Feature /// Great walks
Great Bowden and the Grand Union Canal
TOP STAT
Great Bowden is actually part of Marke t Harborough but there is still a gap between the town and the village.
Open fields, an attractive village and the Grand Union Canal make for an interesting stroll on the outskirts of Market Harborough, as Will Hetherington discovers Photography: Will Hetherington
Difficulty rating (out of five)
THE ROUTE
Great Bowden is split in two by the railway line which runs north/south, but I parked in the western section of the village giving immediate access to the numerous footpaths which either head north west towards the canal or south towards Market Harborough. To be specific I parked on the road where Main Street becomes Leicester Lane, just west of the junction with Burnmill Road. From here there is a path which heads north initially through a couple of gardens, as only public footpaths in England can! It always seems a bit intrusive to walk past someone’s otherwise private front window but I suppose you know about the path when you buy the house. Anyway this path soon turns north west and out into open countryside. There is a gentle climb across three fields before you come to the Grand
Union Canal. The path drops down on to the towpath here at Sedgleys Bridge and here you have some options. You can turn right and take a gentle stroll around the path for a while before heading back. It’s extremely peaceful ambling along the towpath and there should be a canal boat or two to investigate. But if you are in for a long walk then don’t turn back, just stay on the towpath until you come to a footbridge taking you to the other side and then past Gartree Prison and back over the fields to the canal on the edge of Market Harborough. It’s about five miles if you take this route and makes for a good walk. If you take the first option when you turn back you don’t just retrace your steps back from Sedgleys Bridge. Stay on the towpath and carry on until you get to Bowden Hall Bridge which as the name suggests is just next to Great Bowden Hall. Here you can leave the canal and walk down the main road back into Great Bowden and the Red Lion or stay on the canal and walk all the way into Market Harborough and then pick up one of the three footpaths back to Great Bowden.
It’s certainly a good idea to have your OS map with you for this walk because there are a number of options. But you will find Great Bowden is a good-sized village bearing all the hallmarks of prosperity through the ages, including the present day. And in the Red Lion it also boasts a cracking pub. This area offers a bit of everything for walkers; village, canal, countryside and town. Go and explore.
Clockwise, from above
This walk combines open fields, an attractive village and the Grand Union Canal; impressive Great Bowden church; a walk on the towpath is a peaceful experience; The Red Lion pub is popular
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19/03/2016 08:37