The Old Routes

After looking out of the window this morning and seeing that the roads were reasonably dry, I got out my MTB fitted with 700c wheels and 32mm tyres and set off to explore some old Leicestershire routes.

Ridgeway Lane, Syston - South Croxton

The Six Hills from Ridgeway Lane

The first port of call was Ridgeway Lane, part of an ancient track that ran from Tilton On The Hill across Leicestershire to Beacon Hill (the site of a Celtic hill top fort) and beyond. Three to four thousand years ago (a mind blowing thought), people travelled along this route on their way from Denmark to get gold from Ireland. As I stood on the roadside, to my left a skylark (my first this year) sang above the open field, whilst to my right a standing stone, almost buried, sat amidst the winter crops but with its top aligned with Beacon Hill a number of miles away; perhaps it was a way marker for those ancient folk who passed this way. In the winter's sunshine, the views from the ridge were extensive, but I imagined what it must have been like 3000 years ago with dense forests, no skylarks and only the odd glimpse of the next highest landmark, that of Beacon Hill.

South Croxton "please help use reduce our --pee-"

The old ridgeway continues along a straight line of foot paths, but I chose to follow it as close as possible on tarmaced surfaces until I reached Tilton On The Hill. Here, an it joins an even older route from Avebury to The Wash in Humberside. My route however, led me along the bridle path to Marefield

Bridlepath, Marefield Lane

The area of "high Leicestershire" is littered with field roads, bridle paths and byways. Many of these tracks were once main routes for local folk, but became forgotten back ways after the Enclosure Act in the 1845. Today, they offer an alternative way to see the rural nature of the surrounding countryside. Riding down the hill from Tilton and into Marefield is like finding an part of old England, the lane is sunken in places, crosses a couple of fords and then climbs up to enter the shrunken hamlet of Marefield itself.

John O'Gaunt LNWR Viaduct

I rode a short distance along the old London, North Western Railway line, now overgrown and disused since around 1970. Between Marefield and John O'Gaunt, a 14 arch viaduct with an average height of 60 feet now rots away. Built in 1848, it is just a reminder of another route across Leicestershire that is now longer a thoroughfare.

I made my way back from Marefield along a string of narrow lanes, field roads and byways past and through lovely named named places such as Robin a' Tiptoe Hill, Skeffington village and Rolleston. It was drizzling when I got home and I'd been out for 5 hours and yet only ridden 50 miles. With an empty stomach, but a mind full of the things I'd seen, I rode down the drive a contented cyclist!