National Forest Way.
https://www.nationalforest.org/
The National Forest is a relatively new initiative in habitat renewal in the East Midlands. The forest links former industrialised sites, mostly open-cast and pit coal mines many of which became inactive over a period of pit closures between the 1980’s and the late 1990’s. The vision of the project was to return the landscape to woodland, whilst acknowledging its industrial heritage. The National Forest Way links these former industrial sights through walking, cycling and bridleway tracks between Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
My canine companion seems particularly at home in this woodland and meadow environment, zigzagging through the younger pine trees, crossing the motorway over a footbridge, and bounding through the long spring grasses.
Although remnants of industry remain, this walk quickly throws you into what at times could be a pre-historic past. It’s easy to get lost in the intersecting trails of Martinshaw Woods, exiting only to cross the A50, dual carriageway, a busy and at times impenetrable barrier, we decide to use the traffic lights to cross, and after a short walk along a farm track, behind a row of suburban bungalows, the path soon opens to a wide meadow with circling raptors seeking plentiful prey of rabbits and field mice.
We climb through woodland and meadow track, behind the long disused Groby slate quarry, the spoils of which provide the rooftops of many local Victorian and Edwardian properties, but which has long been a deep waterfowl lake known locally as Groby Pool.
Another short walk takes us to Newtown Linford and the main entrance to Bradgate Park, but for now we need to return to where we parked the car, to travel further today would risk exceeding our self-imposed 10-mile limit. We will return to Bradgate Park on Solstice Eve.
