Information on Loughborough

Pleasant new path through 'Stinking Wood'

Posted on 20/11/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Community Services

19 November 2009

Pleasant new path through 'Stinking Wood'

People can now enjoy a new public footpath in the Charnwood Forest.

The new path runs through attractive countryside in the Ulverscroft area linking two existing public footpaths that run west and north from Newtown Linford.

The path goes through Stinking Wood then runs south of the Lea Meadow Nature Reserve towards Ulverscroft Lane.

The Building and Social Housing Foundation, a locally-based charity which owns the land, kindly agreed to formally dedicate the new route for public use.

The path replaces a long existing dead-end public footpath to Sandhills Lodge and goes through an area of National Forest woodland created by the Foundation in 2004.

Contractors working for Leicestershire County Council have completed all the work to make the new path usable. Vegetation has been removed, existing stiles replaced with kissing gates, and the council’s trademark yellow-topped waymark posts installed to make the route easy to follow.

A new bridge has been constructed over an area of wet ground and the Leicestershire Footpath Association has contributed to the costs of renovating the existing foot bridge and installing new waymark posts.

Ernie White, Leicestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Countryside Services, said: “This new path is a great addition to the network of public rights of way.

“It provides access to a very scenic area with some gorgeous views. On behalf of the council I want to thank the Building and Social Housing Foundation for making it possible, and to the Leicestershire Footpath Association for helping us make it available.”

The County Council is in the process of adding the path to the 'Definitive Map' which is the legal record that confirms a footpath, bridleway or byway is a public right of way.

Enthusiastic walkers may want to update their Ordnance Survey maps. The route of the path is shown on the web at www.leics.gov.uk/j95.pdf

More information about where to walk or ride in Leicestershire is on the web at: www.leics.gov.uk/countryside

Notes

The Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) is a Coalville-based charity working both in the UK and internationally to promote innovative housing policy and practice that is people-centred and environmentally responsible.

Established in 1976, BSHF is financially independent, deriving its income from the land, property and investments that it owns. More information is on the web at: www.bshf.org

The Leicestershire Footpath Association, founded in 1897, organises regular country walks and takes an active interest in the history and future of all public footpaths within the county. The famous Leicestershire Round long distance footpath was first devised to celebrate the Association’s centenary in 1987. For a link to the LFA website go to http://preview.tinyurl.com/yb3sw3m