Carole's retirement adventures

County: Leicestershire

Name of high point: Bardon Hill 278m (912ft)

Date completed: 7th June 2025

This high point was done on a combined trip to Nottinghamshire and a wildlife photography workshop in Rutland to photograph Ospreys. I planned it so I could stay on a campsite the night before, complete the walk and return home the same day.

Bardon Hill is part of the National Forest and was once a former volcano. It sits on an old fault line known as Thringstone Fault which starts in Derbyshire and goes across to Germany. On a clear day there are stunning views.

I started at the Bulls Head pub which is the highest pub in Leicestershire. The weather wasn’t great and it was raining when I set off.

I left the car park and walked down the main road on the grass verge. It was a busy road so it wasn’t ideal.

I reached a public footpath which led through some woods. There were lots of foxgloves

The path took a left turn towards Bardon Hill Quarry through Bardon Hill Wood.

It was a steady climb to the summit of Bardon Hill and the trig point with views over the working quarry and the mast.

I had to return back down the hill the same way

I turned left onto a main track and followed it through the woods to reach the Ivanhoe Way, a 36 mile circular footpath. I had to walk through a housing estate, turn right at the main road and a steep uphill section to the t junction where I turned left to head back to the pub car park.

This wasn’t a particularly exciting walk but it was good to tick off another county high point. The walk was just over 4 miles in length.