Melton MowbrayBottesford

Melbot one
Not verified

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Melbot here.

By a Slow Ways Volunteer on 07 Apr 2021


Distance

27km/17mi

Ascent

182m

Descent

220m

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Description

This is a Slow Ways route connecting Melton Mowbray and Bottesford.

Know of a better route? Share it here.

This is a Slow Ways route connecting Melton Mowbray and Bottesford.

Know of a better route? Share it here.

Status

This route has been reviewed by 1 person.

There are no issues flagged.

Photos for Melbot one

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


Information

Not verified

Route status - Live

Reviews - 1

Average rating -

Is this route good enough? -  Yes (1)

There are currently no problems reported with this route.

Downloads - 5

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 4X based on 1 surveys Sign up or log in to survey this route.
Description Note
Grade 4: Route includes very rough surfaces including deep ruts, steep loose gravel, unmade paths and deep muddy sections. Wheelchairs may experience traction/wheel spin issues.
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.

Present at time of survey 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)
Maybe present Campsite (1)
Maybe present 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)
Maybe present Likely to flood (1)
Present at time of survey Long grass sections (1)
Present at time of survey Crops encroaching on path (1)
Present at time of survey Diverted path (1)

Obstacles

Obstacles on this route.

Present at time of survey Stiles (1)
Present at time of survey Step and kerbs (1)
Not 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)
Present at time of survey Cattle grids (1)
Not present at time of survey Fords (1)
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)
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)
Present at time of survey 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?

Not 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 30.0cm (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: Unclear in places (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.

5.0% of the route is on roads (1)

3.0% of the route is lit at night (1)

15.0% of the route is paved (1)

20.0% of the route is muddy (1)

5.0% of the route is over rough ground (1)

5.0% of the route is through long grass (1)

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1 surveys

Information from verified surveys.

4X June 2023 by Hugh Hudson
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Geography information system (GIS) data

Total length

Maximum elevation

Minimum elevation

Start and end points

Melton Mowbray
Grid Ref SK7527519116
Lat / Lon 52.76443° / -0.88585°
Easting / Northing 475,275E / 319,116N
What3Words liner.pulse.libraries
Bottesford
Grid Ref SK8105539247
Lat / Lon 52.94452° / -0.79521°
Easting / Northing 481,055E / 339,247N
What3Words studio.sweetener.pack

Melbot One's land is

Arable 41.6%
Pasture 46.2%
Urban 12.3%

Data: Corine Land Cover (CLC) 2018

review


Hugh Hudson

01 Jun 2023 (edited 02 Jun 2023) Spring

Walked from Bottesford to Melton on an overcast early summer day after a long dry spell. This is almost a very good route - direct, scenic and mostly off road. There are a couple of paths with minor issues - overgrown stiles, cut strips through crops missing or too narrow. The route into Melton could be straightened and there is no pelican crossing where we cross the busy inner ring road - the Jubilee Way line is better and straighter. I don't think these criticisms are serious enough to demand a new route. There is plenty of transport heritage on this route - we cross a number of old railway lines and follow a section of one of them, and a section of the Grantham canal. The views from just below the Belvoir escarpment are wide ranging.

There are several villages en route, but they are not all well supplied with facilities. We pass a pub in Plungar, but the pubs and shops in Redmile, Harby and Scalford are off route. There is a bus service between Bottesford and Melton with stops in Harby. Plungar, Barkestone and Redmile and a less frequent one from Melton to Stathern via Scalford.

From Bottesford station, we follow the footpath past the church. Walking down Queen Street reveals several facilities I didn't know Bottesford possessed, notably a Co-Op and a tea room. We then head out of the village along Barkestone Lane, which is quiet once beyond the village as the exit to the A52 is blocked to cars. We cross the A52 with care and go straight on. Beyond Lodge Farm the road becomes a track, and soon after that we take a well cut field path towards Redmile. The last field was fallow with long grass, but there is enough of a path to take us out to the road easily enough apart from a few steps at the end.

We turn left into Redmile then head right along Church Lane, then take the path right through a cow pasture onto arable fields where the path is well cut and easy to follow. The line across the last two fields into Barkestone has been diverted slightly but is shown correctly on OpenStreetMap. We walk through the quiet village and continue along the road, which is fairly quiet and has verges, into Plungar. I was not entirely convinced that the detour through Plungar is necessary, though it does pass a pub. The path through to Frog Lane could be missed as it appears initially to pass through a garden and has no sign.

Once out of the village we take another field path that skirts the edge of a farm then crosses the first of several old railways to enter a sheep pasture. There are stiles on this path, which seems little used. Beyond another old railway we pass through a wood to emerge on the Grantham canal, here largely hidden by reeds - this section is still far from navigable by boat. Our towpath is fine, and we follow it south past Canal Lane (the Stathern road) to the little bridge below Harby, where we cross and use the field path past the church to reach the village.

We turn left past the primary school, then left again into the Red Causeway, which leads to a path. We go right down Dickmans Lane, and head straight on into the fields beyond. The diagonal path through the second path was not cut, but the crops were low enough to make crossing fairly easy. There was little evidence of anyone else having used this path recently, and the next hedge crossing is rather overgrown. We continue through a field used to keep horses to reach Waltham Lane, where we go left a short distance then take the signposted farm lane right towards the escarpment.

After a long straight section the path heads right to avoid a farmyard/garden then returns to the straight line to reach another old railway crossing. Beyond that the path is less clear, but the field was being used as a sheep pasture so no crop trampling required. Note that the exit from this field is the second yellow marker not the first, and is some distance to the right. We follow the right hand edges of two more fields then head up to the left through gaps in the trees to find the path that climbs the escarpment through the wood. On emerging we head right then cross into another field. Here there was a marked line, but I would hesitate to describe it as cut - the cereal crop was chest high and encroaches on the cut line so some determination was required. This was the same in all of the three fields the path crosses to reach Scalford Road.

Here we go right a short distance then follow a very well cut and marked path through more arable fields and over another old railway bridge, then through a meadow, a cow pasture and more arable fields to reach Scalford. We pass the church and head down School Lane and Mucky Lane. The path has been diverted around a garden here - the old diagonal line was not obvious from the lane, but the fifth old railway crossing of the day is reached easily enough. We head right beyond the bridge to follow the field path along Scalford Bridge - the path is never difficult to follow but deviates from both the right of way line and the GPX plot in places.

One of the fields appears to be part of some kind of development requiring earthmoving, but the path through this section is clearly marked and fairly untouched. Eventually we rejoin the railway up steep steps to the right (follow the Jubilee Way sign). This takes us into Melton Country Park, and though the GPX line is fine, I don't understand its logic, as the Jubilee Way line (the old right of way) is shorter and quicker.

The path out of the country park takes us into an industrial estate, where I followed the GPX line right onto Jubilee Street. It appears that there is a pelican crossing over Norman Way straight on here, and since there is none where we have to cross it (there is a central refuge but no lights), this seems a little silly. We then follow Chapel Street into the town centre, where the meeting point is at the entrance to the market place.


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