Leics Round 6 - Mkt Bosworth to Bagworth

With Marta. We deviated from the route a couple of times, and altogether walked perhaps two miles more than planned. A fine day, but with the cold north/ northeasterly wind still blowing. Snow lay on the ground in sheltered places, but there were also plenty of muddy and boggy patches. Most of the fields we had to cross were fairly dry. About 12 miles in all. A surprising amount of uphill, though none steep.





We park at the Country Park.More info about Market Bosworth Country Park andwalks from there, and information about the memorials to horses in a nearby field.

We walk into the town centre - it looks old-fashioned with its veg shops, cafés and pubs, and is still commemorating the Battle of Bosworth.





More info about Market Bosworth Country Park and walks from there, and information about the memorials to horses in a nearby field.



We walk down Back Lane, past some interesting buildings







and fairy-tale gardens.



Then we go across a field, making our way to the far right corner, where we meet a lane and turn left.









The next section of reclaimed land is being developed as a golf course. The path keeps fairly close to the left hand edge, and continues in the same direction until we turn right over a footbridge.

The path crosses the bridge - not sure why the sign points left

The simplest way from here is cutting the corner of the field to where there is a waymarker part way along the hedge. Signs are a little confusing, though not seriously misleading. The path leads directly to the edge of Carlton village, which we can see over the fields.





When we reach the road we turn left, then right along Shackerstone Walk, past the old school.

Sir Wolstan Dixie, of Market Bosworth appears to have endowed several schools. One of these baronets was a 'colourful character'

We walk past the green, and follow our footpath as it turns left behind some huge barns. At the end of the field we turn right and walk along the field edge to a footbridge, then uphill.

Colourful characters of the ovine kind

The signs are clear along by some hedges until we reach some very open fields - again the path is clear, and the mud is fairly dry today. We reach Keepers Cottage on the road, and this is where our diversion to avoid the closed footbridge starts.

It would save hassle if the diversion was posted up here to help walkers who may not have consulted the Leicestershire Round website for updates.

Turn left and follow the road over the railway line and take a footpath to the right just beyond.



We stopped at Shackerstone for a much needed lunch. Walking was quite tough today, because of the wind, and the occasional muddy sections.

We liked the roof!

The Ashby Canal at Shackerstone

Better than a guard dog?

We walked for a short distance along the canal, then turned right as instructed and crossed the disused railway line, then it's over the stream, and under a second railway line. We follow the waymarkers and the hedge and join a muddy field road. We turn right here.

The field road carries on for a fair distance, climbing gently but persistently until it passes Odstone Hall, with it's fenced ha-ha, perched high with wide views.





We pass the hall and Ivy House Farm and come to the road to Barton in the Beans - I love that name. The road goes downhill for about 400 yards, and wings to the right. Just here there's a footpath to the left, and another field track/mud-bath leading up. There are electricity pylons mentioned in the LR book, but they may have been rerouted - we saw none.

We have a slight problem with signage here - and walk two sides of a field to reach the footbridge down to our right. When we've crossed that all is crystal clear again as we follow signs through fields and uphill until we see Nailstone Church spire directly ahead of us.

It's just a question of aiming for that - but the paths are obvious - and not wet.

We decide we deserve another break after the last three huge and windy fields, so we take shelter by the hedge before we cross the A447.

This road does need care - partly because the steps down through the hedge are worn and seem to want to throw the unwary straight on to the carriageway!

Over the A447 and along Vero's Lane - the name is marked at the other end. We pass Nailstone Church, and are almost tempted to walk along the footpath opposite. For once we're awake, and realise we need to turn left and then right at Manor Cottage.

The way is clearly marked and the book's instructions are good.

After a couple of miles we pass the Underhills Wood scheme where land is being reclaimed under the auspices of the National Forest.





Nailstone church is still visible on the skyline.

A short distance to go and we're back in Bagworth.

Bagworth church - no, it doesn't really bend.

This wasn't the most exciting stretch of the Round, though the wind may have prejudiced us slightly!

Big Rocks

This big rock was along the steep hill going into or out of Ghost Canyon. Because it is fall the leaves were gone on the aspen trees and we could see the rocks better than we would have been able to in the summer. The rocks on this portion of the road were the biggest we saw.

Best Wishes...

The past few days I've been a bit under the weather... until I get back, please check out the posts my fellow genea-bloggers have contributed to the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories that has been hosted by Thomas MacEntee. I know that it has been a lot of work for you Thomas, but the time you spent putting it all together has been appreciated. Thank you Thomas! I have certainly enjoyed reading all of the articles. Thank you to everyone who participated.



To each and everyone, I wish you the best Christmas ever and may the spirit of the season be with you.

If you are in need of a good laugh (and aren't we all at some point during the holidays?) Janice Brown's video cartoons of GeneaBlogging Elves Running Amok will certainly cheer you up!

The Keweenaw Peninsula :: Is it the End or the Beginning?

The end of the road.



The road simply loops around this sign stating it is “The Beginning of US 41”





Over the years, I've driven on sections of US 41 in all the states it goes through except for Wisconsin. I've been at the beginning on the Keweenaw Peninsula and near it's end in Miami and many points in between...

The Patagonia guide book!

This is the coolest thing I have seen in awhile. Click on the link below but plan on spending some time there. It is an amazing resource for the community and a innovative format. "Bravo" on the idea and follow through for all involved!



Make sure to dbl click the 3 enclosed topo photos for full value and an idea of the scale of this project!

http://www.pataclimb.com/



"The Chaltén Massif was once a faraway land, a place where mountaineers could live a simple and adventurous life in the wild. Until the early eighties few expeditions visited the area every year but soon, due to a sharp rise in popularity and the advent of the town of El Chaltén for geopolitical reasons, things changed. The bridge over Río Fitz Roy was the first step, which was followed by roads, services, pavement, infrastructure, weather forecasts, etc. In spite of these changes the beauty of the peaks is still the same and Patagonia’s most precious treasure: its fierce winds and storms, continue to blow through the land as strong as ever, reminding us of our insignificance."





http://www.pataclimb.com/

What a Delight They Are!

Today at The Library, I met the You Go Genealogy Girls! They are delightful ladies, fun to talk with, and boy do they have some stories to tell... I saw Ruby at one of the microfilm scanner stations and thought she looked familiar (I did know they were coming here – after all, I do read their blog). So I went up to her and asked if she was one of the YGGG. (Thank goodness she was, I sure would have felt silly if she hadn't been.) We had a nice conversation then a few minutes later she brought Cheri over. To make a long story short, we snagged someone at the microfilm readers to take a photo of the four of us. The one the lady took with my camera was way out of focus but I think Carol has a good shot of all of us that she will post soon. [added May 27th - photo posted by Carol. Very good.]





Cheri Hopkins YGGG#2 and Ruby Coleman YGGG#1

Taking a tip from Carol, I decided to scan microfilm images of estate and probate records for several ancestors today. Back in the late 1980s I had taken a research trip to Ohio and had photocopied the “important” papers (those naming heirs) but that was it. I was able to find the estate records for three ancestors and scanned them. I'm hoping to get some clues from the names of the people who purchased some of the goods from the estates. And it's nice to have copies of all of the information from the estates.



There's still another week left! And I'm still hoping for that “Happy Dance” moment!

Ankle Brace

Oh the problems of getting old. Mother Nature doesn't want me to have fun anymore. Has anyone else had experence with these braces?

So after many years of having doctors tell me there is nothing wrong with my foot I went to another podiatrist the other day and she said my foot hurts because I have bad nerve and tendon damage as well as lots of arthritis in it. Especially the tendon that runs down the inside of the leg and across the ankle bone. I thought my ankle was broke the way it hurt. She said it is just the ravages of age and I need to wear this brace. It does go in a tennis shoe so can wear shoes with it. Also she will do ultrasound and then maybe injections or physical therapy.

This seems to be the result of genetics and many, many years of standing on my feet all day on concrete floors as a cashier. And doing lots of yard work. There were several times when I dropped something heavy on my feet and ignored the bruises. this is on my left foot. Already had the bunion removed from it about 12 years ago but it only helped the witht of my foot. Not the pain. The right foot needs the bunion off but not until this foot is better. Also right knee has a problem with arthritis and trys to dislocate sometimes. So we will see if this thing helps.