Wistow Walk
This Leicestershire based hamlet is a fine place to visit with a variety of attractions and an interesting history.
It includes the popular Wistow Maze, a Rural Centre with a large garden centre, a model village, a cafe/bistro, a Mediterranean deli and an art gallery. It's a lovely place for a walk too, with some attractive countryside and waterside paths along the Grand Union Canal and the River Sence.
This circular walk starts from the car park and follows footpaths south towards Fleckney. You then turn north east to meet up with the canal before turning west to past the site of the old medieval village of Wistowe. Shortly after you pass the small lake next to Wistow Hall and return to the car park. On the way you'll also pass the historic church which dates back to the 12th century and is worth some investigation.
Postcode
LE8 0QF - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsPlease click here for more information
Wistow Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Wistow Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Wistow OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Wistow Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
The Wistow Café Bistro is located in the rural centre and provides a good range of meals and snacks. They have an outdoor area for warmer days too.
Dog Walking
The country and woodland paths around the hamlet make for a nice dog walk. Dogs are not allowed (except Guide Dogs) in the Maze or Activity Funyard though. The bistro mentioned above is dog friendly in the garden room.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
For a longer walk you could continue round on the canal to Newton Harcourt and Kilby where you can pick up country paths to take you back towards Wistow. Continuining north west along the canal will eventually take you into Leicester where you can try the Leicester Canal and River Soar Walk.
Just south of Fleckney you can pick up the Leicestershire Round. This long circular walk explores the countryside and villages around the city of Leicester.
Heading east will take you to the attractive market town of Uppingham where you can enjoy a stroll to the pretty Eyebrook Reservoir.
The popular town of Market Harborough is just to the south east and has some nice canal walks to try.
A few miles to the east there's Hallaton to explore. The village includes a particularly picturesque pond, a 13th century church and quaint thatched cottages. Hallaton is also the location for the famous annual bottle kicking contest which takes place on Easter Monday.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Leicestershire Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
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Lake next to Wistow Hall
View of meadowland beside the River Sence.
Farmland near Wistow
Winding hole, Wain Bridge near Newton Harcourt just north of Wistow. This shows the wider piece of canal where boats can perform the equivalent of a three point turn in order to go back the way they came. An indentation in the bank allows the bows of a narrowboat to be held whilst the prevailing wind blows the boat round. Hence the unusual pronunciation - ‘winding hole’. The road is Newton Lane and the green contraption mounted by the side of the bridge is a pipeline bridge.
St Wistan church Wistow. The church from the 12th century, was enlarged c. 1300, again altered in the 14th and 15th centuries, and remodelled in the 18th century.
Path to Wistow church. The church is approached along this gravel path crossing a small stream before passing through the white gates into the churchyard and on to the church which is behind the photographer.
Grand Union Canal near Fleckney
The Old Crown, Fleckney