Marlou one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Marlou here.

Walked from Loughborough to Markfield. Most of this route is good, and very enjoyable, but it is let down by poor GPX plotting and attention to detail. I was happy to accept this most of the way, but at the Markfield end there is no attempt to guide the walker safely past the A50 bypass roundabout at Field Head. This was a big enough safety concern for me to fail the route and submit a better plotted alternative (Marlou two). There is still scope for further shortening the route and making it more enjoyable. In particular there is an easy direct route from Loughborough to Woodhouse Eaves, and a detour into Bradgate Park could avoid a long section of pavement walking.

I will write a more detailed review with pictures on the new route (Marlou two).

Not a bad route but I believe it needs some amendment and small improvements are also available, details below. There was mud when I walked in late April care is needed at major road crossings. Fields are mostly crops not cattle. Gates but some stiles. Roadside walking does have pavement or a well walked narrow verge. I would like to offer small amendments with a new route but will wait until I've had a chance to walk it.

I walked from Markfield, the pavement walk to Field Head is functional but the plotted route to cross the road is not advised. There is a pelican crossing just south of the roundabout stay on the paved paths don't follow the plot onto grass verge.

The Slow Way soon meets the Leicestershire Round and I admit the route that takes from Markfield is not ideal so will not recommend it. It's only a brief encounter with the Round here, our Slow Way heads for Ulverscroft Mill. The approach was very muddy and being down hill could have resulted in a tumble. The derelict mill was a disappointment so I wonder if staying on the Round might be a better option especially as it would avoid the pavement walk alongside Sharply Hill.

Opposite the large Bradgate car park at Hunt's Hill where there is a loo and may be ice creams a road verge is protected for walking by wooded posts before we head off, back on the Round, towards Woodhouse Eaves crossing a golf course on a fairly well signed path.
Woodhouse Eaves offers a pub and shop plus a loo at the playground where we head off back across the fields to Woodhouse, no services here but pavements for safe walking through the attractive village.

Crossing to the footpath is on a blind bend but no pavement on the far side so cross with care using eyes and ears and hope a silent electric car is not approaching. Field paths are plain to see and get busier as we approach the expanding housing sprawl of Loughborough.
After Woodthorpe village, no services, we cross the newish, to me at least, bypass road where there is no help for pedestrians. Take the road into the estate then a good wide path follows the old line of the footpath alongside the cemetery and around a school to meet a road.

The next path appears off putting but is worth using because it opens out onto the delightful tree lined wide Burton Walk. Some years back the school wanted to close this path but the local outcry kept it open, so a big thank you to those campaigners.

I think the walk through Loughborough could be improved by taking the shopping street passing through the marketplace where I feel it should end rather than pressing on to the rail station on the very edge of the town.

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