Ibsmar one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Ibsmar here.

An interesting very mixed route. Some excellent paths through industrial locations, sadly with little use the paths are deteriorating. A wonderful section of field walking with wide ranging views south. But looking at the plot for this route before setting out I could see some minor improvements so went out with Ibsmar-2 which was basically Ibsmar. Unfortunately there are issues with both routes which I can’t presently resolve without a further site visit.

Setting off from the bus stop and shops on the edge of Ibstock the dip south can be avoided . Pretoria Road is easy walking, initially a standard road it gradually becomes a track with vehicles prohibited. Meeting the road south of Ellistown I attempted to locate the next path which was signed but badly overgrown so summer shorts encouraged me to find a way around and that I did. An unrecorded path with gates clearly intended for our use.

Back on route the track is good and comes out at the end of a service road. The onward track is not immediately obvious but trust the plot to cross over a rail line then through and around a huge industrial estate. Meeting a road we cross and finally enter real countryside with those excellent views to the south.

The path later becomes fenced and a branch left once offered a stunning view of the huge deep quarry but the viewing platform is overgrown and information boards faded. Stanton Under Bardon offers an inn and perhaps a bus to bail out because now the real issues start.

Horsepool Avenue starts well and Google does show a signed and overgrown gap onto Cliffe Hill Road which I didn’t explore as I was attempting to avoid the ups and downs of the plot here. There was a walked but partly unrecorded path to rejoin the plot at Horsepool Grange SK 47087 09958 (around what3words exact.patching.fade). The path from here was overgrown so I followed the industrial road but there is a gate across this which may at times be closed. (This is all a bit of a mess. Find my Street which shows Leicestershire footpaths fails to show that path R23 USRN: 17402226 links to Cliffe Hill Road. What it does show is the walked link path that fails to show on OS, this is also R23 but with a USRN: 17402255).

Access across Elliott’s Lane was overgrown but I pushed through. This should have been a warning as things only got worse and It was impossible in shorts to push through the tangled brambles at the east end onto Stoney Lane. I had to back track and climb a gate off route.

No problems now to Markfield. I admit I didn’t walk the entire route but I saw enough to say currently this is a fail, any volunteers to plot an acceptable route or go out and clear the recorded paths?.

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