Ratby

Difficulty: Easy

Length: 11.00 miles

Escape the bustle of Leicester city life without seeking remote isolation on this varied and highly engaging circular route. Starting from the Woodland Trust car park at Ratby Burroughs, this walk is designed for those who appreciate a blend of countryside scenery and village convenience.

The journey immediately plunges you into the extensive woodlands of Ratby Burroughs and Martinshaw Wood. A unique and memorable feature of the walk is the footbridge crossing the M1 motorway, which swiftly transitions you from the city's edge to the tranquility of the ancient forest landscape.

Beyond the woods, the route follows footpaths and tracks across open fields, leading towards the charming and picturesque village of Newtown Linford. From there, you connect to Markfield, joining the established long-distance paths. The walk utilises sections of both the National Forest Way and the renowned Leicestershire Round, guiding you past the beautiful Thornton Reservoir. The mixed terrain encompassing footpaths, forest tracks, open fields, and necessary sections of pavement walking through villages and near busier roads offers constant variety, ensuring a stimulating hike. The final leg of the walk follows the National Forest Way back to your starting point at Ratby, completing a substantial and satisfying loop that is a perfect example of accessible countryside walking near Leicester.

As this route combines popular rural and urban-fringe areas, please remember your pledge to Leave No Trace and enjoy the countryside responsibly, particularly when walking through villages and privately owned fields.

Further Information

The four Leicestershire villages of Ratby, Groby, Newtown Linford, and Markfield are situated near each other on the border of the ancient Charnwood Forest, sharing a rich and intertwined history often linked to the powerful Grey family and the area's geological past. Ratby, mentioned as "Rotebie" in the Domesday Book of 1086, is notable for the discovery of an Iron Age encampment, Bury Camp, on its outskirts, which was later adapted for use as a Roman fort around 50 AD, pointing to its ancient significance as a settlement. The village's distinctive "figure-of-8" street pattern, established in medieval times when its economy was based on the three-field system, is still evident today, and its St. Philip and St. James Church dates back to 1230.

Groby, often pronounced "Grooby," holds the strongest connection to English royalty, particularly the Grey family, who owned Groby Old Hall and the vast Bradgate Park estate. It was the ancestral home of Lady Jane Grey, the 'Nine-Day Queen,' and also linked to her grandmother, Elizabeth Woodville, who became Queen Consort of England after marrying Edward IV. Although little remains of Groby Castle, the church of St Philip and St James stands on its site, and the village is also known for Groby Pool, reputedly Leicestershire's largest natural expanse of open water, which is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its lack of drainage and significant wildlife.

Newtown Linford's very name describes its history, meaning the 'new settlement by the ford where the lime trees grow.' The village did not exist in the Domesday Book but was colonised from Groby, and for five centuries until 1925, it was part of the Grey family's Bradgate Estate. It serves as the main entry point to the popular Bradgate Park, Leicestershire's only medieval deer park, which also contains the ruins of Bradgate House, Lady Jane Grey's childhood home, as well as the landmark folly, Old John Tower. The large parish includes a significant portion of both Bradgate Park and part of Swithland Woods.

Markfield is one of the highest villages in Leicestershire, sited against the prominent Markfield Knoll, giving it a landscape dominated by outcrops of ancient Charnian rock and traditional granite cottages and boundary walls. The village, recorded in Domesday Book as 'Mercenfield,' developed not around a Lord of the Manor but to serve small farmers, craftsmen, and labourers. It is historically significant for its connections to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who visited Markfield's Parish Church of St Michael a reported nineteen times between 1742 and 1779, preaching there and later on The Green as his congregation grew.