Market Bosworth - Shackerstone

Roy Davenport

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Market Bosworth is a tiny market town in west Leicestershire. It is close to the battlefield of 1485 where King Richard III lost his horse, his crown, his throne and his life. Just outside to the east is Bosworth Park, containing a lake and an arboretum excellent for car parking and picnics. Refreshments and toilets are available.

Market Bosworth also contains the famous Dixie Grammar School. The earliest record of the school is 1320, although it was in 1601 that it gained its present name under the will of an Elizabethan merchant and Lord Mayor of London, Sir Wolston Dixie. The main building of today's school was built in 1828.

Shackerstone Station is the home of the Battlefield Railway Line. During the season and at weekends, trains and sometimes 'Thomas' steam from here to Shenton Battlefield, a nice return trip of about ten miles. There are opportunities to see trains chuffing slowly through the countryside as you are walking.

Next to the station is the Ashby Canal, completed in 1804 to carry coal from Ashby to Nuneaton, at its peak carrying 153,400 tons in 1870. It was bought by the Midland Railway in 1845 and owned by them until nationalisation in 1948. It did of course take all the trade from the canal. Interestingly, apart from the Battlefield Line the railway is gone, but the canal remains! The station drive was lined by trees by Lord Howe in 1873.

England - Central England - Leicestershire - Canal Walk

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Cafe, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Good for Kids, Great Views, Mostly Flat, Museum, Pub, Public Transport, Restaurant, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife, Woodland

10/6/2011 - Walkingworld Admin

Our thanks to Roy Davenport for his update for this walk. September 2011. Adrian (Admin)

6/4/2011 - Walkingworld Admin

Our thanks to Roy Davenport for his updates for this walk. June 2011. Adrian (Admin)

5/26/2011 - Mangal Mistry

I walked this route again on 25/05/11. A very easy and enjoyable walk. Victorian Tea room at Shackerstone station was open (opens on Wed, Sat & Sun) and I had really nice tea and cake. Station is preserved as it was 50-odd years ago and it's worth visiting. At point 15, the golf course is now completed. (no wind sock anymore). There's no obvious markers for the walkers to cross the golf course so I just headed diagonally right across the golf course to the yellow post in the woods on right. You can see my photos of the walk at https://picasaweb.google.com/115223343309924949617/Copy19OfCopyOfMyPics000384Walk2085Bosworth250511#

11/6/2010 - Jan Holtham

This was our first walk from this website and we found it very easy to follow. The pictures were a great aid and we thoroughly enjoyed the walk. The golf course is now fully functioning, rather than under construction.

10/26/2010 - David and Chris Stewart

Many thanks to Roy Davenport for his updates for this walk - October 2010. Adrian (Admin)

3/25/2010 - Mangal Mistry

I did this walk on 24/03/10. A really enjoyable walk, starting with M Bosworth it self, with interesting shops. Very easy to follow - most of the stiles have been replaced with new steel kissing gates. 1st part of the walk was through fields, new golf course, villages, but part along the canal towpath can get little tedious. A diversion to 'Horse & Jockey' at Congerstone would definitely help. See my pictures of this walk at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/mistrymangal/Copy16OfMyPics000303Walk2085MarketBosworth240310#

9/29/2009 - Walkingworld Administrator

Our thanks to Roy Davenport for his update for this walk. Adrian (Admin)