Ashby Folville - Barsby-Twyford figure of eight

Led by Barry. Good weather, dry and firm underfoot, rolling countryside, fine views. Around 8.5 miles. less than 500 feet of ascent.



A poignant gravestone in Ashby Folville churchyard - a long life and a hard one?

Here liesSarah Smalleywho was a faithfulservant toWilliam Smtihof Barsbywho departedthis lifeDecember 6th 1859aged 83 yearsthe weary wheels of lifestood still at last

We walk along the path past the church, crossing bridges and a private drive . . .

before heading south west over fields along a footpath to the attractive village of Barsby.

A church or chapel converted into a house

another picturesque thatched cottage

timber frame

cruck frame

From Barsby we turned right and headed south east over several fields, crossing another footpath and continuing as far as Twyford.

cherry blossom

Spring is here, the blossom's out and the benches have emerged from the church porch.

The old "national school" with two dates in Roman numerals

A short way along Twyford's Main Street took us to our path - off to the right, and now heading south west again, over the B6047 and along Park Road, just to the north of Lowesby.

A right-angled turn to the right and we're going north west, following the field edges, and the waymarkers for a while, then turning slightly right and uphill just before Carr Bridge Spinney. We join the Mid-Shires Way for half a mile or so, walking along a ridge until we reach the road to South Croxton. This is still Mid-Shires Way. We turn left and walk along the road for a few hundred yards, then turn right down a track past farm buildings and houses. Spring has arrived - primulas in abundance along here.





Soon after this our path crosses the route we took earlier in the walk and it's downhill into Ashby Folville all the way.

Wooton Cottages. This plaster work called "pargetting" is more common in East Anglia.

A walk of fields, extensive views, and a variety of interesting buildings.

For more info on this area see this linkas well.

We saw swallows and, later, buzzards.