This route uses three promoted routes, Leicestershire Round, Ivanhoe Way (very briefly) and the Ashby Canal Path all are waymarked. The Ashby Canal Association base at what was the end of navigation, offers drinks and advice. I rejoined the canal line at the new head of navigation but access by boat is also closed at present. After Ilott Wharf follow the signs along the diversion route not the right of way which follows the abandoned canal line....

Ken

The busy road section was fine, not a walking first choice but the verges were wide and mown and this is the recognised route for the Ivanhoe Way so in the absence of an alternative direct route I’m happy not to fail it. At Snarestone the route misses the canal which is hidden in a tunnel under the village. The section of open road was almost traffic free but then the short link to the canal let the route down, being very wet just before the canal bridge. Shackerstone is about half way and has an inn but if you don’t need it or a seat in the churchyard stay on the canal path to the next bridge....

Ken

The route is safe but not suitable for wheelchair access on certain parts of the route. I used the Kamoot app to navigate the route and installed the gpx file from SlowWays which was very accurate although there is a problem with the route on entering the outskirts of Swadlincote in that, there is a new housing development between Mount Pleasant Road and Railway Side that has taken away the footpath between the two roads....

Chris R

Pleasant walk for the majority of the route with a few exceptions. Near the start of the route as the walk heads towards Gallows Lane/Measham Road, the route directly behind the industrial estate could not be found so we had to instead cut across the field (path visible on map) to get to Gallows Lane and then onto Measham Road. It was a shame that we had to miss out the Ashby-de-la-zouch canal but the path was too overgrown to walk through with shorts on!...

Sam Withers

We eventually reach Measham Road, where it is possible to stay off the road on a path to the right, then take the diagonal path across the fields, then follow Babelake Street into Packington village, going straight on at the crossroads onto Mill Street. Note that beyond the bridge over the brook, the well trodden path takes a shorter diagonal further left than the right of way line (and further from the road noise). We cross more fields to reach Lower Packington Road, which has a pavement on the far side which we follow left around the corner, then take an alleyway path onto Cambrian Way....

Hugh Hudson

Where the path continues into the fields, the best trodden line heads down to the river, in a large pool here, and I chose to use this rather than chase the right of way line through the undergrowth. The path up to the churchyard has a few steps, and beyond Hangmans Lane we go up more steps to find the "shortcut" to Newton Lane - this path has stiles and the exit to the lane is further west than the right of way line. We follow the quiet lane into Newton Regis, then turn left onto Main Road, which has a pavement, passing a duckpond and the church (more flooding from water mains on the road here), and then take a well marked field path straight on out of the village. We turn left onto Church Street, then take a good field path left that takes us past a cricket field onto Bowleys Lane, where we continue straight on. Rectory Lane arrives soon enough, and we follow it right to Measham Road....

Hugh Hudson

I'd already decided to start from Measham and having both read Ken's review and wanted to test the route in the opposite direction I felt like I was doing the right thing. The route in Appleby Magna left me puzzled and lost the route a star. It was along here that I spotted a path which the map confirmed would take me through to the Coventry Canal and looked a more direct, although more built up route in to Tamworth. The path through the last section of countryside really did not match the right of way but the route was obvious and didn't cause it to fail as a Slow Way....

David Sanderson

A really enjoyable route, mainly following footpaths across fields in open countryside. There was a brief bit of on road walking on the open Measham Road that I think can be avoided by a section of fenced in path, but it is a trifle....

David Sanderson

The route asks you to follow a footpath which runs with a cycle path. The cycleway is badly marked on the OS Map as it actually follows a path adjacent to the railway and is never concurrent with the footpath....

David Sanderson

Having turned left to walk the path which passes over Gresley Tunnel I had a slight issue following the path and started to follow the cycleway instead, but was able to retrace my steps. Having crossed the road and entered Leicestershire near Conkers Discovery Centre I found that the cycleway that this route follows, as opposed to the exclusive footpath was the same route that all the other pedestrians were using. The Ashby Woulds Way is on the route of an old railway and is safe, easy to follow, popular with other users and far more direct than footpath equivalents. The remaining footpaths as far as the A42 were well marked but there was an issue with the footpath not following the marked right of way on the map south of Oakethorpe....

David Sanderson

Although the path has been diverted at Armingtom Hall Farm the cross field sections were not apparent on the ground so some interpretation is required or just follow the locals along the river side. Looks like the locals turn into Newton Gorse but we press on then across the field on another well marked path, no reports required in Warwickshire. Having said that, as I approached Austrey Lane I was surprised to see a group of lost ramblers on the field edge as I crossed the field on a wide cleared path. The road approach to Appleby Magna has a pavement but while the verge grass has been cut the metalled path is inaccessible because the hedge needs cutting back. When I eventually found it by retracing my steps north to south I found a field of waist high grass and a path neglected by locals. The road from the village has no pavement and wasn't too busy but drivers are unaware of the latest update to the highway code and expected me to step aside while they passed at speed....

Ken

Cutting across to Leicester Road the route soon enters pleasant grassy fields grazed by sheep. After crossing the next road the farming becomes arable but the path is well walked and easy to locate. A narrow permissive path avoid a short section of road but the verges are wide so take your pick. The next short section alongside the road is narrow and muddy but I didn't feel the route as a whole should be marked down for this. Entering the current edge of Ashby at Mill Farm the route needs care to navigate but takes you along quiet estate roads and linking footpaths to a hidden bridge under the railway into Bath Grounds, once home to the Ivanhoe Spa, now a green open space....

Ken

Generally a good route with the exception of the section on Measham Road between Measham and Snarestone....

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