Beacon Hill (248m), distant view of .. well, not much |
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| Geological origins of local rocks |
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| Lunch on the sheltered slopes of Beacon Hill |
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| Old Man |
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| What's left of the windmill, now topped with an observation platform |
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| Distant view of Broombriggs Hill from Windmill Hill |
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| Folly next to one of the many slate quarries in Swithland Wood, some dating back to Roman times |
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8.4 miles, 414m of ascent
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