Sysmel one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Sysmel here.

An excellent and fairly direct route. There are a few stiles and steps, but all of the paths were easy to follow. I walked it from Syston to Melton Mowbray - having spotted that most of the SYSASH 1 route to Ashby Folville, I combined them by including the short detour from Gaddesby to Ashby Folville and returning to the path junction, so see my review of that route for photos of the first half of the route (the ones up to and including the one of Gaddesby Church).

We start along the main roads through Syston, walking up Melton Road on good pavements. Just before the edge of the village we turn right onto Millstone Lane to find the path to Queniborough, which starts through an urban park filled with decorated granite rocks. We reach Queniborough on good paths, and continue on Coppice Lane. Beyond the house, the path passes through fields.

Watch for the point where our path leaves the bridlewat to head right through grazing fields and loosely follows Gaddesby Brook, mostly through grazing pastures with cows and sheep. There is a short overgrown section through a little wood and another through what looked like a garden centre's nursery (the puddles here were probably due to watering, as the ground was bone dry elsewhere). We reach Gaddesby easily enough, where we pass a pub and a church.

We reach the Leicestershire Round path just east of the church, and follow it left through fields to Pasture Lane, where we head right onto Pasture Lane. The excellent path from here to Frisby on the Wreake is the highlight of the walk - all of the arable fields have well cut path lines, and the path crosses a series of low hills that ensure that the view ahead never gets too monotonous. Eventually we reach the main road from Leicester to Melton, which is busy so cross with care, The path down to Frisby is a few steps to the right, and follows the edge of a large pasture then goes over two stiles to avoid a locked gate. In Frisby we leave the Leicestershire Round to turn right but join two other SlowWays routes I have walked (SILMEL 2 and LOUMEL 2).

Our path starts a few metres up Mill Lane, and crosses a number of fields (again the arable fields have obvious cut lines) and a minor route to Kirby Bellars, where we follow the road a little up the hill to find the path to Melton. This path has a number of stiles and a few steps, and also a couple of short sections that are steep enough to be a little awkward when wet, but when conditions are dry it is a very pleasant walk.

Just before the path reaches the main road, we head right and right again around a new housing estate to reach a level crossing and a bridge to reach the riverside path, which we soon leave to turn right over Rhubarb Island. The river path has a few sections which can be slippery when wet, but in dry conditions it offers an excellent quick but quiet route into Melton. We cross the popular park (where there was an old fashioned funfair yesterday) then turn left past the church and over the main road to reach the meeting point just off the Market Square.

In good conditions this is an excellent route that fully deserves five stars, but because of the steps, stiles and other minor obstacles it isn't suitable for any form of wheeled transport.

An excellent slowways route. Easy to follow, easy to walk. Little on roads. A couple of crossings of busy roads but that's all. Good pub in the middle. Nice pathways in and out of both towns. Very nice.

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