Belvoir Loop

Where: Stathern, Leicestershire.
Distance: 17 miles.
Ascent: 1,407 ft.
Maps: Explorer 247 & 260             Click here to buy the Ordnance Survey maps for this route
Parking: Limited on the street near the start. The Red Lion has a car park.
Overview: A very good loop taking you up and down the escarpment looking out over The Vale of Belvoir. This route reverses a lot of the trails used by the Viking Challenge. Includes some great downhills (by Leicestershire standards!).

Download the Tracklogs file for this route.             Click here for more info on Tracklogs

Download GPS data for this route Thanks to Steve Hall for the file.

Details:

(click on a grid reference to link to multimap.com in a new window)

1. (0 miles) SK772310 Start outside the Red Lion pub, Red Lion lane in Stathern. Go up Toft's Hill across the green from the pub - signposted "Unsuitable for motors".

2. (1 mile) SK789304 At the end of the Toft's Hill track turn left onto the road, then immediately right onto the Jubilee Way. Follow the track to a T-junction with another road at the bottom of the first pleasant descent of the ride. Turn right and ride up into Branston. Turn left opposite The Wheel Inn down Knipton Road.

3. (3 miles) SK814293  At the bend in the road at the top of the short hill - turn right onto a track. Follow this up and down a couple of hills, past the sewage works and then up a concrete road climb into Croxton Kerrial. At the end of the road turn right then immediately left up Thorpes Lane. Turn right at the top of this and carry straight on to the junction with the A607. Turn left onto this.

4. (5 miles) SK844292  At the curve in the road turn right (signposted Hungerton & Wyville) into a layby / junction type thing. Follow the lane down for about a mile until the Viking Way crosses it. Turn left onto this and pick a rut. The Viking Way route is very obvious! You will go over the A607, down a technical descent (the kerbstone descent) and over two more roads to a bridge over the Grantham canal. The descent to the canal bridge is a very nice bit of singletrack.

5. (10 miles) SK850350  Carry straight on over the canal bridge and then take the first track on the left. Follow this to another canal bridge by the "Dirty Duck" pub (also called The Rutland Arms). The track now becomes a tarmac lane. Proceed to the T-junction and turn left towards Woolsthorpe. At the crossroads in the village turn right and follow the road up and around Belvoir Castle.

6. (13 miles) SK815328  At a right hand bend in the road turn right onto the Jubilee Way. This is well signposted through the woods until it comes to a T-junction at the top of Toft's Hill. Turn right and enjoy descending the track that you ascended at the start of the route.

7. (17 miles) SK772310 Finish. Enjoy one of the excellent real ales in the Red Lion!

Map:

(click the to view a photo of that part of the route in a new window) Thanks to Neil Watterson for a couple of the photos (the two with nice weather!).

New: View video clips of parts of this route here