2023–2024 season FROM SHINGLE STREET to FELIXSTOWE WOODBRIDGE base.
2024–2025 season CHARNWOOD FOREST AREA (from Loughborough to Bradgate Park and Cropston).
This offers a wide variety of options–Bradgate Park is a Deer Park, with many rutting deer (if the dates fit), autumnal colours in the trees (if the dates fit), the ruins of Lady Jane Grey’s House (Bradgate House) —- Lady Jane was the shortest reigning English Queen, Old John —- a small tower (a folly), looking down over the whole park. On the edge of the park (formerly part of the park) lies Cropston Lake; a reservoir fed by the River Lin. Crossing the nearby Swithland Reservoir is an old railway line carrying the Great Central Railway: this is the only twin tracked preserved railway in Britain which is used by National Rail to test locomotives. Local villages include Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston (pronounced locally as Croson), Woodhouse Eaves, and Swithland. North of Bradgate is Loughborough with an old Bell Foundry, a University, etc, etc.
Thereafter the possible options include-
2025–2026 season BRIGHTON AREA (Coastal) —- other suggestions include possibly going to a Dorset base, or an ESSEX Coastal area.
2026–2027 season SUSSEX DOWNS (Inland) —- villages and routes on the downs.
2027–2028 season EAST SUFFOLK / ESSEX (Coastal) —- ideas include HARWICH / DOVERPORT, NAZE.
These last 3 trips will offer inland and coastal visits in alternate years. Any other suggestions for possible destinations (within the alternating years pattern) will be welcomed-just let us know
