Melcoa two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Melcoa here.

Walked from Melbourne to Coalville. No major issues, but I found this pretty tough for a walk of its distance, with a lot of stiles, some constrained and awkward, and a few places where navigation is a bit tricky and quite a lot of slightly rough ground. Maybe walking towards the sun on a hot day didn't help, but at least the ground is now dry in most places.

Starting at the square in Melbourne, we go west a short distance to find the path alongside the churchyard, then follow the lane left most of the way back to the Church Street. At the last bend left, follow what looks like an access path to the right hand house and you will find a gap under the upper floor of the houses that leads to an alleyway and the main village church. Here we join the crowds (not many of those on a midweek spring morning) around the lake. Just beyond the south end of the lake we leave the well trodden track to go straight on through the fields, with a few stiles, on a path that is well marked.

We join a farm track for a while, but leave it where it turns left to cross a large pasture (some docile horned cattle here). An easy ford takes us across the stream takes us to the trodden but otherwise unmarked that leads up to Burney Lane, where we go straight across using two slightly constrained stiles. We then cross a large ploughed field with no sign of a path, aiming for the south east corner where there is a waymarker post (we are now in Leicestershire!).

We follow more field edges down through a farmyard where we join the Ivanhoe Way. A short road section is followed by a private that takes us under the busy A42 dual carriageway and on towards Worthington. Beyond a farmhouse the path is through fields, and there is a footbridge with a few steps on each side. As Ken says, the route visits a playground with a bench and passes the village shop (easily missed in this direction), then rejoins the Ivanhoe Way out of the village. In the first field, an ungrazed pasture, the best trodden path is not the right of way, so look out for the stile to the left. Beyond the road (Main Street!) the path is less well trodden. One gap where the right of way crosses a hedge is very easily missed, as from the north the waymark post is hidden by the underground. Further on we cross a large field where the farmer has hidden the waymarker indicating that the Ivanhoe Way goes straight across, but a little careful navigation reveals the way forward, past two more awkward stiles to the surprisingly busy Rempstone Road, which has a pavement on the north side.

Here we turn right, then left beyond the pub and right through a garden shed sales yard and a Christmas tree plantation. The exit from the plantation track into a garden is also easily missed, but Aqueduct Road is reached easily enough. We go left then double back right on a fairly well marked footpath. Here I forgot to look at the map and followed the wrong footpath and emerged on Lower Moor Road, and rather than retracing my steps into the garden where the junction is, I used the Chapel Lane footpath to rejoin the route. Stoney Lane is accessed through what appears to be a narrow strip of garden.

The path south from Stoney Lane starts clearly enough, but I completely lost it in an area of horse stables and parked farm vehicles and ended up taking the lane left and climbing a locked gate to reach Bakewell Lane. The George Inn offered a welcome respite from the heat. We take the path opposite which is well marked through the trees, but the straight line across the field is uncut, and the exit stile on Moor Lane is a little awkward. The field path beyond is easy to follow, but the stile by the locked gate on Limby Hall Lane is defended by a small pool of what looked and smelled like pig slurry. I used the bottom rung of the gate to avoid the worst of it.

From here all is easier, first a slightly muddy path through a wood, then quiet streets and pavements as far as the Robin Hood pub. Big Lane is a signposted cycle route (even on a bike 8 minutes to Coalville as suggested by the first sign seems optimistic). This takes us over a small hill through a gap in the woods and past a fishing lake to reach the busy Stephenson Way Coalville bypass, where there are pelican crossings at the junction. A simple pavement walk then takes us to the meeting point at the Coalville war memorial, which is conveniently placed for the bus stops.

Overall I quite enjoyed most of this walk, but I am reaching an age where I struggle with getting over constrained stiles, and this element and the hot sun made it hard work (and put paid to my original plan to continue to Ibstock).

Some lovely countryside and a good mix of paths lots of stiles, mostly good quality but quite high. Plenty of grass fields or field edge paths but horses and cattle will be encountered. At the south end there are a few service options but not as much north of half way so the minor detour at Worthington passes a shop and then through a small play area which has a seat. Other seats may be available.

I started from Coalville, taking the road that dips under the railway. There is a link from Wolsley Road but crossing here from the steps is not recommended. Likewise use the central reservation between the Lidl and Aldi entrances to avoid crossing the car park approach roads. Lights offer a safe crossing of the next road.

The Byway starts with abuse by motorised dirt riders although they appear to be mostly on the adjoining land rather than the lane. It doesn’t last long so the lane becomes a pleasant walk through Cuckoo Gap Wood to Swannington. This was the destination of an early railway which carried coal to Leicester and broke the monopoly of the Derbyshire collieries. The Robin Hood Inn was the only service that I spotted.

The path through Walkers Wood leads to Limby Hall Lane. The next field had horses and the gateway was rather muddy but otherwise a good path. Approaching Moor Lane don’t miss the impressive windmill to the right.

At the crossing of the A512 there is another inn and a bus stop so an option to bail out or take a rest. From here to Gelsmoor there are many paths some passing through large gardens or equestrian sites. The stiles are good and yellow posts help locate them but care is needed. Another inn / restaurant on Rempstone Road then a section along this busy road which does have a good grass verge.

Taking the next path we join the Ivanhoe Way but it’s not the best maintained Leicestershire promoted route. We are now in real countryside and approaching Worthington the red worked face of Cloud Hill Quarry can be seen. If the shop and seat are not needed they can be missed as we pass through the village.

The next path has a gate, perhaps the first or last, there are a few more as we head north. The path here is well walked although all have shown signs of some use. Crossing under the A42 the next road is quite busy and fast but again has a wide verge. After passing between the buildings of Lodge Farm we leave the Ivanhoe Way and our path is to the west of the hedge. It offers a good view of the church on the hill at Breedon.

A broken stile offers a welcome into Derbyshire but the delightful valley followed by Melbourne FP 24 soon fades that memory. The path here is well used and I met my first walking explores out on this bright Sunday. As Melbourne draws close a collection of ‘things’, I can think of no other word to describe the eclectic mix of glamping shelters in ‘The Field of Dreams’. Once on the track the crowds confirm the pulling power of Melbourne’s pool. It surprises me that the landowner allowed this popular path to be added to the definitive map as a public, but they did and it’s much appreciated.

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