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This
was a very enjoyable and highly recommended wander around an interesting
and attractive corner of Leicestershire, not far south of Melton Mowbray.
The first challenge was to find the starting point! Getting to the village of Somerby from Melton was easy (take the Oakham road A606 and turn right at sign for Little Dalby). The trick (we discovered after two ventures in the wrong direction) once you reach Somerby is to follow the signpost saying "Village Centre" and travel right through the village, passing the church and two pubs, and carry on until you meet the signs for the Country Park and its car park.
At Burrough Hill (Parking £1) we (Ant, Daryl, L and R) ambled up to the hill fort and along the top of its ramparts. Today was warm and hazy after heavy overnight rain, so the views from the top (210m) were limited — this would be a great place to come on a crystal clear winter's day... But we could see, just about, Beacon Hill to the west and Boston Stump to the east.
We then followed the clearly-marked (yellow posts) footpath north and then east from the east side of the fort. East of Rise Hill Spinneys the footpath goes through woods that have have grown since our Explorer map ( Explorer 246) was last surveyed (anyway, they're not marked!). At a t-junction of paths, we turned right (southwards) and climbed a steep slope to gently undulating fields, following a little of the Leicestershire Round Long Distance Path.
Having
entered Somerby beside the Old Forge we had lunch in the Stilton Cheese
pub (good beer, good food, interesting mix of Saturday people to watch).
Then, as we walked westwards through the village we encountered the
tiny village fete, which was being held behind "The Grove".
We paid our 20p and joined the throng around the stalls: the tombola
stall, stalls selling bric a brac, cakes, homemade preserves, plants
etc. There was a real coconut shy and a mechanical organ. Ant and Daryl
carried rhubarb and a lily plant for the remainder of the walk!
Just to the left of the entrance the The Grove a narrow road leads to an equestrian centre. We followed this to where it met a footpath running due west to Burrough on the Hill across some rolling countryside and down into a valley to cross a little stream. After a gentle climb and passing the sewage works we met a road. We turned right and then right again at the next junction (under a big tree). At the church gate we turned left to follow a footpath through the churchyard. Just beyond the churchyard the path forks. Don't follow the clearer route (yellow post, running west) like we did at first! We had to retrace our steps to follow the right fork that runs almost northwards.
Once
you are on the correct path it crosses several large fields in almost
a straight line to meet the Leicestershire Round again at a t-junction,
where we turned right towards the hill fort, where several kites were
now making the most of its breezy height.
Easy walking 7km.
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