Deslei two

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I passed some nice old buildings on my way through Desford, and was soon heading into arable fields. The route was well waymarked and quite easy going, though a touch muddy on this misty morning. There were narrow bridges and a flight of steps, and some slightly overgrown vegetation in a later path behind big houses, but also free windfall apples!
After a short road section (with a narrow pavement) the field paths were not as good, and mostly ran along field edges which had been planted up to the edge. (They did look used though.) A fallen tree and an overgrown hedge made one boundary crossing difficult (but still possible). (I have reported this to the local council on their website.)
Shortly after this, passing The Hollows Farm was interesting. The path runs across a very smart looking garden past a big house. There were some pens with unusual animals, but I couldn’t really investigate as I already felt I was trespassing. An old gentleman was by the house and I asked if I was going the right way (I knew it was a PRoW), and he was very friendly, but warned me to be careful passing the dried-up pond where badgers had dug a lot of earth out. He was right, it was a bit tricky getting round that pond hollow, and not just where the badgers had dug!
From here there was another string of field paths, better quality again, and a lovely wooded path along the edge of a golf course. Then a residential road of very nice houses led into Kirby Muxloe and a good deli-pub lunch at the Royal Oak.
The short climb up Kirby Fields afforded a view of Kirby Muxloe Castle. There was a fairly long but pleasant enclosed path between housing and fields followed by a pedestrian level-crossing with stairs at the other side. After crossing beneath the motorway and alongside the railway and a stream, a small hairpin walk was needed to reach the road. Then a couple of busy roads (paved) led to quieter residential streets, past schools and parks, over the railway again, and onto the A47 main road heading into Leicester.
It was a bit of a pace along city roads from here on, past some interesting older housing, churches and shops.
Going into the centre of Leicester there were various points of interest including the remains of the Great Central Railway South goods yard horse stables, Newarke Road Bridge, Trinity Hospital, The Newarke Houses Museum, De Montford University, Newarke/Magazine Gateway, the Cathedral, King Richard III visitor centre, many shops, and finally the Clock Tower.

This is a solid and enjoyable way to walk between Desford for Leicester. I'd definitely walk it again and recommend that everyone (who's able) who lives in Desford gives it a go.

You can expect country, suburbia and city... open fields, tunnels of vegetation, abandoned buildings... and quite possibly a surprise (captive) skunk (the first I've seen on a walk in the UK) or two.

You'll find a number of shops along the way for refreshments. There are a handful of stiles, a couple of narrow bridges and on the day we walked it (today)... an overgrown tress fallen over a narrow bridge. We passed this easily enough with a bit of ducking.

I walked it on a dry day with Hannah from Slow Ways as part of this weekend's national swarm.

I hope you enjoy it too.

(Photos to come).

This new route was great - Slow Ways Dan and I added a new section at the Desford end to stick to footpaths and avoid a short stretch of track that wasn't a right of way.
A really enjoyable walk, out of pretty redbrick Desford, through misty turnip fields (I love how the road verges have self-seeded escaped turnips around here). Lots of slippery stiles and narrow plank bridges, a bit of mud in Nov, harvested corn stalk fields, a golf course, and as we got more built-up lots of great walking snickets that made the suburban middle section a joy.
Walking right into Leicester is fun - it's a town of amazing characterful old buildings, and this route goes through the medieval city streets before finishing at the clock tower in the middle of the pedestrian shopping zone. 10 mins walk further to the train station, if you need the train, please note!
There was indeed a skunk, in the garden of a grand house that has a footpath right across the front and back lawns. Delicious apples on the path under a hedgerow tree at one point, and Kirby Muxloe for midway snacks.

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