A ramble by Staunton Harold Reservoir

Walks in and Around Ashby A beautiful walk which starts out alongside Staunton Harold Reservoir before exploring footpaths and bridleways in the countryside between Melbourne and Ticknall. There is an option of a shorter (under an hour), or a longer (hour and a half) walk. Please note that the car park at the Reservoir is pay and display and cost £2.50 at the time of writing.

Leave Ashby via Wood Street and Nottingham Road. At the roundabout by Tesco, take the 2nd exit onto the B587 towards Lount. Continue through Lount, taking the left turning to keep on the B587 towards Melbourne. Follow this road past the Severn Trent Water Treatment works and then take your first left into Calke Road – following the brown sign for Staunton Harold Reservoir. This will lead you down to the pay and display car park for the reservoir, there is also a Visitor Centre, children’s play area and refreshments.

Walking towards the reservoir follow the path that leads off between the play area and the sign for Staunton Harold Sailing Club. Follow this well-tended path through a small area of woodland alongside the banks of the reservoir before emerging onto a paved surface near the Sailing Club. Continue along here with the reservoir on your left, passing several benches and a wildflower meadow which was full of cowslips when I went.

At white metal barrier at the end of this path turn right, following the public footpath sign up the lane. After about 400 yards you will see a wooden footpath post on your right. Cross the stile here and go diagonally across the field to another stile in the right hand hedgerow. A series of stiles will take you across a couple of fields, along a narrow track beside woodland, and over a further field to arrive at Broadstone Holt, an area of young woodland. Looking ahead you can see the tower of the disused windmill in the distance and the reservoir car park below it – for the shorter walk keep following the footpath straight ahead towards the tower, it is easy to see the path as it crosses the farmland. For the longer walk look out for a stile on your left before the end of the young woodland.

Crossing over this stile you are on the end of a farm track with the wonderful name of Bog Lane. Follow this up, past a couple of dwellings, to reach the Ticknall to Melbourne road. Turn left, keeping to the pavement alongside the road for a short distance to the bend ahead. At the bend (just past the stall selling free range eggs) cross over the road to enter Shepherds Lane (marked by a broken wooden sign). The lane soon changes to a grassy path, passing through a metal gate and then on to another one at the far end of the path. Going through the second gate turn right and follow the various circular footpath signs which lead down beside the barn conversion. You will go through two small metal gates alongside fields where horses graze. At the bottom field follow the field edge around to the left to find a small wooden gate which leads into Stafford Wood.

The broad strip of grass running across this area is apparently used as a landing strip so do look out to see if the windsock is flying! A series of yellow posts mark the pathway that leads up to farm buildings and then comes out by a road junction. Cross straight over to go down Robinsons Hill. Shortly after the bus stop cross the road to take the public footpath leading off to the right. Go uphill, keeping to the right of the windmill and you will come to a crossing point in the fence on your left. Pass through this and down past the windmill back to the car park.
This walk takes about an hour and a half, the shorter option should be under an hour. There are some paths which request dogs are kept on leads and a couple of short road sections. The paths are well marked with dog gates on most of the stiles.
All walks are checked shortly before publication but please be aware that paths may change over time and with the seasons.



Walk by Liz (Ashby Life)