Explore Leicestershire's Countryside!
Leicestershire Round

Leicestershire Round on BBC Radio Leicester. Ten programmes chart Chris Baxter's walk around the Round.

The Leicestershire Round is a 100 mile circular walk around the county connecting many places of historical and geographical interest. The route.was devised by the Leicestershire Footpath Association (LFA) to celebrate the centenary of their founding in 1887 and published in sections between 1980 and 1983. Treasured by local walkers the route forms the common thread for everything from charity marathons to innumerable shorter walks. It is the county’s main long-distance footpath and a sort of flagship for the local rights of way network.

The route of the Round mostly follows public rights of way, though there are some sections on quiet roads, unsurfaced tracks and canal towpath. The route is signposted throughout with the Leicestershire Round symbol on waymark arrows (see the example left) and named on some finger posts (like the one right) where the route leaves surfaced roads. The route is described in the official guide book details for which are given below.

Work has started on a revised edition of the book though this is a long term project. In the meantime see the accompanying page for Updated Information.

Comments about the Round. These are welcome, as are reports of any missing signs or other problems. Please send full details to footpaths@leics.gov.uk or use the Rights of Way Problem Report Form

What information is available?

The Leicestershire Round: A 100 Mile Circular Walk
by Leicestershire Footpaths Association.
Published by Leicestershire County Council, 1996 ISBN: 0850223903 126 pages
Price: £5.00 (inc p&p)

The official guide book is arranged in sections, focusing on villages as stopping points; this means the route can easily be completed as a series of shorter walks, and is very handy when needing waterholes and resting places. Copies are available from bookshops, outdoors shops, some Tourist Information Centres, online from Cordee (who are the booktrade distributor), or direct from the County Council. To order:

Send a cheque for £5 made payable to 'Leicestershire County Council
Post to Countryside Service, Leicestershire County Council, Community Services Dept, Room 500, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8TE

Ordnance Survey Explorer maps 246 (Loughborough), 233 (Leicester & Hinckley), 232 (Nuneaton & Tamworth) and 245 (The National Forest) show the complete route in detail.

Updated Information this further page has advice about changes and developments on the current 'Round' route and notes of errors on the Ordnance Survey maps.

Traveline now provide information on local bus services via the website or by telephoning 0871 200 22 33 (10p per minute landline, mobiles charged at operator's standard rates).

Go Leicestershire is now the official site for tourist information including details of accommodation available. Go Leicestershire produce a list of accredited accommodation (inspected by either the AA or by Visit Britain) on or near the route as at January 2010, which is available here (pdf document 715kb)

Andrew Wynne, a local artist, walked the Leicestershire Round in March 2008. His website includes his itinerary and reviews of the accommodation at which he stayed.

Yell.com can be searched for details and location maps of pubs, post offices, grocers & convenience stores and other accommodation in or near specific places on the Round.

32 Short Circular Walks Based on the Leicestershire Round
by Heather MacDermid, Editor.
Published by Cordee, 1999 ISBN: 187189039X 160 pages
Price: £5.99

Currently out of print.. Copies may be available to borrow from public libraries and in bookshops and occasionally from some online suppliers.

Once the whole route is completed

As mentioned in the introduction to the book (page 4) people who have completed the whole 100 mile circuit of the Round may obtain a cloth badge produced by the LFA. Send a cheque for £2.50 (made payable to Leicestershire Footpath Association) together with a Stamped Addresed Envelope to Heather MacDermid at 'Gamekeeper's Lodge', 11, London Road, Great Glen, LE8 9DJ.

Explore Leicestershire's Countryside!
Leicestershire Round