Whitwick & District U3A

Whitwick & District U3A - Striders

(Previously called Long Walks Group)

This group is for those interested in walks up to 9 or 10 miles. It has been agreed by the membership of this group that no dogs are allowed on the walks.

All those members who feel able will participate in leading walks.

You may also be interested in the Ramblers group, whose walks are up to 7 or 8 miles.

Striders will resume walking for the first time on Monday 19th. October. This will take place following Covid secure measures. The walk will be led by Vanessa with spaces for 5 other walkers in the group. If more than 5 wish to come along, then 2 groups will be formed, each with a leader. The groups will walk separately and keep well apart with staggered timings. The second group leader will be provided with a map by Vanessa.

Striders Walk for Monday 14th December 0930 starting from Woodcock Way Ashby. Parking is available next to the children's play area about 250 yds along the road on the RH side. Approximately 9 miles long. Mud in places! Picture below.

Participants should also complete a personal risk assessment - this does not need to be shared with the Group Leader.

If you intend to walk, you must inform the Group Leader, Vanessa on Contact details will be retained for all those attending the walk for Track and Trace.

Further walks will be on Jan 18, Feb 15, March 15 and April 19 subject to any Government restrictions in place at the relevant time.

Shown below are pictures from a recent walk. Pictures from other walks are available in the Gallery

Contact

Vanessa at

Please note that as an anti-spam measure e-mail addresses on this page are NOT links, but should be manually copied

Updated 21-7-20 Pictures from walks by individuals can be found below

December 2020

A group of 6 walked on the 14th December led by Pearl on a 9.7 mile route from Ashby. A beautiful day for walking but extremely muddy underfoot..

Five members standing well apart in a field

Memories of yesteryear - well 2019 anyway

January

A 9.5 mile walk starting from Ticknall and passing St Brides, Stanton by Bridge, Inglebury, Seven Spouts and Foremark.

Members leaning on a field gate
Morning break near Inglebury Toft

Chruch with gravestones
Lunch at Foremark Church

Line of walkers beside a hedge
On the way back to Ticknall

February

An 11 mile walk starting from Swannington to Whitwick, Cademan Woods, Poachers Corner, Blackbrook Aquaduct, Osgathorpe and Thringstone.

Memebrs climbing a steep bank
Approaching Whitwick the hard way.

Steep rocks with trees at the top
Cademan Rocks

Members seated on a bench and on the grass
Lunch at Osgathorpe Church

Four members crossing a style
In this area we are blessed with many footpaths but also many stiles. We crossed 26 on this walk.

March

Another 11 miles starting from Worthington then following the Cloud Trail to Tonge and on Diseworth, Belton and Osgathorpe

The high stony sides of the quarry
Cloud Hill Quarry

Walking along a slightly muddy path towards an arched bridge
On the Cloud Trail

Members walking at side of road, Breedon church in middle distance
About to cross the A42 with Breedon Church in the background.

Members walking at side of road, control tower in middle distance
The airport control tower is visible from miles around.

Members seated on bench with their bananas, control tower in the distance
Banana break at Diseworth with the airport still in view.

Members crossing large green fields
Wide open spaces heading to Belton.

Members standing in square in front of church
Belton Church.

Two inquisitive porkers
Looking for food (unsuccessfully).

April

A 10 mile figure of eight walk starting from Swepstone The first loop was to Normanton-Le-Heath and the second to Newton Burgoland and Shackerstone

Church with bare trees in foreground
Our starting point at Swepstone Church.

Walkers crossing field with a glint in the distance
Near Normanton-Le-Heath. What could be water on the left of the picture is a field of solar panels.

Members seated and standing alongside canal
Taking a break on the towpath of the Ashby Canal.

A narrow boat approaching with toe-path on the right
A narrow boat cruises on the Ashby Canal

A long line of narrow boats moored on a bend in the canal
Narrow boats moored near Shackerstone.

May

This month we completed the "Three Great Houses" walk. Starting from Staunton Harold car park we went to Calke Abbey, Melbourne Hall and finally back to Staunton Harold Hall, a distance of 10 miles.

Three female mebers standing with Calke Abbey in background
Approaching Calke Abbey.

Four members standing on driveway in front of Melbourne Hall
At Melbourne Hall

View showing Staunton Harold church, hall and lakes
Almost at Staunton Harold Hall and the end of the walk.

June

A nine mile walk starting from Barrow upon Soar and visiting Mountsorrel, the Granite Caf�, Swithland Reservoir and Quorn.

Water coming over a small weir with a narrow boat in foreground
The River Soar.

Members standing on bridge over the canal, with lockgates in foreground
Mountsorrel Lock.

A section of railway track, with paths either side
The Mountsorrel branch of the Great Central Railway at the Granite Caf�.

A large mechanical digger and truck working on a lvery large mound of spoil
Some way to go before this pile is shifted.

Articulated lorry stuck part in tight bend of a narrow lane
We're used to climbing over stiles but crawling under a lorry tightly wedged between two walls is a first I think.

Stuck lorry with driver standing alongside using his phone
"Well boss, the sat nav said �.."

Members seated in a meadow of long grass
Lunch near Quorn.

River with willows dangling over
Back to the River Soar near the end of the walk.

July

A nine and a half mile walk from Melbourne. The route took us to Wilson, the Cloud Trail, the Trent and Mersey Canal, Swarkestone and Stanton by Bridge.

Terraced lawns with Melbourne Hall behind
The rear and gardens of Melbourne Hall.

Bridge parapet and river
The River Trent from the railway bridge on the Cloud Trail.

Members eating while seated on bench alongside track
Banana break on the Cloud Trail just before joining the Trent and Mersey Canal .

Swarkstone Hall Pavilion seen through the bars of a wooden gate
Swarkstone Hall Pavilion. This was the setting for the picture on the cover of the Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet album in 1968.

Meadow in foreground with the tops of vehicles visible over the stone structure of the causeway behind
Swarkestone Causeway from ground level.

Members cseated on the ground in the shade next to a stone wall
Lunch break at Stanton by Bridge. The nearby bench was rejected in favour of the shade of by the wall.

Inscribed stone placque set in brick wall
The site of an ancient well near Melbourne. I believe the inscription translates as "This Holy well by Robert named Hardinge 1662".

September

A filed of sheep with a faint mist
A misty view near Market Bosworth

Three members seated at a bench watching a canal boat about to pass under a bridge
Break by the Ashby Canal

A large number of moored canal boats
Market Bosworth Marina

A line of part-timbered houses
The town centre in Market Bosworth

October

Members resting on either side of a quiet lane with hedges both sides
Break on Broadstone Lane near Ticknall

Foregound gGrassland, with the reservoir in the middle distance and woods beyond
Distant view of Staunton Harold Reservoir

Several clumps of honey-coloured fungus around a tree stump
Impressive fungi

A calf in a field><br>
A nice looking calf at Calke</p>

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November

Two lock gates almost totally submerged with the canal forming ponds
The intention had been to walk from Zouch. However, shortly after this flooded lock on the pre walk the route was impassable and so a back up plan was used.

A group of five members gathered around a bench
Break at Lount Nature Reserve.

Memberswalking on the verges at either side of a very wet and muddy track
A muddy woodland path

White horse with a coat
A horse with winter coat on at Newbold Coleorton.

Venue

Various

Timing

3rd Monday of the month

Calendar

2020

Mon Jan 20th Led by Owen, starting from the car park next to St John's Church, Church Street, Donisthorpe, DE12 7PY at 09:30. It's a 10 mile walk on a lot of tracks, some roads and some fields. We go through Oakthorpe Village, Hicks Lodge, Shellthorpe, Blackfordby and back along the canal from Moira.

Mon Feb 17th CHANGED As a consequence of the heavy rain, the walk will now be around the Calke Estate starting from Ticknall Village Hall at 9.30 am. Approx 8 miles on (usually) solid surfaces.

Mon Mar 16th Led by Alison leaving the village car park in Main Street, Woodhouse Eaves, LE12 8RZ at 09:30. The route of 10½ miles takes in Beacon Hill Park, Ulverscroft Mill, Bradgate Park and Lingdale Golf Course on the whole on good paths but with some mud expected in a couple of places. Alison suggests taking a walking stick / pole if you have one.

Mon Apr 20th Led by Pearl

Mon May 18th Led by Brian

Mon Jun 15th

Mon Jul 20th

Mon Aug 17th Led by Penny

Mon Sep 21st

Mon Oct 19th

Mon Nov 16th

Pictures

Individual walks Updated 21-7-20

Some pictures by members from their own walks at Calke/p>

Flower border beside path

Purple flowers with raindrops

Unripe plums with raindrops on them

A glistening spiders web

Scarecrow surrounded by flowers

Raindrops into a pool

Some pictures by members from their own walks. Holly Hayes Wood, Hermitage Lake and near Whitwick Church, and from Polly Botts Lane, John Lees Wood and Bradgate Park.

Woodland with white flowers

Unidentified

Open water

Old John against a clear blue sky

Bluebells

Path with trees either side

Some pictures from Pembrokeshire in May 2019, when it was almost as quiet as it probably is now

foreground gorse in flower with a bay and sea beyond

A headland, with no-one in sight

Coastal path dipping into a sea inlet

Estuary with moared boats

Gentle waves coming into a sandy beach

An Exercise Walk

After two weeks of confinement we decided that we needed a walk. As the weather forecast for this morning was good we set off just before dawn. From home we walked to Hoo Ash Roundabout, through Swannington to the A512 and then Mill Lane. We paused at the Mill to watch the sunrise and have a cup of coffee then down to Limby Hall Lane and through fields passing Broomey Husk back to the A511 near Hoo Ash, a distance of just on five miles. The field paths are drying out well now, what a shame we can't make the most of them after all the wet and mud we endured through the winter. We heard a woodpecker hard at work in the copse where the Raper and Fenton mine used to be on Limby Hall Lane.
On the way home we saw the quarter to eight 29 bus. Usually going to Burton the route has evidently been cut back to Swadlincote. The only person on board was the driver. We arrived home by eight o'clock having only met a couple of dog walkers, a jogger and the bin men on Hough Hill. All were passed at distance and we felt safe.

Sunrise over a tree rimmed pond

Stone mill building and its reflection in pond

March's Walk

Field with sheep and a background of low hills
A view over Leicestershire.

Six members standing on or near play equipment - no bananas in sight!
Banana break at Beacon Hill.

Stone building covered in a mass of scaffolding
Renovations at Ulverscroft Priory.

Bootprints in wet and muddy ground
There were some muddy stretches.

A line of pollarded trees with masses of light pink blossom
Blossom near Newtown Linford.

Raised beds with daffodils and colourful primulas
Spring flowers in Bradgate Park.

Old John monument
A well known Leicestershire landmark.