Park at Thorton Reservoir
at the north east end of the dam, south east of Thornton village.
1. Go out of the gate and turn right uphill,
at the junction turn left along Merrylees Road. At the first
footpath sign turn left over the stile and bear slight right
down the slope over the footbridge right of the trees. Keep
direction up a sharper slope, over a stile and along the left
hand field edge. Step over the stile at the top and go through
the trees. Continue on the left hand field edge through the
narrow gap in the corner and turn left over the almost hidden
stile at the next corner.
2. Cross the road at the junction and go along
the tarmac Ivanhoe Trail ahead. Keep straight on at the junction
along the hedged path and continue on left hand field edges
past Old Hays Farm to a stile marked by discs. Turn left on
the track which becomes a hardcore road bearing right, turn
left with the track at a marker post towards the rumble of the
M1 and bear right up to the road.
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3. Turn left
along the road to the signpost as it swings right and turn left
over the stile/footbridge, bear right over the field ahead which
may be under cultivation although a path should be well marked
within any crop. At the yellow top post visible on the tree
line turn right along the field edge.
4. At the next marker post turn left over the
footbridge; walk through the trees and over the stile. Carry
on along the right hand field edges and over the stiles to the
farm access road; keep direction for 70yds between the glasshouses
and the trees of Whittington Rough. Turn right over the stile
and immediate left keeping the trees still to the right past
the large pond; cross the stile and bear right.
5. Turn right through the gap and step over
the stile into the fenced National Forest area and follow the
normally well marked track curving in a half circle to the left
hand top corner. Cross the stile, keep direction along the right
hand field edge and the tarmac road through the farm all the
way to the road. |
6. Turn left
and almost immediate right along the bridleway, continue on
the left hand field edge to the bottom of the slope and go through
the gap by the marker post 40yds right of the corner. Cross
over the open field (a track should be visible) and the footbridge
to the yellow top post on the edge of the trees ahead. Walk
over this footbridge and follow the arrowed direction into the
trees, continue on the well marked path to an easily missed
gap on the left.
7. Go down the steps though the gap and over
the footbridge. Keep direction up the slope between the younger
trees, continue over the stile in the dip and up the next slope
with the hedge to the right. Cross the stile and carry on with
hedge to the left, keeping going past the tres; in the corner
step over the stile left and continue the original direction
with the hedge now to the right.
8. Pass through kissing gate, and bear right
round the tip of the reservoir, then left along shoreline, back
to car park. |
