Come and discover an often overlooked part of England. The Harborough district is an area of rolling countryside, ancient pastures and farmland, streams, woodland spinneys and beautiful villages. Canals, battles and buried treasure are all there to be explored – not to mention local characters and ancient customs.
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All the festival walks are led by two experienced guides. Consequently, not only do you get to enjoy the lovely countryside in the company of like minded people, but your walk will be enhanced with fascinating details of its natural and ancient history.
Supported by Harborough District Council, this year we are again pleased to have Involved Holidays as a major sponsor. Very appropriately Involved Holidays organise guided walking holidays in the UK and abroad.
Supported by Harborough District Council
Sponsored by Involved Holidays
your guides
James Carpenter is a trained Blue Badge Tourist Guide and a member of the Institute of Tourist Guides. He has lived locally all his life. History has been his passion and with a background in farming, he has the wealth of knowledge to make your walk a thoroughly delightful experience.
George Keeping is an outdoor writer and footpaths consultant who has written and contributed to guidebooks across the Midlands. He has led guided walks in Market Harborough, and with a background in archaeology and conservation, is as fascinated with what goes on beneath the soil as he is with the wide landscapes of Harborough District above.
the festival walks - September 14th - 21ST
SUNday SEPTEMBER 14TH
Braybrooke, Dingley, Brampton Ash Circular Walk
The festival starts with an all-day walk just across the border in Northamptonshire. We will take in an ancient castle site, a racecourse, the Red Hovel, and eat our packed lunch by one of the most visible churches in the area. What’s more, this is James’ old stomping ground, so expect many a past anecdote. There will be a stop for lunch and toilet at Brampton Ash church.
Distance: 7 miles
Grade: Moderate. Mainly quite lanes and tracks.
Starting Time: 11:00am
Meeting Place: Outside The Swan Braybrooke
Google Maps: 52.451254,-0.877708
Grid Ref: SP 7641 8428
What3Words: golden.share.shut
Parking: Griffin Road or School Lane
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ALL-DAY walk
NB: This is an all day walk: Please bring a packed lunch.
TUESday SEPTEMBER 16th
EVENING walk
Marston Trussell, Papillon Hall Circular Walk
Distance: 4 miles
Grade: Easy, mainly on quiet roads & tracks
Starting Time: 6.30pm
Meeting Place: Outside St. Nicholas Church, Marston Trussell
Google Maps: 52.467060, -0.981179
Grid Ref: SP 6936 8593
What3Words: caressing.enhances.season
Parking: Main Street, Marston Trussell
For the first time we are including a shorter evening walk. But this doesn’t mean it’s no less fascinating. Marston Trussell is an ancient settlement with an intriguing history and Papillon Hall has a mysterious past. On the walk we learn about the ghostly slippers and a terrible massacre. We may round the evening off with a drink at The Coach & Horses in Lubenham.
WEDNESday SEPTEMBER 17th
MORNING walk
Kings Norton, Lt. Stretton, Burton Overy Circular Walk
Distance: 6 miles
Grade: Easy
Starting Time: 9.30am
Meeting Place & Parking: Outside entrance to St John the Baptist church, Kings Norton
Google Maps: 52.597784, -0.984706
Grid Ref: SK 6886 0048
What3Words: geologist.fault.rolled
A walk of two churches: the imposing church at King’s Norton and its charming, but dilapidated, cousin in the hamlet of Little Stretton. Also, we’ll be walking a stretch of the ancient road that once linked the Roman towns of Leicester and Godmanchester, near Huntingdon, and visiting the quintessential Leicestershire village of Burton Overy.
tHurSday SEPTEMBER 18TH
AFTERNOON walk
Wistow, Kilby Circular Walk
Distance: 4.5 miles
Grade: Easy
Starting Time: 12.30pm
Meeting Place: Wistow Rural Centre
Google Maps: 52.557716, -1.059954
Grid Ref: SP 6383 9591
What3Words: printer.blank.squashes
Parking: Car park adjacent to Wistow Rural Centre
This shorter walk takes us to lovely Wistow and along part of the Grand Union Canal. We will also check out some unusual graves in Newton Harcourt church graveyard, discover a long-disused rifle testing range and learn of the weird legends concerning a martyred saint. At the start or finish, Wistow Rural Centre is on hand for refreshments.
FRIday SEPTEMBER 19TH
Morning walk
Tilton on the Hill, Lowesby Circular Walk
Distance: 5.5 miles
Grade: Moderate/hard. Mainly quite lanes and tracks. Includes a steep rise back into Tilton.
Starting Time: 9.30am
Meeting Place: The Rose and Crown, Tilton on the Hill.
Google Maps: 52.643726, -0.903904
Grid Ref: SK 74292 05672
What3Words: fidelity.drifting.glance
Parking: Village roads close to pub.
Tilton on the Hill is aptly named as one of the highest villages in Leicestershire. From here we walk through some of the county’s most ancient pastureland and cross a dismantled railway. On our way round, you will learn about the lovely Lowesby Hall and its most disreputable owner who coined a famous phrase.
Sunday SEPTEMBER 21ST
ALL-DAY walk.
BACK BY SPECIAL REQUEST
The Langtons & Stonton Wyville Circular Walk
We finish the Festival with a chance to experience a classic full-day walk round the Langton villages, taking in the high point of Langton Caudle. There is lots of history along the way: a possible pre-historic hillfort and later windmill site, a well where King Charles is said to have stopped on his flight from the Battle of Naseby, and a strange reminder of the dark days of the Second World War
Distance: 7 miles
Grade: Moderate/hard, with one hilly ascent up to langton Caudle
Starting Time: 11.00am
Meeting Place: Thorpe Langton. Junction of Church Lane and Welham Road (opposite The Baker's Arms)
Google Maps: 52.525659, -0.909128
Grid Ref: SP 7410 9252
What3Words: text.shred.project
Parking: Welham lane in village centre
NB: This is an all day walk: Please bring a packed lunch.
price PER WALK
£10.00 per person
Attendance on the walks by prior booking only.
Walking Conditions
Most of the routes are easy to moderate walking through open farmland and villages. There are a number of field stiles and on a couple of the walks a hilly ascent. But nothing too strenuous for a confident walker. The paths are generally good, however there could be some muddy patches. We cannot predict the weather and therefore proper walking footwear and weatherproofs are recommended. We will be walking through pastures with cattle and sheep present and are therefore unable to allow dogs on the walks.
We must reserve the right not to allow anyone on a walk who seems unlikely to be able to cope with the conditions on the day.
We will do our best to keep to the published programme but must reserve the right to cancel or amend walks if this proves to be necessary.
refreshment stops &and comfort breaks
We have done our utmost to plan the walks to finish close to or within easy driving distance of a local pub or café. Wherever possible there will be toilet facilities available somewhere on the routes.
Any questions?
If you need any help or further information, please email, james.carpenter@harboroughwalks.org
About Our Sponsor
Involved Holidays is an independently owned tour operator, specialising in group travel and walking holidays in the UK and Europe. With over twenty years of experience in the travel industry we are passionate about making sure our customers have an unforgettable experience on their holiday, giving them the opportunity to meet like minded people and make memories to last a lifetime.
Our holidays offer the perfect combination of walking and leisure time to discover the local area you are visiting at your own pace. All our walks are led by friendly, experienced local guides, who have vast amounts of knowledge, giving you a real taste and insight into your chosen destination.
Our detailed itineraries ensure you see the most stunning scenery, experience local cultures, and walk off the beaten track to discover hidden gems!