Tour de Leicester, Day 2

It rained overnight but I was dry, warm, and mostly asleep.  By the time I got up,  the rain had stopped, leaving a grey, cool morning.   I had a very reasonable English Breakfast in Hinckley, which nearly cost less than the coffee, then set off north, along the west side of the county, next door to Warwickshire. 

Shenton

Yesterday I was on NCN63, 64 and 6.  Today I was on NCN 52, part of which was named the Bosworth Way after the Battle of Bosworth.  Hinckley was OK but the next town, Market Bosworth,  was lovely, if rather up-market and car dominated.   Sitting in a car park enjoying my meal deal, I noticed that I was at the very spot where Richard III was disinterred, before being transferred to Leicester cathedral.  I hope his parking fees were waived.

Market Bosworth 

Tranquil lanes among golden corn: I came upon two hares in the road, who didn't know what to do about cyclists.  Eventually,  one (the adult?) scarpered into the field and sat still, ears lowered as if to become invisible,  but the other ran away along the road for quite a while.  I rode slowly but it took him a long time to realise that the hedge was a better option.

The next village, called Heather, had a scarecrow festival, and it was lovely to see whole families, including teenagers, enjoying visiting the various sites and ticking them off.

Grace de Dieu trail

Woodhouse

After Coalville, an old mining town, I had quite a bit of off road, still on NCN52,  now called the Grace de Dieu trail, hairy in parts but manageable, and a nice change.  I popped out near Shepshed and then rode to Loughborough for tea.  Loughborough has a lot of greenery and pedestrian areas in the centre so it's a pleasant place to visit.

However it was hot, it was teatime, I was tired, and I was only just over halfway to my planned destination, Melton Mowbray.   I'd heard bad things about the hills there from the recent Wayfarers group tour there.   I decided to stop short in Barton-on-Soar, where I enjoyed a nice pub meal next to the river, before struggling back up to my hilltop campsite.

Barton and its neighbour, Quorn, are both lovely towns, not too far from Leicester,  so maybe theycare commuter towns.  

Today has been another day of lovely riding on peaceful roads with bucolic views and some very enjoyable towns and villages.  I was struck by the lack of people everywhere:  I guess they are all at work or on holiday.   It makes a big change from our local area.

Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3