Day Trips & Where to Visit
Barrow-upon-Soar you will find to be a friendly village. Medium sized, it has numerous amenities: supermarket, post office, butcher, news agent, hairdresser, medical centre, dentist, and pharmacy, just to mention some that are less than ten minutes walk from the cottage. The
Fish and Chip shop (website),
Istanbul BBQ (website),
Lees Garden (website),
Pearl City (website)
and the excellent
Bengali restaurant (website)
are also within easy walking distance.
For more robust refreshment, Barrow is well blessed with pubs - there are six and one hotel. The closest, the Navigation Inn, is just 29½ seconds walk away, and, as the name implies, canal-side. With one possible exception, all are an easy walk. Most provide lunchtime fare, some serving evening meals. It takes five minutes to walk to the railway station, where trains can be taken for local destinations.
Further wining and dining establishments are to be found in the nearby villages of Quorn (a veritable gastronomic oasis), Sileby, Mountsorrel, Walton-on-the-Wolds, Burton-on-the-Wolds and Wymeswold.
Leicester, Nottingham, Newark & Lincoln can all be reached by a direct local train while Birmingham, Derby and London (amongst other citys) are just a single change at Leicester or Loughborough - Click Here to find out more on EastMidlandsRailway.co.uk website.
There are many local things to do and interesting places to visit, they include
Boating on canal and river - From pedaloes and rowing boats for hire by the hour to larger motor vessels available for the day or longer.
Fishing - From end of garden and elsewhere.
Horse Riding - There are several facilities within a few miles.
Golf - Nearest facility Shelthorpe Golf Course on southern edge of Loughborough. Municipal 18 hole course. Others in area are Rothley Park and Charnwood Forest.
Dinghy Sailing and Water Sports - by arrangement.
Canal and Riverbank Walking.
Great Central Railway - Steam trains running between Leicester and Loughborough, nearest station Quorn. On-board dining available at certain times.
Taylor's Bell Foundry and Museum in Loughborough - Large bells manufactured for export worldwide.
Loughborough Carillion - Built in 1922 as a war memorial in Queen's Park, houses 47 bells crafted in Taylor's Foundry. Concerts on Thursday and Sunday afternoons in summer.
Home Farm, Loughborough - Rare breed livestock, historic water wheel, organic produce including top wines and local meats.
Stonehurst Family Farm and Museum, Mountsorrel - Animal petting are, blacksmith's forge, small motor museum, tea room, farm shop with local produce for sale.
Charnwood Forest:
Beacon Hill Country Park, Woodhouse Eaves - 180 acres of heath and woodland walking with views from second highest point in Leicestershire at 818 feet; Outwoods and Jubilee Woods, between Woodhouse Eaves and Nanpantan - 112 acres of woodland walking.
Broombriggs Farm Trail, Woodhouse Eaves - Working farm with nature trail.
Bradgate Country Park, Leicestershire's largest - Offers walking over more than 850 acres of natural heathland populated by deer herds and in which are the ruins of Bradgate House - Lady Jane Grey was incarcerated there prior to her beheading, with the 700 foot summit alongside Old John Tower providing magnificent views.
Swithland Woods - Walking in 140 acres of ancient woodland, just to the north of and an additional part of Bradgate Country Park, in which are two abandoned pits where the famous Swithland Slate was quarried.
Cropston Pumping Station - Just outside the village and next to the reservoir, displays how piped water was supplied to Leicester in Victorian times, and close by is an entrance to Bradgate.
Newton Linford - A pretty village in which is the main entrance to Bradgate.
Ulverscroft Priory Ruins, near Newtown Linford - Historic interest in a delightful setting.
Mount Saint Bernard Abbey - An active monastery near Whitwick, mainly self-sufficient due to its home farm.
Watermead Country Park - Just north of Leicester, is an area of Soar Valley wetland alongside the river in which are good walking and cycling facilities, and fishing permitted in its lakes. There is a wide variety bird species to be seen, and the lakes are a haven for many types of wild fowl. The legendary King Lear is said to be buried in a chamber under the river, one of the lakes taking his name.
Snibston Discovery Park - In the same-named village near Coalville, is a former colliery developed as a museum depicting particularly the region's former coal-mining industry and nature reserve. Reported closed August 2015.
Donington Park Motor Racing Circuit, near Castle Donington - Regular meetings featuring cars or motor cycles, also motor museum. Adjacent to East Midlands Airport.
Leicester Racecourse - Regular meetings over jumps and on the flat.
Concert Halls, Live Theatre, Cinemas, Museums etc in Leicester and Loughborough.
National Space Centre in Leicester - Conveniently located just off A6, the main route into the city.
King Richard III's remains are interred in Leicester Cathedral, close to the city centre.
Due to its location in central England, Kingfisher Cottage is the ideal jumping off point for any number of day trip destinations. Following is a list of some options with approximate distances/drive times.
Derbyshire Dales/Peak District/Pennines - hill walking etc, southern end 1hr or less.
Peterborough - Cathedral etc 1hr (combine with Stamford recommended).
Warwick - Castle etc, Kenilworth - Castle etc, and Royal Leamington Spa, all approx 50min.
Stratford-upon-Avon - Shakespeare Memorial Theatre etc, 1hr.
Broadway - Picturesque old town popular with American tourists 1hr20min.
Cambridge - Colleges etc, 1hr30min.
Worcester - Cathedral etc, 1hr30min.
Tewkesbury - Charming old riverside town 1hr35min.
Oxford - Colleges etc, 1hr40min.
Ely - Cathedral etc, 1hr40min.
Gloucester - Cathedral, old port etc, 1hr40min.
York - Minster etc, then on to Yorkshire Wolds 2hrs.
Mid-Wales - 2hrs.
Central London - 2hrs (Car or Train).
Windsor - Castle etc, 2hrs.
Ripon - for Yorkshire Dales etc, 2hrs.
Norwich - Cathedral etc, 2hrs15min.
Bristol - Revitalised former port area, SS Great Britain, Clifton Gorge and Suspension Bridge etc, 2hrs.
Kendal - Lake District, Windermere, Coniston & beyond 2hrs45min.