Watermead and Abbey Parks, Leicester - a river and a canal, 30th April 2023

Starting at Fingers Lake car park, this flat, 9½ mile waterside walk took eleven of us on good tracks around the many lakes in the park, along the banks of the River Soar and the Grand Union Canal and on to visit the remains of the twelfth century Leicester Abbey in Abbey Park. Plenty of birdlife and views of narrow boats, locks, weirs, bridges, a space centre and a pumping station.

The start near Fingers Lake

And off we go

King Lear's Lake.  This statue depicts the final scene of Shakespeare's play King Lear - Act V, scene III

One of the many locks on the Grand Union Canal

Weir on the River Soar

Abbey Pumping Station (1891) now a museum of science and technology

The National Space Centre, a museum and educational resource covering the fields of space science and astronomy, along with a space research programme in partnership with the University of Leicester - worth a visit

Boundary wall of the Abbey

Panoramic view of the remains of Leicester Abbey.  After Dissolution in 1538, the Abbey buildings were demolished although the main gatehouse, boundary walls and farm buildings were left standing

Abbey ruins and information board

Cardinal Wolsley, accused of treason and on his way back to London, stayed at Leicester Abbey,  He said I see the matter against me how it is framed. But if I had served God as diligently as I have done the King, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs ... and promptly died

Abbey Park Bridge over the River Soar

Abbey Park is a late-19th century public park, formed from water meadows. The site was extended in 1925 by the addition of the adjacent Abbey Grounds

Lunch in Abbey Park

Japanese Gardens

On the  Watermead Park Climate Trail

Belgrave Bridge carrying Thurcaston Road over the River Soar. It has seven stone arches. Its core is 15th-century, but it has been widened on both sides

Perfectly safe - it says so in the Risk Assessment

Visitor Mike

Here's another fine mesh you've gotten us into

Leicester Marina

John Bull

Sea Cadets on the Grand Union Canal

One of the few boats on the canal today

Short version

Denton and the Viking Way, 27th April 2023

 

From the Village Hall, Steve G and Carrie took VBR members on this 6½ mile walk up Denton's Main Street to follow paths near the A607 and then turn north up the Viking Way to Belvoir Road and Brewer's Grave.  The group then dropped down to the disused ironstone railway which took it back to Denton.

Flawborough, Kilvington Lakes and the River Smite, 23rd April 2023

 Gail's walk today attracted seven hardy souls on a figure of eight, 6.2 mile walk from Longhedge Lane which connects Alverton and Flawborough.  Loop one took us north round the old gypsum quarries near Kilvington and loop two through Flawborough to the River Smite.

Group next to Kilvington Lakes, now Belvoir Waters

Nature taking over the gypsum quarry

Weather improving but not in time to allow conditions underfoot to get better

Fine house in Flawborough

Bob, Chocolate and Fudge

Disused Church of St Peter, Flawborough

River Smite looking upstream

Longhedge Lane Bridge over the River Smite

River Smite, shortly to join the River Devon

Cotgrave, Tollerton and Clipston, 20th April 2023

 

Nine on Brenda's 6-mile walk starting at All Saints Church in Cotgrave and crossing fields to Tollerton and Normanton returning through Clipston on the Wolds.  Pleasantly dry field paths.

Nether Broughton and Old Dalby, 16th April 2023

A commendable eighteen on Paul's 8.8 mile walk from Nether Broughton to Queensway Old Dalby, through Old Dalby Wood and on to Old Dalby itself for lunch at the Crown Inn. The return followed close by Dalby Brook to Upper Broughton (Nottinghamshire) and then back to Nether Broughton (Leicestershire).

St Mary the Virgin Church, Nether Broughton

Paul warns of conditions underfoot

Setting off - boots initially very clean and dry ...

... but not for long

Coffee stop in the woods

No danger - all covered in the Risk Assessment

Cowslips

First bluebells

Daffodils

St John the Baptist Church, Old Dalby

Lunch at the Crown Inn

Under the Old Dalby Test Track used for testing new designs of trains and railway infrastructure

Created in 2007, the Heritage Trail depicts the history of the village and local area.  There are nine  interpretation boards located at key locations around the village (see map at bottom left)