LeicesterHoughton on the Hill

Leihou one
Verified route

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

By a Slow Ways Volunteer on 07 Apr 2021


Distance

12km/7mi

Ascent

71m

Descent

180m

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Description

This is a Slow Ways route connecting Leicester and Houghton on the Hill.

Know of a better route? Share it here.

This is a Slow Ways route connecting Leicester and Houghton on the Hill.

Know of a better route? Share it here.

Status

This route has been reviewed by 3 people.

There are no issues flagged.

Photos for Leihou one

Photos of this route will appear when they are added to a review. You can review this route here.


Information

Verified route

Route status - Live

Reviews - 3

Average rating -

Is this route good enough? -  Yes (3)

There are currently no problems reported with this route.

Downloads - 9

Surveys

What is this route like?

Surveys are submitted by fellow users of this website and show what you might expect from this Slow Ways route. Scroll down the page to read more detailed surveys.

Grade 3X based on 1 surveys Sign up or log in to survey this route.
Description Note
Grade 3: Route includes rough surfaces that may include small boulders, potholes, shallow ruts, loose gravel, short muddy sections.
Access grade X: At least one stile, flight of steps or other obstacle that is highly likely to block access for wheelchair and scooter users.
Grading is based on average scores by surveyors. This slow way has 1 surveys.
Full grading description

Only people who have completed our training can become Slow Ways surveyors and submit a survey. We do not vet contributors, so we cannot guarantee the quality or completeness of the surveys they complete. If you are dependent on the information being correct we recommend reading and comparing surveys before setting off.

Survey Photos

Facilities

Facilities in the middle third of this route.

Maybe present Public toilet (1)
Maybe present Wheelchair accessible toilet (1)
Present at time of survey Supermarket (1)
Present at time of survey Restaurant (1)
Maybe present Vegan restaurant (1)
Present at time of survey Accommodation (1)
Maybe present Accommodation < £50 (1)
Not present at time of survey Campsite (1)
Not present at time of survey Bothy (1)
Maybe present Free wifi (1)
Not present at time of survey Public phone (1)
Present at time of survey Mobile phone coverage (1)
Not present at time of survey Train station (1)
Present at time of survey Bench (1)
Present at time of survey Picnic table (1)
Present at time of survey Bus stop (1)
Not present at time of survey Ferry (1)

Challenges

Potential challenges reported on this route. Some challenges are seasonal.

Not present at time of survey Scrambling (1)
Not present at time of survey Wading (1)
Not present at time of survey Swimming (1)
Not present at time of survey Climbing (1)
Not present at time of survey Stepping stones (1)
Maybe present Very slippery (1)
Present at time of survey Very muddy (1)
Maybe present Very icy (1)
Present at time of survey Likely to flood (1)
Maybe present Long grass sections (1)
Maybe present Crops encroaching on path (1)
Not present at time of survey Diverted path (1)

Obstacles

Obstacles on this route.

Not present at time of survey Stiles (1)
Present at time of survey Step and kerbs (1)
Present at time of survey Possible to avoid steps, if applicable (1)
Present at time of survey Flights of steps (1)
Present at time of survey Gates (1)
Present at time of survey Kissing gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Locked gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Disables access gates (1)
Not present at time of survey Cycle barriers (1)
Not present at time of survey Ladders (1)
Not present at time of survey Cattle grids (1)
Not present at time of survey Fords (1)
Not present at time of survey Narrow bridges (1)
Not present at time of survey Ferry required (1)
Present at time of survey Acceptable road walking (1)
Not present at time of survey Unacceptable road walking (1)
Not present at time of survey Dangerous road crossings (1)
Present at time of survey Walking on paths beside roads (1)
Not present at time of survey Walking on verges beside roads (1)
Not present at time of survey Railway crossings (1)
Not present at time of survey River crossings (1)
Present at time of survey Cattle possible (1)
Maybe present Horses possible (1)
Not present at time of survey Tidal area (1)
Not present at time of survey Potential falls (1)
Present at time of survey Exposed to elements (1)
Not present at time of survey Remote area (1)
Not present at time of survey Mountainous area (1)
Not present at time of survey Military training area (1)
Present at time of survey No visible path (1)
Not present at time of survey Seasonal nesting birds (1)
Not present at time of survey Other hazards (1)

Accessibility

Is this route step and stile free?

Present at time of survey Free of stiles (1)
Not present at time of survey Free of single steps/kerbs (1)
Not present at time of survey Free of flights of steps (1)
Present at time of survey Free of other obstacles (1)

Measurements

Surveyors were asked to measure the narrowest and steepest parts of paths.

The narrowest part of the path is 60.0cm (1)

The steepest uphill gradient East: no data

The steepest uphill gradient West: no data

The steepest camber: no data

How clear is the waymarking on the route: Clear (1)

Successfully completed

We asked route surveyors "Have you successfully completed this route with any of the following? If so, would you recommend it to someone with the same requirements?". Here is how they replied.

Small Pug-sized dog (0)
Small Labrador-sized dog (0)
Large St. Bernard-sized dog (0)
Standard pram (0)
Off-road rugged pram (0)
Standard wheelchair (0)
Off-road rugged wheelchair (0)
Standard mobility scooter (0)
Off-road rugged mobility scooter (0)

Recommended by an expert

We asked route surveyors "Are you a trained access professional, officer or expert? If so, is this route suitable for someone travelling with any of the following?" Here is how they replied.

Small Pug-sized dog (0)
Small Labrador-sized dog (0)
Large St. Bernard-sized dog (0)
Standard pram (0)
Off-road rugged pram (0)
Standard wheelchair (0)
Off-road rugged wheelchair (0)
Standard mobility scooter (0)
Off-road rugged mobility scooter (0)

Terrain

We asked route surveyors to estimate how much of the route goes through different kinds of terrain.

30.0% of the route is on roads (1)

25.0% of the route is lit at night (1)

60.0% of the route is paved (1)

20.0% of the route is muddy (1)

There is no data on rough ground

2.0% of the route is through long grass (1)

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1 surveys

Information from verified surveys.

3X April 2023 by Hugh Hudson
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Geography information system (GIS) data

Total length

Maximum elevation

Minimum elevation

Start and end points

Leicester
Grid Ref SK5875604622
Lat / Lon 52.63619° / -1.13321°
Easting / Northing 458,756E / 304,622N
What3Words newly.assure.cook
Houghton on the Hill
Grid Ref SK6806103685
Lat / Lon 52.62669° / -0.99593°
Easting / Northing 468,061E / 303,685N
What3Words lungs.ultra.forgiven

Leihou One's land is

Arable 14.7%
Pasture 10.5%
Urban 74.8%

Data: Corine Land Cover (CLC) 2018

reviews


Ken

21 Jul 2023 Summer

A good country walk from Houghton all pasture so sheep, cattle and mud but no stiles, all gates. Bushby and then Thurnby offer a pleasant village break, an inn plus seat and tap in the churchyard. Two more fields of countryside but here it's cropped, cross field and a little overgrown around the edges but well walked.

Crossing into the city it's mostly quiet street walking passing a number of school / colleges which is a good thing. Evington offers a good selection of shops plus inn and it's about half way. Yes Evington Park is a bit confusing. It looks like an earlier entry could be made and perhaps it would be best to stay with the cycle route because the northern exit / entry while mown down the bank doesn't look like an official path. Shame about the fence difficult to understand why it divides the recreation area in two.

Crossing the road there are steps onto Hospital Close. This is Health Authority land and housing and is not maintainable at public expense. It's a bit depressing through boarded up houses so changes are afoot and I guess the route may be closed.

The busy road needs care crossing to the footpath alongside the bungalows. The walk along Gwendolen Road is interesting offering an interesting mix of housing and old factory sites when workers lived next door to their place of employment. The Wycliffe Society, which is still operating built a hall and housing for the blind here.

Spinney Hills is a popular park with some superb mature trees. This area was being developed in 1884 when the Leicestershire Footpath Association became established trying to preserve footpaths threatened by the planned city expansion. As we've seen the city has marched on and continues to devour the green fields.

The map shows part of Highfields a jumble of scattered blocks with no evidence of a plan, perhaps it's better on the ground but finding a way through looks impossible. A massive concrete chimney dominates along with a place of worship for the community.

After crossing the railway I made a mistake opting for the direct road crossing which took me into the busy Granby Street rather than a mix of crossing points on the plotted route into less interesting Charles Street.,.


Hugh Hudson

15 Apr 2023 (edited 16 Apr 2023) Spring

Walked from Houghton to Leicester. The eastern half is good and quite pretty if a little muddy at times, but I rather suspect there are nicer routes through the east of Leicester, and as Ingrina says, the Evington Park section does not work as drawn. I don't think that is a big enough problem to justify a new route.

My previous experience of Houghton was arriving from Ashby Folville on HOUASH 1, and on that occasion the furthest I went down Main Road was the Co-Op, and the Black Horse Inn looks a nicer pub than the Rose & Crown on the A47. There are also a number of pretty old buildings at the south end. Our route takes us out into the fields through a couple of alleyways. This section was wet and muddy yesterday, but not too slippery and quite pretty. Beyond the stream the path line across some of the large fields is indistinct, but since these are pastures this is not a problem.

I enjoyed the road walk through Thurnby, where the road is wide and has plenty of mature trees. We follow the road down to the right to the edge of the fields, then take the diagonal path across arable fields. No problem with the marked line other than the stickiness of the wet clay. We then follow the minor roads around the perimeter of Leicester s far as the B667, which we cross using a pelican crossing. There are pubs and shops on Main Street in Evington.

As Ingrina says, the route through Evington Park does not work as shown on the GPX - the aerial photo probably misled the designer into thinking there was a gap in the line of trees, but there is a substantial fence accompanying the trees, which has no gap. If I were to change the route, I would stay on the main track that passes Evington House, and probably also use the car park entrance to the park in the south east corner. There is no obstacle to cutting the corner north of the fence unless sports matches are in progress, and there is a path of sorts down to Ethel Road. On the far side, we head straight on through a rather eerie ghost estate (there are steps on the shortest line, but there is a ramped alternative to the left). All of the houses have been boarded up with metal in the doors and windows, so it may not be the safest place to be when it is dark.

There is no assisted crossing where we cross Waverley Road, and the road continues on a surfaced path that takes us between houses up to Gwendolen Road. We follow this road around to the right and straight on for some distance up to the T junction on East Park Road, where there is a pelican crossing opposite our path through the park. We go straight on along Derwent Street then go straight on past a row of shops and turn left down Stoughton Street, then right on Sparkenhoe Street which leads to the railway bridge north of Leicester station. I crossed the busy St George's Way on pelican crossings at the junction with Swain Street, but there are more at the bottom of Charles Street so it is safe either way.

From here the route to the meeting point is easy and safe - I crossed Charles Street at the junction with Rutland Street.


Ingrina

13 Nov 2022 Autumn

A straightforward route between Leicester and Houghton on the Hill. The majority of the route goes through built up areas, so you walk a lot of the side streets and main streets. There are some nice parts that take you through parks that are a welcome break from the road. You can also expect to find some toilets and resting spots at Evington Park, about halfway through the walk. The last few kms are through quiet fields towards Houghton on the Hill are pleasant to walk through, but if it has been wet, expect this section to be fairly muddy. This section also has a number of slim stiles that are impassible for wheelchairs and prams.

3 stars because it works pretty well as a route, but wonder if there might be a few variations to make it slightly better.

One tiny adjustment (in photos) at the Evington Park section: After entering the park and going SE, the route marks a left perpendicular turn towards NE before a right perpendicular turn towards SE, which actually ends up hitting a fence. Rather than make that last turn where it's marked, which is in the middle of the field, keep going NE until you reach a wide path, and then turn right. That will take you to the entrance of the park.


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