Wymeswold Parish Walks

There are 3 different walks in the Wymeswold area: 3 miles; 2.75 miles and 3.25 miles

The attractive village of Wymeswold lies three miles north-east of Loughborough, in a shallow valley in the rolling area known as the Wolds. The village is a compact settlement built around the 14th century Church, and several fine Georgian properties can be found in Far Street, and in Brook Street along the banks of the River Mantle.

P Parking in the village lanes may be difficult, but space is available after 10am at the Three Crowns opposite St. Mary’s Church, and behind the Village Hall in Clay Street.

Directions for all walks start from St. Mary’s Church

A. Walk out of the village along East Road, passing the Hammer and Pincers public house on the left. Once past Manor Court, a private drive on the right, join the woodland path which runs parallel to the busy East Road. Ignore the footpath signed to the right and continue on the path through the trees until just before reaching the road junction. Look to your left to see a footpath sign on the other side of the main road.
B. Cross the road with care and follow this footpath with the hedge on the left. At the top of the field, cross the boundary and bear left to continue.
C. Maintain the same direction across the fields with the church tower over to the left. Eventually you will reach a lane.
D. Cross the lane and take the right hand of the two signed footpaths (for a shorter walk take the left hand path). Follow the waymarks diagonally right across the field, then the yard and another field. After the stile, walk with the hedge on the right hand side. Near the field end cross the boundary, and continue with the hedge on the left to join a track. This track is called Storkitt Lane. The curiously-named Storkitt Lane is a corruption of ‘stall cot lane’. The word ‘cot’ gives the modern word ‘cottage’ but previously referred to a simple shelter. This one clearly had stalls for livestock. At the southern end of Storkitt Lane is a brick-built pound or ‘pinfold’. This is where stray animals were kept until their owners came to pay a small fine. The bricks suggest it was built in the nineteenth century. The gate is missing and the walls were of even height until an unfortunate ‘restoration’ in the 1990s.
E. Follow the track around the bend and continue to eventually reach Far Street. Turn left to return to the church

Walk 2: 4.5km (2.75miles), allow 1.5 hours, across quiet, undulating countryside, rich in wildlife
1. Walk through the churchyard, turn right on to Church Street and then left onto Brook Street. Continue along Brook St. and out of the village until you reach the beginning of Wymeswold Meadows Nature Reserve on your right. Look across to the fields north of Narrow Lane. In the third and forth centuries AD a Roman farmstead stood here, sensibly situated on a south-facing slope with easy access to the water of the River Mantle.
2. Go into the meadow and cross diagonally to the brook. Do not cross the brook, but follow it. Go through a hand gate and continue along the brook. Then walk diagonally up to another hand gate which joins the waymarked path on the other side of the hedge.
3.. Follow the path across the brook and up to a stile in the field boundary.
4. Cross the stile and follow the waymarks left which shortly direct you diagonally across the field to a stile that can be seen on the horizon. 5. At the field boundary turn left and follow the waymarks, ignoring a footpath to the left and a bridleway to the right. Cross the next field which has evidence of ridge and furrow.
6. At the stile, do not cross but turn around and head to the stile to the left and cross it into an arable field. Walk across the field, passing a pond on the way.
7. Cross the stile, a second field and a further double stile into a pasture. Follow the edge of the field with the hedge on your right crossing another stile. Part way along this field edge the route crosses the brook so the hedge will now be on your left. Cross the stile into the next field.
8. Immediately after the next stile the path turns right alongside newly planted trees and a planted field to a path which turns left between a hedge and a fenced plantation.
9. Follow the path to the village and The Stockwell back to the church.

Walk 3: 5.5km (3.25miles), allow 2 hours, across open countryside with interesting views
Follow directions for Walk 2 until point 6. For this route cross the stile that is mentioned and continue keeping the hedge on the left. Soon turn right and walk parallel to the hedge on the right. Turn right again to cross the field boundary and continue through the next field with the hedge now on the left. Cross two stiles then turn diagonally right aiming for the far right hand corner of the next field. The tower of Wymeswold church soon comes into view. There are also wonderful views of the hills of Charnwood Forest in the distance.
i. At the field corner turn left and take the path with the hedge on your right. Halfway across the next field, by the electricity wires, turn right and walk down the field in line with the church tower. Continue diagonally left across the next field to reach the lane.
i. Turn right and after 50m take the path on the right. Head diagonally across the field aiming for the barns, and return to the village.

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