Ruglut two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Ruglut here.

Once into the Swift Valley Nature Reserve this is a typical country walk across fields and along tracks. There are some stiles and there could be cattle along with ploughed and cropped parts of the legal path which here have been avoided. Crossing of the A5 and a major road approaching Lutterworth need care. No services were spotted only seats.

Departure from the clock tower and busy street market (Friday) is along the main road where there are shops and bus stops. A small detour taking in Caldecott Park is worthwhile before following Park Road which soon leads to an impressive bridge over the expanse of rail lines. The well used path takes a direct line crossing the River Avon to the Oxford canal passing a Tesco store for last minute provisions.

Turning left to briefly follow the canal towpath we cross a substantial footbridge then follow a well used but unrecorded path alongside the canal feeder that before the Oxford canal improvements of 1830 was the main route for boat traffic. The apparent absence of adoption by any authority of this path show with low hanging branches and a poor surface but as said it is well used and is recorded on Open Street Map.

We pass under Brownsover Road to meet Brownsover Lane. From here we enter real countryside and there is a choice of paths. The bridleway plotted here may not be the easiest to locate on the ground. Just before passing under the M6 we pass a structure in the canal feeder here the original canal crossed the River Swift and headed back south. Here also we meet Ruglut.

After passing under the M6 the diagonally cross field path had not been cleared through the crop as required by sec 134 of the Highways Act so the plotted route follows a track around the field edge. A quiet road then takes us to Churchover with a seat on the green. A Community bar, just off route, opens Sunday lunch or from 8.30pm other days.

Our northward travels are along an ‘Other Route with Public Access’ (ORPA) we can walk and perhaps cycle or take a motor vehicle. It a fairly well defined track across fields offering some pleasant Warwickshire countryside.

Crossing the A5 needs care even though sight lines are good. We then enter Leicestershire and some overgrown or faded yellow topped posts will assist direction if you spot them. I missed one and followed the farm track forcing a back track, so keep a close eye on the plot and lookout for those posts. The cross field bridleway was invisible and the headland overgrown. A crop of Oil Seed finally forced me off the definitive line so that alternative is the plotted route.

Cotesbach church offers a seat, in the sun, so a break for lunch. The next paths were impressive from afar but had only recently and too late been sprayed out perhaps following a reminder from the County Council. A Walk across the golf course leads to the edge of Lutterworth where again care is needed across the busy road. It’s then a noisy pavement walk into town and the meeting place close to shops.

A good direct country walk which I enjoyed and would happily do again. It would be nice to know who is responsible for the bridge and canal feeder path so that I could ask for the low branches to be cut back.

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