John Beirne, assisted by another National Trust volunteer Lyn Bacon, led 16 ramblers on the 8½ mile walk starting in Belton Park. After a short excursion to look at some of the fine buildings near Belton House,we left the Park and took the Green Lane bridleway adjacent to Syston Hall, which was the home of Sir John Thorold and the home of Britain’s first road race circuit. The route took us up Whipperstall Hill, through Gashouse Plantation and past South Lodge before heading to the edge of Barkston Airfield, a former WWII bomber airfield. We then descended Minnett's Hill to Barkston Village to stop for lunch adjacent to the River Witham and then followed it for a short distance before heading up to and over Peascliffe Tunnel before returning to the Belton Estate via the grounds of Belton Hotel.
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| John briefs us at the start with a description of the walk ... |
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| ... and some history of Belton House |
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| Former stables of the Belton Estate - now a cafe |
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| Group examining a pond on the Syston Estate |
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| South Lodge, visible from Bellmount Tower |
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| The edge of RAF Barkston Heath |
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| Down Minnett's Hill to Barkston |
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| St Nicolas's Church, Barkston |
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| Lunch stop by the Witham |
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| Family struggling to paddle up the Witham. Click here to see the video |
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| Air shaft above the East Coast Mainline Peascliffe Tunnel, source of noise from passing trains |
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| And back to the Belton Estate |
