A Random Meander

Hi there everyone 😀

It was the Sunday of the late May bank holiday weekend and the weather was a bit grey with the threat of showers on the horizon. It was one of those days when you know you want to do something, go out somewhere, we just couldn’t decide where.

We ended up going on a bit of a mystery drive, with every next move determined on the flip of a coin and were both keen to see whether we would get to see anything interesting, where we would end up and whether or not there would be cake.

We had to throw a few loose rules into the mix, otherwise we may have just ended up back where we started very quickly. We randomly chose a starting point ... the church at Orton-on-the-Hill ... and decided that our first move would be either first left or right, depending on the toss of the coin. The second move would then be second left or right, again dependent upon the toss and the third would be the third left or right. We would then just repeat the exercise until we were ready to head for home.

If a turn we were due to make was a dead end, or a loop round a housing estate, we would take the next available turn and if we came to a T-junction before our turn was due, we would use that as the turn ... if that makes any sense at all.

So there we were Sunday morning parked up outside the church at Orton-on-the-Hill.

Our first move was 1st right, so we pulled on to Sheepy Lane and headed off.

When we are out driving about when we are away on holiday we are always pulling over and stopping to look at things that have caught our eye, it could be anything, a view, a tree, a pretty hedgerows, new born lambs ... you get the picture. We were both interested to see whether we could be as interested in what we were passing driving around the countryside so close to home.

We needn't have worried. This part of Leicestershire is pretty rural, crisscrossed with public footpaths and with the countryside pretty much taken up with farming ... both animal and arable.

We were aiming to find something interesting enough to photograph on each step of our journey and our first pull in for a photocall was at one of the public footpath signs, where a fairly narrow gap in the hedge led to a well defined footpath leading off into the distance ...

Not far along the same stretch and we just had to pull in again, at a field entrance to capture the pop of colour of these poppies which had caught both our eyes as we were sailing past ...

We were on the look out for our next turn which was the 2nd right, which took us on the B4116 through Sheepy Magna, where we didn’t really have chance to stop for any photocall, though we did pass the Black horse, which was calling to us but it was a bit early in our travels for a pit stop.

We took the 3rd left into Ratcliffe Lane where we got to see a field full of fairly young lambs ...

I was just getting back in the car when I noticed the view from the other side of the road. The green barley was rippling and swaying in the wind and definitely worthy of a capture ...

It was then 1st left into Pinwall Lane, through the pretty village of Ratcliffe Culey ...

... before taking the 2nd right onto the A444. 3rd left then took us onto Fenn Lanes heading towards the Bosworth Battlefield. It was all familiar territory but we were both certainly looking at things from a different perspective and interested to see where we would go next.

We took the 1st right heading towards Stoke Golding and were supposed to then take the 2nd right, but had to do a bit of a diversion because of a closed road. We ended up taking a left into Fox Covert Lane, where we spotted the next few photo ops ...

... another public footpath ...

... an intriguing use for an old railway sleeper, according to the Yorkshire railwayman I was travelling with ...

... and a rural landing strip ...

2nd right had us back on Fenn Lanes and I said I was sure we couldn’t be that far from Sutton Wharf, a nice canalside cafe we have visited a couple of times before, when, hey presto there it was. What a result.

It was time for a pit stop so we called in for lunch ...

We spent a very pleasant hour or so just watching the world go by, doing the crossie ...

... and working out our new few moves ...

Before heading back off on our meander we had a closer look at some of the more interesting and unusual vehicles parked up ... both on ...

... and off the water ...
Back on our way and we were looking for the 3rd left which took us past the Bosworth Battlefield, then it was 1st left ...

... which took us past the station at Shenton ...
2nd right had us back by the horse in the crossroads we’d seen earlier and from here we decided to head for home ...

We’d been out a couple of hours, we’d had lunch, seen lots of the Leicestershire countryside and generally had a nice relaxing drive.

I was quite surprised really at how well it went, if the area had been new to us I’m sure we would have been out a lot longer as we’d have spent time at the battlefield. We also passed signs for a flowers festival in one of the villages, so we could easily have made a day of it.

This could definitely be something to try again, either at home or when we are somewhere that is new to us. It’s good to get off the beaten track and we always say that's where you tend to find the best things to see 😀

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Easter Monday at Foxton Locks

We had a very rare big day out planned for Bank Holiday Monday.  We were meeting up with my cousin, her husband and their eldest daughter, for a catch up that was way too long overdue.

We had decided that somewhere near to Market Harborough was about our half way point and and a good place to meet. We ended up deciding on Foxton Locks, which would give us chance for a bit of a wander and a nice lunch.

We didn't expect much from the weather, with Storm Katie having been around in full force, but ended up being very lucky and, though it was biting cold, the rain did pretty much hold off.

We arrived mid morning and were surprised to find the place was pretty deserted. It was actually really nice to be able to wander around in the relative peace and quiet.

We started with a wander along to the old boat lifts, the like of which neither Martin or I had seen before. When in working order the lifts enabled the canal barges to make their way from the bottom level of the locks to the top, without having to negotiate the flight of 10 locks.

It was fascinating to see and read about and we can only imagine how this would have looked back in the day.

We made our way back to the bottom of the locks and pondered the imagination and ingenuity of the engineers who first came up with the idea of how to move the canal barges from one level to another, to save making the canal detour around hills and valleys. 
The view looking up the flight of locks was a pretty impressive sight and I took loads of photos. We took a slow amble up top the top and were lucky enough to see boats travelling in both directions, both up and down the locks.
I don't know how many times we have seen canal barges negotiate canal locks but it's one of those things that we just have to stop and watch every time we get the chance and today was no different.

From the top we started to make our way back down. 

One of the lock keepers recommended we take a bit of a detour off track to a viewing point at the top of the old boat lifts, where we could get a better idea of how these would have actually worked, so we followed his advice and were glad we did.

The viewing point also gave great views across the flight of locks, where more photos were taken of more boats making their way down.

From here we rejoined the canal and made our way to the pub. just in time for lunch, which was a real treat.
After a very nice lunch and a good old catch up we had another quick walk back along the locks, which were now pretty busy, before heading back to the car and home.

Foxton Locks is definitely worth a trip out for a leisurely afternoon. It was really interesting with plenty to see and do. We would definitely recommend it.

It seems ages since we've been out to look at something new, different and exciting, we need to do it more often. There is so much out there to see and do. It would take more than a lifetime to cover it all. At our age we need to get cracking!!

It's also been far too long since we've met up with these lovely people, another thing we must make the effort to do more of. 
Thanks Sue, Ken and Katie for a lovely day.

Our latest National Trust Visit - Stoneywell, Leicestershire

Stoneywell was acquired by the National Trust in January 2013 and has recently opened for visitors. It's only the third property owned by the Trust in Leicestershire and, as such, is quite close by. 

We've been waiting to visit for what seems like ages. One of Martin's friends works there and she's been keeping us posted on what's been happening in the run up to it finally opening to the public earlier on this year.

The property was designed in 1899 by Ernest Gimson, one of the most inspiring and influential architect-designers of the British Arts and Crafts Movement, as a Summer home for his brother Sydney. He also built the two neighbouring properties for his other brother and sister. 

Whilst the property was originally built for Gimson's brother, Sydney, as a holiday home, it was fully occupied by Sydney's son, Donald, and his family for many years, before being acquired by the National Trust.  Inside the house, the property has been restored to how it would have been in the 1950s, which is when Donald has his happiest memories of living there with his family.

Stoneywell is a Grade II listed property set in the Charnwood Forest.  It's the only remaining cottage of its kind in Leicestershire and is one of only a handful of notable Arts and Crafts houses in England. 

As well as the cottage, gardens, outbuildings and woodland, Stoneywell retains many of its original contents and inside the property has been laid out in the way it would have been in the 1950s.

The latest National Trust magazine had a big spread on the property and confirmed that it is now fully open for business so we decided to take mum and dad for dad's birthday. 

Because of the location and the access arrangements for the property, it's one of those places where you need to book your visit. You can't just turn up. Booking is easy enough and can be done on line. You book an hour slot and need to arrive within this time to be able to park. 

Once parked, a shuttle bus service takes you a short drive to the property, where there is a guided tour lasting about 3/4 of an hour. 

The weather forecast wasn't the best but we decided to go ahead with our visit anyway, chucking all the wet weather gear in the boot just in case. As it happened the weather surprised us. No rain at all, though some biting winds on the car park which is quite exposed to the elements. 

We only had to wait a few minutes for the mini-bus, which took us down the road and dropped us at the property. It is literally five minutes away. 

We were greeted by National Trust staff, including our friend, and told a little bit about the layout of the site before heading off down the path towards the house, which is not at all visible from the entrance, which makes it quite intriguing, what were we going to find? 

We were lucky enough to be accompanied by a guide who told us a little bit about the gardens on our walk to the house. She told us about the 4 trees given to the family as a 25th wedding anniversary present and showed us the original Stony Well, from which the property got it's name. The well was shared by Stoneywell and the neighbouring property, which Gimson also built, for his sister, and is on the boundary of the two properties and accessible from both sides. 

As you turn the sweep of the bend in the path, the property comes in to view and is a real delight. A beautiful, higgledy piggledy, Hansel and Gretel looking building, which really appears to just come right out of the rock and the countryside around it, which was just how Gimson wanted it to appear. 

It was quite grey on our visit and we can only imagine how lovely it would look with clear blue skies and sunshine, we will most definitely have to make a return visit to find out. 

Once inside the property each room is unexpectedly spacious and does look just how it would have done in the 1950s, with lots of original furniture, that was bespoke made specifically for this beautiful family home, and plenty of personal bits and pieces.

There are lots of nooks and crannies and quirky touches, including different size and shaped windows, with amazing and completely different views from every aspect, narrow windy staircases and a few few steep steps and some low ceilings. 

It is a house where you are encouraged to really come in and experience what it would have been like, to sit on the window seats, to admire the views and to feel the wood of the old furniture and imagine what life it has seen. 

There is something to see in every direction you look and I am sure when we visit again, we will notice things that we didn't see this time. 

Back outside, standing back and really admiring the view of the house. the attention to detail is something that you don't necessarily notice on first glance.  Fortunately the guide was on hand to point out some lovely detailing, particularly on the roof, where the tiles start out very small at the top and gradually grow in size as the roof comes down to meet the ornate, but subtle and prettily detailed guttering and downpipes. 

We wondered around the back of the house, past the tennis courts, up to the old fort, where the children used to play for another lovely view of the house. Just imagine, growing up somewhere like this. There would have been no need for games consoles or constant TV, children could run wild with their imagination in the gardens, which would have made a very adventurous playground. 

There are lots of signs of Spring in the garden at the moment, with drifts of bulbs poking through all over the place and masses of variety of rhododendron just coming into bud. In another few weeks the gardens will be ablaze with colour and that is something we really want to see. 

We finished our wander with a closer look at the old well and the plunge pool beside, which looked very chilly today. You can just see the steps to enter the pool if you look closely. 

We then headed back to the old stables and the tea room for tea and cake ..... Mandatory on a visit to a National Trust property, you know, before catching the next mini-bus back to the car park and heading for home. 

Because of the booking system and the size of the mini-bus everything works really well, with you never feeling that the place is crowded and giving you a real chance to explore and take photos without lots of people in the background, always a bonus. 

We really enjoyed our visit and would definitely recommend it. We spent about two hours there in total, but only had a short wander around the garden. In warmer weather I am sure we would make more of the garden and the woods. I am sure there will be a other post sometime soon, where I hope to show some blue skies and flowers in bloom. Watch this space.