U3A WTT Thurcaston Rothley Stuart Galloway

Route Summary

A circular walk from Thurcaston to Rothley

Route Overview

Category: Walking

Length: 6.740 km / 4.21 mi

Parking: At the Wheatchief if eating

Date Published: 8th April 2016

Difficulty: Medium

Rating: Unrated

Surface: Average

Refreshments: Rothley

Last Modified: 8th April 2016

Description

This walk starts and finishes at the Wheatchief in Thurcaston.

Waypoints

Thurcaston(52.69486; -1.16244)

This walk starts and finishes at the Wheatchief in Thurcaston. The village is listed in the Doomsday Book as

Turchitelstone (the first half being Danish and 'tone' being Saxon, which suggests Viking occupancy of an existing

Saxon settlement).  Local archaeology suggests human activity in the area as far back as the Bronze Age and

1 / 61 / 6

Neolithic times.  Also mentioned is its mill, which last appeared on the OS maps of 1903.  Hugh de Grandmesnil, who

among lots of other land in various parts of England, and who was the largest land owner in the county at this time, is

listed as owning one  house in Thurcaston. He received all this after having fought with William at Hastings as part of

his reward.  By the time he died in 1098, Thurcaston possessed a church (the south doorway of which still exists),

which has a well documented history to its present day.

The 1851 census showed it still to be a self sufficient village with a butchers, blacksmith, miller, carpenter,

laundrywomen, dressmaker, baker, brewers, shoemakers and innkeepers.  Also listed were farmers, farmers boys,

shepherds, herdsmen and servants.  There were framework knitters and a few girls listed as laceworkers.  So,

although enclosed at the end of 18th century when the field pattern was substantially reorganised,  farming still formed

the bulk of its production.

Geography did not favour Thurcaston either.  When the railway came at the end of 19th century it was sited further

towards Rothley where any associated trade, such as coal merchants, were focused.  Also, Anstey was developing

small factories connected to the shoe trade and those seeking work unconnected to the land headed there.

Even the A6 and A46 passed it by and slowly the few modern businesses such as co-op, PO, corner shop, garage,

etc, have slowly disappeared.  Now there is just one electrical shop and one Pub.All this has left it, along with

neighbouring Cropston, fairly rural and pleasant to walk around. There are also  many listed buildings, some of which

are associated with famous historical people, to be observed within its conservation area.

Turn left out of the car park and left again on to Leicester road and proceed up Leicester Road a short way.

Take the Bridleway to the left (opposite Rectory Lane) and follow the track, which goes over the Great  Central

Railway (1899 - 1969).

Great Central Railway(52.69524; -1.15317)

Pre-Beeching, from this point it continued south to Leicester North station (formerly Belgrave & Birstall) on to Leicester

2 / 62 / 6

Central, Whetstone, Lutterworth, Rugby and terminated at London Marylebone.  It went north to Rothley, Quorn,

Loughborough, Ruddington and Nottingham Victoria (now demolished).  As the area was already served by other

lines, the GCR was one of the first to go under Beeching. Today it's a heritage railway, awaiting the construction of a

connecting bridge in Loughborough to join the restored bits together when it will run continuously from Ruddington to

Leicester North Station at Birstall.

Carry on along the bridleway, which goes alongside Rothley Park Golf course

Rothley Park Golf Club(52.69880; -1.14876)

Established over 100 years ago.  The first recorded meeting was held on 23rd August 1911, when the committee were

elected and rules and regulations agreed.  It opened for play in 1912.

Carry on along the track until an attractive green is reached on your left. This is Town Green.

Town Green(52.70552; -1.14050)

There are many attractive and listed cottages to have a look at from here until we reach the Church. Rothley boasts

the largest number of cruick built cottages in the county, many dating from the 16th century onwards.

Carry on along Town Green Street until the outdoor gym is reached, where you can stop for a quick picnic.

Carry on and over the crossroads into Anthony Street.  Carry on round past the Woodman's Stroke (known

as the 'Woodies' and turn right into Church Street  to have a look in the church yard of St Mary & St John

Parish Church.

St Mary & St John Parish Church.(52.70836; -1.13457)

3 / 63 / 6

A stone church was started here in Norman times, probably a two cell structure with a squat tower.  century structure

adapted by changes made in the l5th, and 16th centuries and in the major Victorian  restoration in 1877.

Look for the Saxon Shaft (the famous Rothley Cross) attributed to the 9th century.  12' high and  constructed out of

Derbyshire millstone grit.  Carved on all four faces with typical Saxon interlaced strapwork .

There are a fine collection of Swithland slate gravestones displaying the art of the stone carver.

Leave the churchyard through the lychgate, walk down School Lane passing the old School House on your

left. Turn left at the end, noting some lovely old white cottages in this area.

Carry on until you can cross over to the War Memorial which was constructed in 1920 and where your will

find the candle still burning for Madeleine McCann.

Carry on in the same direction, crossing the road again at the crossing.  Walk up Woodgate and turn right

into Babington Road and walk up to the top and turn left into Woodfield Road.

Turn right on reaching a footpath sign which leads into a field and follow the yellow markers until you reach

the road - The Ridings.

Turn left and walk down The Ridings and turn right into The Ridgeway (known as Millionairs  Row owing to

the high number of very expensive houses).

The Ridgeway(52.70824; -1.15208)

It is quite tranquil today, but just over 100 years ago in 1896 it was quite different. The Ridgeway had not been

constructed and as the steam driven diggers began construction of the station on the new M.S. & L. railway line to

London (re-named the G.C.R. the following year) several skeletons from a Saxon burial ground and the mosaics of a

Roman building were found. Some of these artefacts were photographed and are now in the Jewry Wall

4 / 64 / 6

Museum and some were either spirited away or bulldozed away into the new earthworks.

Later on in 1901 when the Ridgeway was being constructed a lot more Roman finds were unearthed and recorded

concluding that it was a bath suite that belonged to a large Roman country house or villa and it became a scheduled

monument in 1976.

A local resident carried out a geophysical survey in 2000 and discovered that the villa covered an area similar in size

to Chedworth in Glos.  This seems to suggest that around 200 AD The Ridgeway was covered by an impressive

country house and working estate belonging to a wealthy, possibly aristocratic,  Romano British Family.

Continue down the The Ridgeway until it meets Station Road. Carefully cross the road at the bridge by

Rothley Station

Rothley Station(52.70504; -1.15983)

If open take a walk down and have a walk around the station and maybe a drink or snack at Ellis's Tea Room.  The

layout of the station is typical of all the stations of this, now, heritage line, Rothley being one of the best preserved.

Otherwise, turn right after crossing the road and walk down Station Road and turn left into Thurcaston Lane

and walk down and back to the Wheatsheaf.

5 / 65 / 6

6 / 66 / 6