L2L D27 Market Bosworth to Ashby de la Zouche - 13 miles

In the town square, in the sunshine I met Sue, Isabel, Rick and Chris

They told me they'd become friends through the town library where they all volunteer.  Leicestershire has moved all it's smaller libraries to be volunteer run. The library here is a much loved village hub.
Ricky and Chris had to dash for the bus so I continued having a chat with Isabel and Sue who were off for a walk.

At the war memorial there's a plaque set into the ground commemorating Richard III On his was to his eventual and rightful resting place in Leicester Cathedral, his hearse and procession stopped here to be blessed in the town closest to the battlefield on which he died.

The ladies explained that the pride in Richard and the Plantaganet line continues to this day.

Apparently 10 000 people gathered on that day to pay their respects. The streets were full and festooned with bunting - they recall much of it made by Isabel, Sue and their friends.

Isabel and her husband keep their boat in the river in Caernarfon and are members of RWYC. It's a small world!!

I left the town on the Leicestershire Round footpath - part of a 100 mile circular walk. With it being well signposted, the walking was easy.

With Crab-apple on one side

and Blackthorn on the other

in full sunlight the air was alive with the buzzing of bees.

At Carlton, an information board gave the background to some of the local place names.
Apparently in Pre-Roman times this was the territory of a Belgic tribe - the Coritani, a confederation of Celtic and Germanic people. By the 6th century the Middle Angles arrived  and in the 7th century the area was incorporated into Mercia. By the 9th Century Viking invaders had taken over the administration and Mercia rule was disbanded into Danelaw. Throughout these periods it's believed that the languages would have inevitably morphed.

Possibly as a result, there're some great place names around here - Shackerstone, Congreston, Newton Burgoland and Barton in the Beans!



It's difficult to know what to do when the footpath on the map crosses a field when the crops are already growing with no sign of anyone having crossed before me....so I behaved myself and walked all the way around the perimeter. If I carry on like this, I'll never get there!!

A wonderful show of dandelions.

I didn't set off with the intention of visiting Rail Preservation Societies but it seems there are no end of them. At Shackerstone I crossed a footbridge over The Battlefield Line which runs 5 miles back towards Ambion Hill and the Bosworth Battlefield. It being a Monday, despite appearances, the promising Victorian platform tearooms were closed. 

In the sidings there was a lot of promising machinery and though there were sounds of acticiivity, it felt that if anything moved it was going to be doing so very...very slowly.

Whilst waiting in the hope that something might happen I decided to appreciate these tiny little ecosystems growing in the holes and cracks in a railway sleeper.

Our canal building forefathers were nothing if not ingenious and industrious. Here the road and the Ashby Canal pass over a river with a road bridge and an aqueduct.

I stopped off at the Belper Arms in Newton Burgoland to recharge the phone battery while enjoying an essential cheese and picalilli bap (and a half of the guest beer - Brains SA all the way from Cardiff ) Yeehaa!!

At Swepstone there's a sign proclaiming that I was now entering the National Forest. With all that timber, it's strange that the local authority should use plastic posts (looking like timber) to hold up the road sign.

I must be a Puritan Protestant underneath because the carpetted Holy Rood church 

at Packington felt too extravagant and just doesn't feel right. 

though for my tired feet it was very nice and soft underfoot. 

And these steps up the West window are intriguing.

Just a mile or so to go and I crossed over the A42.

On Packington Nook Lane - 

a mile long track leading to the outskirts of Ashby I saw a number of butterflies

a Peacock  

and an Orange tip (very similar to Large or Small White but with outer camouflaged wings) all done subsequently with the help of Google.  Clever eh!!!

On Bath Street, I passed the Loudoun monument 

designed by Gilbert Scott which commemorates the philanthropic work of Edith Maud Rawdon-Hastings, Countess of Loudoun, sister of Henry Weysford Charles Plantagenet Rawdon-Hastings. Old Plantaganet loyalties die hard!!

With the sky darkening ominously,

in Market St. there was a striking number of St George flags

all, I was told afterwards,  in readiness for St George's Day on April 23 ...( Thank the Lord.....and there was me thinking the town had been taken over by Faragists!!:(

Apparently the same poles are used for Ashby Pride day and Christmas decorations.

Before getting to my accommodation, I celebrated my arrival at Ashby with a pint of Bass at The Plough. Gosh it was good!!