Sileby Parish Walks

From the car park walk down the passage to the right of Tesco’s and onto High Street.
1. Cross to the footpath opposite, by the old maltings buildings.  Follow this towards Sileby Mill. The Maltings, once the local brewery of William Sharpe. Built in 1858 for brewing the local beers this continued upto 1922, although malting was still carried out until 1972. Continue through four kissing gates and emerge at Mountsorrel Lane.

2. Cross and follow the pavement in a north westerly direction.

3. After about 330 metres climb the stile on the right and take the footpath over fields, 2 stiles and 2 gates to Barrow Road.

The old village pound, now a “Peace Garden”, can be found on the left hidden away just before reaching the road. Turn right and walk as far as Herricks Close before crossing to the “High Bridge footpath”, passing the pretty little cottages to the railway footbridge. Continue to King Street.

4. Turn left with Redlands Primary School on left and continue north to Park Road. Cross and enter the Memorial Park through the Coronation gates down the tree lined avenue. On the right is the War Memorial in peaceful gardens surrounded by beech hedges.

Walk across the park to the children’s play area and go right to exit via a kissing gate onto “Wash Pit” and down to Swan Street. In the 1700’s this is where the village sheep were washed and sheared.

5. To the left, opposite is Hobbs Wick footpath, take this to the Brook Street mini roundabout.

6. Cross to Albion Road, walk under the railway bridge, and bear left into Manor Drive.  Walk past the Free Trade Inn on the left to Cossington Road, turn right and continue back up High Street to the car park.  Pausing at Dudley Bridge will give you a good view of the village in all directions. Look out for the Millennium Woodcarving and Mosaic pavement with the 1996 Time Capsule buried beneath.

Follow directions for Walk 1 until point (2). At the cricket club follow Mill Lane to Sileby Mill and Marina. The marina is an important centre for boating on the Grand Union Canal.

A. Do not cross the river, but turn left to join The Leicestershire Round footpath on the east bank of the River Soar. You will soon enter Cossington Meadows Nature Reserve. Managed by Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust.  The Reserve was opened in 2006 by Sir David Attenborough to mark the 50th anniversary of the Trust. Restored from sand and gravel extraction the meadows are rich in wildlife.

Continue along the river passing Tern Pool and signs for the Leicestershire Round footpath off to the left.

B. Continue along the riverside passing a once inhabited island at the bend in the river. You are now in ‘The Moor’ meadow and when you reach the footbridge you enter ‘The Lower Moor’ meadow, and after about 200m reach ‘Plover Meadow’.

C.  Just past the disused Boat House leave the riverside path and take the footpath on the left, keeping the hedge on your right. Pass through a kissing gate to reach the main entrance to the reserve. Take the main path on the left through another kissing gate and take the footpath on right through ‘Sedge Meadow’, through a kissing gate to ‘Wood Meadow’ and ‘Old Rectory Marsh’. Proceed to the gate.

D. Go through the gate passing the picturesque Moat in the Old Vicarage grounds. Cross the footbridge and turn right to a four way footpath junction.   A short detour to the right takes you to All Saints church and the pretty village of Cossington. Refreshments are available at the Royal Oak pub in Main Street.

E. Bear left re-joining The Leicestershire Round passing through a gate and over a footbridge. Continue past the notice board and turn left at the footpath waymark. At the cross of paths turn right and go through a wooden gate.

F. Continue NE to pass through kissing gate, then walk diagonally across the field, crossing the

brook and a stile to proceed along an enclosed path to Cossington Road.

G. Turn left to walk towards the centre of the Sileby to complete the walk.

Leave the car park via the path to the south, furthest from the entrance alongside the railway to Brook Street. Turn left under viaduct to mini roundabout. Take “Hobbs Wick”, the footpath beside the brook. When you come out at the cul-de-sac of Cygnet Close, turn sharp right, between No.s 8 and 10 and take the path and along a winding alley. Cross straight “The Banks” and go left outside No. 60 onto the Duck Paddle footpath to join Ratcliffe Road. Turn right heading out of the village.

i. At the top of the hill cross the road to the footpath into the field. Walk diagonally to cross the stream under the power lines at the footbridge. Ascend the hill through four kissing gates to join The Leicestershire Round on the road called Rosminian Way.

ii. Turn left and continue past Elms Farm and Ratcliffe College. Ratcliffe College is a public school founded in 1847 by the Institute of Charity and run by the Rosminian Fathers. The main building was designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin who had previously designed the Palace of Westminster.

iii. Leave the road and The Leicestershire Round through the gate on the left and go diagonally north over the field to a second gate, continue north through gates and over fields passing Padge Hall before reaching Park Hill golf course. Watch out for golfers.  Keep to the waymarked path to Park Hill Lane.

iv. Turn left and walk along the Lane to Seagrave keeping to the right to face any oncoming traffic. Cross to the golf club entrance then turn right. Keeping the hedge to the left follow the off road track downhill. The view of Seagrave opens up on the other side of the valley. Continue downhill into Seagrave bearing left into Butchers Lane. Take the footpath on left.  For refreshments, continue up the lane to Church Street.  The ‘The White Horse’ pub is next to All Saints Church.

v. Continue south through six gates and cross the Hanover Lodge Farm track. Bear left around the edge of the field next to Sileby brook below Sunrise Farm. Continue over a footbridge to follow the footpath with the hedge on your right.

vi. After two stiles you reach the outskirts of Sileby just below Highgate School. Cross Heathcote Drive and continue opposite through the estate to reach the Memorial Park. Continue straight ahead through the park with War Memorial on left, to join Swan Street. Cross the road and turn right to the corner of King Street opposite Redlands School. Go left along King Street, under the Railway Bridge and back to the car park behind The Railway Pub.