Distance: Around 8 miles

Difficulty of the terrain: Medium

Get the route: via Ordnance Survey Maps or download the GPX. file from Dropbox

Walk across the countryside of south west Leicestershire between the town of Hinckley and the large village of Market Bosworth. The walk goes via the site of where the Battle of Bosworth Field took place in 1485, as well as taking in a small section of the Ashby Canal.

The Story

The Walk

Getting Back

Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain

A great many people have incredibly strong opinions on the rights and wrongs of certain pivotal moments in history and are incredibly invested in them. For me they tended to be relatively recent, the Russian Revolution, 1926 General Strike, or courses of action taken (or not taken) by the British labour movement between the 1970s and 1990s, for instance.

For other people however, their concerns stretch rather further back into history. There are those who have incredibly strong opinions on the rights and wrongs of the 17th Century Civil War in England for instance, or the reformation in the 16th Century, or going back a couple of generations further the Wars of the Roses.

Of course there is a certain degree of romanticism, fancy and mythologising that goes into imaging a different course to any historical era, even a fondness for the world as it was for certain affluent sections of the global north circa 1991-2007… However, romanticism aside, it has always struck me as being rather strange that anybody would have such strong opinions on conflicts and junctures taken or not taken hundreds of years before they were born, in incredibly different social and technological circumstances.

This thought was especially at the forefront of my mind when I was an undergraduate History student at the University of York in the early 2010s. During this time I ended up concentrating mostly on European Medieval and Early Modern History. Whilst I was studying there, the University of Leicester’s Archaeology Department announced with great fanfare that they had more or less conclusively found the body of Richard III under a car park behind the back of a former local authority office block.

York – perhaps inevitably – when I was a student was already a centre of attention for followers of the lost Yorkist cause. As I have mentioned, it seemed rather odd to me that anybody living in the early 21st Century would be concerned about the ins and outs of a dynastic dispute amongst an interbred coterie of nobles over 500 years previously, but evidently a large number of people clearly do.

One of my housemates got a job, briefly, at the Richard III Museum which was housed in one of the city wall’s gatehouses. Here they were tasked with collecting money and selling books, DVDs and other merchandise which propagated the perspective of the House of York and the innocence and virtue of Richard III. Similarly, one of the University’s Porters, who often sat at the reception desk in Heslington Hall where the University’s central administration was based, wore a badge based upon the design of one worn in the 1480s by followers of the soon to be deposed monarch. On at least one occasion – probably whilst I was temping in the Recruitment and Admissions Office which was situated in the basement of the building – I heard this porter expound on the great wrongs both in life and posthumously that had been done to this feudal monarch.

These arguments were not new to me, perhaps it was just the milieu I floated in, or the pubs I frequented, but it was far from unusual for people in York or with close ties to the city to have strong opinions on the War of the Roses, the fate of the Princes in the Tower and the ultimate triumph of the Tudor dynasty. Unpicking it, what often underlay these strong opinions was a mixture of northern or Yorkshire nationalism, even separatism, a quasi-Puginesque neo-gothic romanticism about the social order and practises of the middle ages, or a sympathy for Roman Catholicism. Sometimes these were mixed together, though generally speaking only the more reactionary held to the latter two opinions.

So, when planning a walk taking in the site of the Battle of Bosworth Field, where the question of who would wear the crown of England (and Wales and Cornwall) was decisively settled through the death of Richard III, I had my awareness of the strength of feeling that it provoked firmly in mind. I also hope that it makes for quite a nice half-day walking in western Leicestershire.

The Walk

Get the route: via Ordnance Survey Maps or download the gpx. from Dropbox

I create the Walk Midlands routes via Ordnance Survey Maps

You begin the walking to the site of the Battle of Bosworth Field at Hinckley Railway Station.

Hinckley is a large market town in south western Leicestershire, not all that far really from the city of Coventry and the eastern border with Warwickshire. It has a population of around 45,000 and is the second largest town in the county after the university town of Loughborough to the north.

Having left Hinckley Railway Station you cross the forecourt. The car park of a large TESCO supermarket is on your left.

Then you cross over the road at the bottom of the entrance to the station.

On the other side carry on up the road straight ahead of you past the Steamin’ Billy pub.

This leads you along a primarily residential road.

Presently you come upon a modern shopping precinct in yellow brick on your left. There is a public toilet straight ahead in front of a car park, behind which there is a church.

Just after the shopping precinct, cross over the road and turn left down the road on your left.

Walk along this road for a short way past a Royal Mail delivery office on your right, and a grand art deco building that was almost certainly one a cinema on your left. It has now been largely demolished apart from a facade.

You soon reach a main road. Once there, turn right.

Walk along this main road up a hill.

Presently you come to a curve in the road. There are traffic lights here, and it makes sense to cross, but keep on this road for now.

You then reach a junction with some newish flats in red brick on the left hand side.

Turn left at this junction and keep on uphill.

You pass a cream painted pub on your left and a bit further up the green clad building of the local further education college on your right.

Further up at another junction take the left hand turn.

There are several quite impressive inter-war vintage buildings here, but they are not in especially good condition.

The next phase of the walk takes you downhill through a residential area, along a road leading to the edge of the town.

After around 10 minutes walking you come to a bend in the road with a One Stop shop on the corner.

Turn right at this point and continue along the main road.

Presently on your right there is a triangle of grass with some trees and bushes on it. This leads onto another road.

Turn right at this point and follow the road past the 1930s semi-detached houses.

Near a pelican crossing you will see a blue sign pointing down a snicket on the left hand side of the road.

Cross over the road and head down the snicket.

The snicket soon leads out into a park.

Keeping to your left follow the path around the outside perimeter of the park.

Presently, having turned the corner and begun heading right along the bottom edge of the park you will see another snicket leading off on your left.

Turn down this snicket.

At the bottom you will emerge onto a road right on the edge of Hinckley, on your right there is a modern office park, on your left there is a large out of town branch of Morrisons, one that was evidently built as a Safeways in the 1990s.

Walk along the pavement of the short road that you are on up to what appears to be Hinckley’s right road.

At the bottom you will emerge onto a road right on the edge of Hinckley, on your right there is a modern office park, on your left there is a large out of town branch of Morrisons, one that was evidently built as a Safeways in the 1990s.

Walk along the pavement of the short road that you are on up to what appears to be Hinckley’s ring road.

Once at the larger road turn left and walk a short way past the Morrison’s supermarket.

Looking across to the hedges and fields on your right you will soon see a footpath sign.

Once on the other side head up a short set of concrete steps to a style and cross over it into the field beyond.

Having crossed into the field head across it in the direction of a hedgerow on the far side.

At the hedgerow head over the style into the field beyond.

Do the same for the next field finding the style on the other side of that one.

You now find yourself in a larger field with an old tree on one side.

Again head across the field and find the style.

Once into the next field turn right and follow the line of the hedge up the field.

A yellow waymarker points towards the gap in the hedge into the field beyond.

Once across the style into the field beyond, follow the line of the hedge a short distance.

Keep a careful eye on your left for a style hidden in the hedgerow.

Once you have crossed over this, head right following the well worn path on the far side of the hedge.

Presently you come to the corner of the field and turn left again.

You then follow the line of the hedge for some distance until you reach another style.

Then cross into a large, very long field on the other side of a style.

Follow the line of the hedge for quite some way.

After several minutes walking on your right, near the bottom of the field there is a yellow waymark and a metal gate.

Exit the field through the metal gate. On the other side there is a country lane.

Take a slight left and walk along the lane.

Having walked a very short distance, a footpath sign on the left points into another field.

Follow this sign and enter the field.

At this point you are now walking along the Ambion Way. Named after a hill which played a key role in the Battle of Bosworth Field and which is where the Leicestershire County Council run visitor centre for the site is situated.

Follow the path across the length of the field, hugging close to the hedge line.

Presently you come to a waymarking post which points ahead.

Head across the field and follow the line of the hedge on the other side.

On your left you encounter a metal gate set into the fence line.

Head left through the metal gate and cross the grassy field beyond, keeping to the right, following the line of the path.

By this point you have joined the Leicestershire Round footpath.

Head across the field, following the well trodden path.

Presently you come to another gate, pass through it.

Follow the path along the side of the hedge in the next field as well.

Presently you come to another gate, pass through it.

Once on the other side head down the sloping field towards a small stream, the course of which is marked by a stand of trees.

On the far side there is a wooden style. Cross over this wooden style.

When you are on the other side of the style turn right and follow the path, which hugs close to a fence.

The path steadily curves around until it reaches another gate.

This leads to a short plank style bridge which crosses the stream.

On the other side cross the field heading for the fence on the far side.

Upon reaching the fence follow the line of it until you come to a gate close to where the stream enters an underground culvert.

The gate leads out onto a country lane. Turn right at this point and head a short way down the lane to a gate on the opposite side of the road.

Once through the gate follow the clear footpath a short way, where it hugs close to the hedgerow by the stream.

Presently on your left there is a gap in the hedge with a waymarking sign.

Cross here and then turn left onto a path which runs left across the field.

After a very short distance this comes to a gate situated on your left. Beyond which there is a plank bridge over a stream.

Once through the gate and over the bridge take a slight right turn and head diagonally across the field.

Here you will find another gate.

Step through the gate onto the lane on the other side.

Once on the lane turn right.

After taking a couple of dozen steps turn left and cross over a bridge.

This crosses over the Ashby Canal, the footpath of which comprises the next section of the walk.

Immediately after the bridge turn left and head down a flight of steps.

At the bottom of this there is a gateway leading onto the towpath.

Once on the towpath turn left and walk across underneath the bridge you have just crossed.

You are now walking along the towpath of the Ashby Canal. This section of the canal was opened during the first phase of canal construction in the late 18th Century and has been navigable ever since. However, a bit further north above Snarestone, the Ashby Canal trust is currently working to reopen the entire route up to Moira, which was progressively shut between 1944 and 1966.

The towpath is quite muddy for long stretches, and in some places has sunk so that it is lower than the canal itself, meaning that it has become marshy, or even completely submerged. This makes it harder going than many towpaths, however, it is possible to make quite good time over this pleasant section of the walk.

After a short while you approach Sutton Wharf, where there is a cafe and facilities for boaters.

Having passed under a road bridge, look to your left and find the steps leading off the towpath.

Once at the top turn left and walk over the bridge.

After a short distance along the road on the other side of the bridge there is a way through the hedge on your left via a gate.

This leads into the car park of the cafe and boatyard.

Once in the car park you can walk either along the road behind the building or along the front by where the water lies.

After the cafe building follow a track leading slightly away from the canal.

Presently you come to a gate. Pass through the gate and keep on the path.

This passes near the canal, but with a thicket separating you from the water. On the other side there is an open field.

You steadily approach the edge of Ambion Woods.

As you reach the edge of the woods the path turns right.

Keep following the path through the trees as it slopes gently uphill. Presently you cross a clearing, and then head through another set of trees.

On leaving the woodland you see a gate in front of you.

Once you are through the gateway you are on the perimeter of the Battle of Bosworth Field heritage centre.

If you follow the road up the hill immediately in front of you on the right stands the heritage centre.

The heritage centre housed in a converted farmstead has a small museum explaining the story of how the battle came about, what happened on the day and what the aftermath was. There is also a restaurant and facilities like toilets.

At this point in the walk you may want to spend some time looking around the heritage centre, wander further up the hill to view the memorial to those who died at the site, and perhaps have a walk around the historic battle site. There are sometimes historical reenactors – especially at weekends in the warmer months – demonstrating their craft at the site.

Once you are ready to continue the walk, head to the front wall of the heritage centre where there is a car park.

Turn right and walk across the car park.

At the far side of the car park there is a waymarked metal gate where the Leicestershire Round Footpath continues.

Pass through the gate and continue along the path on the other side.

Presently you reach another metal gate which leads into another field.

Here the path slopes gently uphill.

At the top you pass through another gateway between two gate posts.

On the other side keep walking across the gently upwards sloping field towards another gate.

After passing through that gate, continue along the path until you come to a further gate, pass through this as well.

Having passed through the gate you are in a far smaller field bounded by trees and hedgerows on all four sides. On the far side there is a wooden gate out onto a lane. Head through this gate.

Once on the road turn right, walking along the pavement.

Presently the small village of Sutton Cheney appears off to your right across the field.

Follow the road round in the direction of this village.

Presently you reach the entrance to the village

On the edge of the village, near the church there is a track with some old houses around it on the left. Head along this track.

Or, you could do what I did and head up a small ramp to the churchyard.

Then walk around the very fine, and in some ways quite unusual, village church, head around the back of it and access the lane via a short drop off a walk at the back. This however, is not advised.

Once on the lane behind the church follow it along – it presently turns into a footpath – until you reach a small row of old farm workers’ cottages.

At this point turn left, following a waymarking post into the left.

Here follow the very clear path across the field towards a hedgerow on the other side.

Keep following the path round as it zig-zags across fields and hedgerow lines.

Presently the path enters a long downwards slope towards woodland.

Along the way the path converges with another and continues down towards the trees.

Near a point where you pass a pond reigned with shrubbery on your right the path begins to slope uphill.

Follow the path round through the trees.

On the other side the path climbs alongside the woods up a relatively steep slope, on the other side there is an open field.

Eventually you reach the top where a house stands on your right.

Having reached the house head right and go through a gate onto a track beyond.

The next phase of the walk is a near dead straight, lengthy section up through trees.

You pass through some thick trees, and then past a large pond called the Looking Glass Pond on your left, prior to heading through another set of trees.

Presently you come to a wooden gate which leads into Market Bosworth Country Park.

Once into the park you are on the edge of the ancient, and really rather affluent, village of Market Bosworth.

Walk around the edge of the park keeping on the left until you reach the main road.

At this point you can either turn left and enter the large village – which is worth a brief mooch, there is a lot of nearly 40 year of commemorative material still up celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth Field dotted around the village centre.

Getting Back

Or alternatively, if you would like to head back, turn right when you leave the park and head a short way down the main road to where there are bus stops. Here buses can be caught up towards Coalville and back down to Hinckley, as well as on to Leicester. Trains can be caught from both Hinckley and Leicester.