QH Walk 4

Turn left out of the Queens Head onto Main Street, then turn left beside the church and follow the lane down to the riding school. Head through the yard and continue to the gate leading onto Mowsley Road. Cross the road and go through the waymarked gate opposite — or over the stile if the gate is locked.

Follow the path alongside Saddington Brook as it winds through three fields. You’ll need to climb a few stiles along the way. Partway through the third field, a footpath leads up the slope back to Mowsley Road.

Turn right on the road and stroll up it until you reach the permissive path on the left, just where the road bears slightly right. This path takes you across several fields with lovely views and a few gates. Don’t forget to turn around occasionally — the scenery behind you is worth a look.

Eventually you’ll step onto a farm track. Turn right and follow it upwards, then downwards to a gate. Here the rough surface becomes tarmac as you head uphill once again.

The road flattens out and leads you to a small triangle — the junction with Main Street. Take the right fork and follow the road around, then turn left at the next junction. A short distance along this narrow road, just past the log yard, is a gate leading to a footpath across the field. There used to be a stile next to the log yard, but the path has been moved slightly. If you miss the gate, simply continue to the next junction and take the right fork. Either way, you’ll end up at the waymarked stile leading to a footpath through several fields — and several stiles.

After the fourth field and stile, the footpath becomes a bridleway. This is excellent news for you (no more stiles), though slightly baffling for any horses, as they have no legal way of reaching it.

Continue along the bridleway, turning left at a crossways to go over a private road and up a steep slope. The path then levels out and drops gently into Gumley. To the right, the road leads to Foxton and passes The Bell; opposite is an old telephone kiosk now serving as a tiny library. To the left is the road to Saddington or Smeeton Westerby, passing a disused weighbridge. You need this left‑hand road, but head straight towards the church where the road bends left.

You’re now on the Leicestershire Round. It leads you between the church and some woods before opening into a field via an old gate. Another gate at the end of the field brings you onto Debdale Lane through a kissing gate. Diagonally across the road to the left is a squeeze stile beside a large metal gate. The gate does open, but it’s fiddly — the squeeze stile is far more entertaining.

Now the undulation begins. The Round takes you down, then up, past Smeeton Gorse, then down Smeeton Hill (not Saddington Hill), before crossing the canal feeder via a pair of metal barriers.

Ahead is a long footbridge, a short footbridge, and four kissing gates between you and the finish. The first kissing gate is a little awkward and immediately followed by the shorter footbridge. This field and/or the next sometimes host a few rams. They’re harmless, and if they approach you they’re usually just after a bit of fuss.

Continue through the next two kissing gates and begin the gradual climb through a field normally full of sheep. The path levels out just before the next kissing gate into a field where horses occasionally roam. The path — if you can spot it — continues upwards to the final kissing gate. You’re now in a jittyway between buildings as it winds up to Saddington’s Main Street. Take a breather while the rest of the team catch up, then turn left and head to the pub.

Summary

A varied and rewarding six‑mile loop linking Saddington, Laughton, and Gumley via quiet lanes, open fields, stiles, bridleways, woodland edges, and the rolling countryside of the Leicestershire Round. Expect excellent views, a few climbs, and plenty of rural charm.