Hallaton - Stonton Wyville - Welham - Hallaton

Michael IAnson

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The excellent web site www.hallaton.org reports that "Hallaton has about 500 inhabitants and is set in rolling country underlain by Jurassic ironstones and clays. It has a fine church that dates back beyond 1200, a spectacular Norman motte and bailey castle and picturesque ancient thatched cottages. It is fortunate to have a major charity that has helped to keep people in the village. Over the last 100 years there have been great changes in the village, but its history can be traced back through the middle ages to Roman times".

Hallaton is perhaps most famous for the annual 'bottle kicking' and 'hare pie scramble' which take place on Easter Monday and is attended by around 2,000 people. The village contains two pubs; I ended my walk in the Bewicke Arms (near the church), which I can recommend. It does teas as well as a fairly extensive menu, although it's best to check opening times first if you're planning to have a meal there (see
www.bewickearms.co.uk).

The walk itself is fairly straightforward and suitable for most walkers. I completed it comfortably in five hours, plus breaks. The total height gain is approximately 250 metres, but the climbs are fairly gradual, well spread out and not too difficult. The biggest single climb, just south of Stonton Wyville, is about sixty metres. I did the walk in July and enjoyed good weather, but you can do it at any time of the year (I plan to do it again as a winter walk with the Hinckley Ramblers).

I had a lunchtime break in Welham, about two-thirds of the way round, eating my sandwiches in the pleasant St Andrew's Churchyard before enjoying a beer in The Old Red Lion pub. Walkers are welcome as long as muddy boots are covered or removed. They have a good menu including steaks and grills of spectacular proportions (these are probably best left until after the walk though). After lunch, for the last third of the walk, the path follows the course of the River Welland for several hundred yards before heading north to meet the Macmillan Way, which takes you back to Hallaton.

England - Central England - Leicestershire - Countryside

Features

Ancient Monument, Birds, Butterflies, Church, Flowers, Great Views, Museum, Pub, Restaurant, River, Wildlife
5/6/2013 - Georgina Sear

Great walk done today in glorious sunshine. Many stiles at the beginning of the walk are now gates, and you have to be careful to set off on the right path (the left one!) at the beginning, the description is a little misleading. At point 4 in description do not go down the hill (gradually descend), the 'well marked stile' is on the right of the pond at top of hill! At 9 you go uphill for a few hundred yards,then dowhill into Glooston. Apart from those little glitches it is a well described walk, and it helped I knew the middle section above Langton Caudle anyway. Lovely walk, dry underfoot the whole way round, birds and butterflies abounded. Red Lion pub do great tea and ice cream!

4/3/2012 - Shirley Wild

We did this walk in March 2012 a lovely walk in beautiful countryside and would recommend it. At stage 2 there was a bull in the field with cows and calves - a good clear sign warned of this and we made a detour round them. Shirley & Derek Wild

4/12/2009 - Paul Taylor

I have done this walk today Easter Sunday 2009 and enjoyed it very much.