Anchor Church - Caves to explore!
A walk with wonderful caves to explore! Quite a few ups, downs and narrow paths, best done in good weather. Some of the footpaths are not well marked but please don’t be put off as this walk has some wonderful highlights and great picnic spots. Takes an hour and a half to two hours.Leave Ashby via Smisby Road, continuing onto the B5006 towards Ticknall. On entering Ticknall turn right onto the B587 towards Melbourne and take the first left after the Village shop into Ingleby Lane. Proceed for about 1½ miles, passing a crossroads, to park under the trees on the right just before the sharp right bend at Ingleby.
In front of you, on the opposite side of the road you will see a metal gate into a field. The footpath sign was broken off when we did it, a little further down the fence to the right. There was no stile and the easiest way is either over the gate, or through it (there is a usually a chain around it but this does unfasten). Proceed up the hill to the right where you will see a wooden gate with a stile to the right. Go over the stile and then through a gate to follow a fenced path across the hillside. On your right you will see the River Trent below you. Cross a wooden stile and continue over the grassy hillside for a little way before dropping down to river level to cross a broken stile. The path continues to follow the river but climbs steeply up and down and is quite narrow in places. After the path has again dropped down you will come to Anchor Church on your left. This is a collection of fascinating caves partly formed by the river and partly cut out by hand. Legend has it that St Hardulph used to live here around the 6th century. Great fun to explore!
Continuing on past the caves you cross a wooden stile into a field. You have now left the river but there is a stream running to the right of the field. Going straight across the field you will reach some red metal gates at the far end - just before these is a stile in the hedge on the left crossing into a field. There was barbed wire around the stile so take care when crossing it (dogs may need help). Go up the field aiming diagonally left to find a stile out onto the lane (just to the left of the power cables).
Turn left along the lane to pass Foremark Hall School on your right. A short distance after this you will see a line of trees on the left and just after these look for a blue metal gate. Pass through the gate and diagonally left across the field to another blue gate. Straight on through a third blue gate and follow the footpath arrow up the hill to go through (or beside) a brown metal gate and on over the hill. The grass was long here when we went - aim for the large posts with a black metal gate by them. Through the gateway follow the right edge of the field to a wooden gate and down to a fenced grass path leading to a wooden swing gate which brings you back out in the first field, opposite where you parked.
Walk by Liz (Ashby Life)
