This route is very similar to MelCol one, and shares the same problem - it used a supposed permissive path west of Woolsthorpe that is not a right of way or signposted on the ground, and may not be legal....

Hugh Hudson

The photo shows the Woolsthorpe end of the supposed path - the other end looks more like a path but is also a farm track and is also unsignposted. I also changed the route west of Freeby because the path was blocked by an electric fence, and since I was already planning to submit a new route, I straightened the street walk into Melton. I will write a more detailed review with pictures on MelCol three....

Hugh Hudson

A fenced track between houses leads to Old Post Lane, where we turn right then walk through Woolsthorpe, passing the entrance to Woolsthorpe Manor (Isaac Newton's house). We then turn right on a little used but well signposted field path. The section past and through Stanton Wood is not quite as per the right of way but is fairly easy to follow, and we soon reach The Drift, where we turn left. We turn right at the end of the village then turn left on a path which is mostly a good farm track (plenty of puddles) but the last field has to be crossed and the exit may need careful navigation to find. Beyond, there is a farm lane all the way to Grange Farm, but the middle section is unsurfaced, rutted and muddy, and it is not as straight as the right of way circles suggest....

Hugh Hudson

The other highlight for me was a section of the path between Somerby and Cold Overton which runs through a semi-wild area of long grass between a stream and a wood, which makes an excellent habitat for butterflies and damselflies. Further up the path is a little overgrown, but once out of the wood we are in access land, so you can take any line you like up the steep slope right to reach the Burrough Hill fort. Beyond the village we take the field path to Cold Overton, which is not too difficult to follow, though at one point a degree of confidence is required to enter a farmyard, and it has a number of stiles. The rest of the route is an easy walk down Cold Overton Road and a simple street walk through Oakham to the meeting point in the market place....

Hugh Hudson

I eventually rejoined this route at Somerby and walked the rest of it, except that I stayed on Cold Overton Road because Manor Lane was also partially closed (possibly just to cars but I didn't fancy another retreat at this stage, and Cold Overton Road didn't seem dangerous). What I did of this route was very enjoyable, particularly the semi-wild space full of butterflies and damselflies on the footpath between Somerby and Cold Overton, though a few more points could have made the GPX better, so I'll flag it as a don't know until we know what the long term effect of the new road is....

Hugh Hudson

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 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. 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. 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....

Hugh Hudson

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. 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 go right down Dickmans Lane, and head straight on into the fields beyond. 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. 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 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 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. The path out of the country park takes us into an industrial estate, where I followed the GPX line right onto Jubilee Street....

Hugh Hudson

We cross another path then turn right to reach a lane, where we go right a short distance then take the field path sharp left that takes us out to Pasture Lane. Here we go left a few yards and take the lane right towards Grange Farm, leaving it to cross the field towards the right of the buildings. More field paths take us to the edge of Ashby Folville, where we turn right onto the Leicestershire Round, then left down Highfield End to reach the Ashby Folville meeting point opposite the Carington Arms (sic) pub....

Hugh Hudson

Most of this route is good, but the path south from Redbrook Crescent is blocked by housing development work, so I had to find an alternative, which I have submitted as ASHBMEL 2 after tidying it a little. The photos are taken from both sides of the obstruction. For a more detailed review see ASHBMEL 2....

Hugh Hudson

We follow the canal as far as The Drift, where we turn left (there is a short section without a pavement but the road is quiet). Once in Harlaxton there is a pavement. Harlaxton has a shop and a pub, but it seems a little early in such a walk for this to determine route selection and had I designed it I might have been tempted to use the path from further along the canal to Denton to avoid two crossings of the main road). We cross Main Street, go right a short distance and take the path left that leads to Park Lane, which we follow down to Church Street and slightly left to the unnamed road leading past the Welby Arms car park to the junction of Belvoir Road and Harston Road. We go left down Croxton Lane, taking the steeper right branch where it forks, then following it up for some distance until the road turns right and we go straight up the hill, quite steeply and over a few stiles, then along the edge of the field at the top, then follow the footpath signs into Croxton Kerrial, where we cross Church Lane and go straight on along Thorpe Lane, where the church can be seen across fields to the right. A good path takes us along field edges, and eventually over a couple of open fields to reach a wooded track where we turn right, then left down Mary Lane for some distance before using a field path to move further right to the path that follows the left edge of the old racecourse and past Racecourse Farm towards a mast, where we go straight on along the access road then across the fields and down Mere Road and Burgins Lane to the High Street in Waltham-on-the-Wolds, where we emerge by the post office/village shop. Here we turn left and follow the quiet Woodfold Lane for some distance, past a couple of farms to find the little used footpath that goes right towards a rather odd collection of old lorry trailers where the road goes sharp left....

Hugh Hudson

Most of this route is good, and I used most of it in my SILMEL 2 route, and I have walked all of it apart from the short sections either side of the A46. My reason for creating the alternative route is that in my view, it is not safe to cross the A46, a busy dual carriageway that is almost a motorway, anywhere where there is no footbridge or assisted crossing, and for that reason I could not recommend this one wholeheartedly. For my description and photos of the rest of the route, see SILMEL 2....

Hugh Hudson

Leaving the meeting point at the entrance to Sileby station, we head right / north east a short way along King Street, then right along Burton Road and left along The Banks to reach Ratcliffe Road where we head right, up the hill and out of the village, then left along a field path, where the trodden line follows the field edges rather than going straight across as per the right of way. Here we meet the Leicestershire Round and depart from SILMEL 1, turning right down to Ratcliffe Road, where we turn left, taking advantage of the wide grassy verge. We follow the road, bearing left into Ratcliffe, then crossing the first open field beyond the village on the right (there are a few stiles) and crossing more fields on a fairly well marked path to rejoin the Leicestershire Round at Rearsby Mill. The path crosses several clayfields (not pleasant when wet and recently ploughed), crossing Station Lane and going straight on into Kirby Bellars, where we go right up Main Street to find another field path (more stiles), which crosses more large open spaces then crosses a little bridge to follow the railway past the Melton Foods industrial area then onwards across fields (with a couple of surprisingly awkward little dips) to reach the old Mill Lane, where we turn left then cross into a new housing estate, where we go left along Badger Avenue then bear right beyond the houses to find the bridge over the Wreake....

Hugh Hudson

Once across the road, the path has been diverted right along the edge of the first field where it then follows the edge of the old railway crossing. Here we turn left and then right down Works Lane, then follow the field path (which may be a little wet) right along the edge of the trees to reach Harby Road, which we cross and go slightly right then left down Cropwell Road. Once in the fields, which have been left fallow and are starting to grow trees, the path now takes a straighter line than the right of way, but is fairly easy to follow. At the end of the lane we turn right then cross the stream sharp left and cross more fields and a lane to reach Long Clawson. When we reach the road we follow it round to the right and take the path (which may be muddy) right towards the mast and Melton Road, where we turn left, going straight on down a narrower lane at the main road. Here all difficulties end, as the path is obvious, and we take the first opportunity to turn left to reach Scalford Road, which we follow right downhill into the centre of Melton....

Hugh Hudson

From the Keyworth meeting point we head west up Church Drive, take the path left beyond the school field that leads to the park and Elm Avenue, then follow Selby Lane and Main Street, going straight on down Lings Lane where the road turns right and becomes Wysall Lane. We turn right onto Widmerpool Road, and take the footpath lwft past a building site (note that this path is now further west than the right of way line on the OS map). Beyond the churchyard we follow Church Lane right then left to pick up a surfaced path that leads to another Church Lane. We turn right at Widmerpool Lane and left along Main Street, which we follow around a long right turn to find the signposted bridlepath along Bryans Lane. The path crosses fields on a fairly well marked line, but the final field before Nottingham Lane has a couple of challenges - the right of way line crosses a drainage ditch on a small plank bridge but the exit from the field is slightly further south/uphill than the OS map would suggest, and involves a slightly awkward overgrown stile. We turn left and follow the lane to the junction with Main Road (noting the bench and village sign. We go left and find the field path right and crosses fields to join a track that leads up the hill. We follow the lane right to the T junction in Saxelbye, where we turn left and follow the road out of the village to another T junction where we go left again onto Saxelby Road. We follow Welby Lane right and then left, noting the private path reserved for MoD personnel that runs parallel to the road....

Hugh Hudson

Note that this review is based on a preliminary desk check rather than a walk, but I have been considering walking this route but have severe reservations about crossing the busy A46 without using a bridge, and the GPX plotting is also rather too approximate to follow with confidence. The alternative KEYMEL 2 is better but is probably too indirect, so I am considering test walking a third version that is as direct as possible but has a safer A46 crossing at Broughton Lodge....

Hugh Hudson

A couple of crossings of busy roads but that's all....

Tim Ryan

From the Melton meeting place, take Park Lane down to the park and follow the path round the edge of the part to a bridge, which we cross and head up to Dalby Road. The path passes between the railway and a garden centre and emerges onto open fields, and leads easily (not without a few stiles) to Kirby Bellars, where we turn right and follow another open field path left just before the railway which takes us to Frisby on the Wreake, where there is a shop and a pub. In Ragdale we turn left up Main Street, and at the last house we follow the signed path right - this takes a direct and usually well cut line across to the Six Hills junction. Just beyond Walton Thorns farm we take a signposted path through a gate, following a wide grassy strip along the edge of the field then left through another gate onto the unsurfaced part of Six Hills Road. This leads easily down into Walton on the Wolds, where we pass another pub, following Loughborough Road out of the village to a path that leads right along the edge of a field to a footbridge over Walton Brook, where we follow a well cut field path (which is actually neither the right of way nor the path shown on OpenStreetMap but is in between. Go straight on up the hill at Barrow Road and turn left at the end of the field, emerging on Nottingham Road, which we follow right....

Hugh Hudson

The route into Melton also has a few awkward high stiles requiring long legs, and the hill between Nether Broughton and Wartnaby is quite steep and overgrown in places....

Hugh Hudson