Where: Stathern, Leicestershire.
Distance: 17 miles.
Ascent: 1,407 ft.
Maps: Ordnance Survey Explorer 247 & 260
Parking: Limited on the street near the start. The Red Lion is now closed so try The Plough which is in the village and has a car park. Check with the landlord first and spend some money in there after your ride!
Overview: One of the best routes in Leicestershire 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. Typically for Leicestershire this route is best ridden in dry conditions. Parts of the route are frequently used by motorised off road vehicles so beware of them. However in summer they are less frequently encountered and the route can be as tranquil as any other.
Local Bike Shop: Rutland Cycling
View video clips of parts of this route here
Map:
Details: (click on a grid reference to centre the OS map above on that point)
1. (0 miles) SK772310 Start from Red Lion lane in Stathern. Go up Toft's Hill across the green - 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 gravel track which is part of the Jubilee Way. Follow the track ignoring a couple of right turns until you reach a T-junction with a road at the bottom of the first fast and 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 (or check out the extension suggested below to avoid the main road)
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 straight and very obvious! You will go over the A607, down a slightly technical descent and over two more roads until you eventually reach a bridge over the Grantham canal. The descent to the canal bridge is no longer the quality singletrack it once was due to (illegal) motorised use. It is still be fun though and can be tricky depending on ruts.
Click here for a video of The "Kerbstone Descent"
Click here for a video of the Descent to The Grantham Canal
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 up and 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.
Profile:
Possible extensions: Plenty both north and south of the loop. The Viking Way is nearly all rideable and there are plenty of bridleways, tracks and lanes crossing it at regular intervals. We usually cross straight over the A607 at Croxton Kerrial, turn left at Saltby church then take the bridleway on the right to meet the Viking Way at the edge of the airfield.
Comments
The day was brought to a perfect conclusion for me when I found The Red Lion had my favourite pint!
I presume the route is technically closed to cycles too but I've not seen the actual order/signs and can't find it online?
It is easy to miss the A road section out but you can't avoid crossing it. Simply cross the A607 at Croxton instead of turning onto it. Then take the first left after you leave the village. Turn left again at the T junction at the end of that road. Just around the corner is the Viking Way which you turn left again onto. All pretty obvious if you look at a map and doesn't add too much distance on.
I did the belvoir loop yesterday and the first section is closed,huge tree trunk in the way, so i climbed it and carried on as normal asuming that the tree is to stop land rovers,the rest of the sections were open as usual.
It was the first time i have done this route and really didnt like the bit where you have to ride up the A road and then cross it, it felt very dangerous to me, is there anyway of circumventing it safetly, i really didnt like trying to cross with cars shooting by at 80+ in both directions from around a corner.
Apart from that part and the second time you need to cross that road it was a really pleasant ride, and quite knackering.
cheers for the map, helped me find my way round really well.
shabba
it went well (bit late replying sorry)
i do the loop and a couple of the peak district routes on the site. the loop is the closest but don't know of any around this area beyond that. the only other one i do beyond the loop and the district is round rutland waters but thats more just a fitness run (good for fitness but nothing extream not a bad route at 21miles). i did try the borrugh hill route but got a bit lost it ended about 25 miles not the 13 listed (don't ask directions not my strong suit
We didn't do either (o; yes we got very wet and muddy (but good fun)
loved the route (though i did get lost once or twice)
We are both beginners but had an amazing time going down all the hills as the ground was rock hard and so it was a bit technical for us in places which just added to the fun. I strongly suspect that in the wet the first part of the Viking Way (instruction 4) would be impossible to ride, but you could always carry on along the road and take the next turning left down into Denton and pick the route up at Woolsthorpe. But IMHO the best bit is where you cross the A607 and drop down into Woolsthorpe.
We met 3 other riders doing the same route, but other than that it was very quiet.
I am definitely making this a regular route!!!!!
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