Thornton Reservoir

The village of Thornton in Leicestershire hosts Thornton Reservoir, which is a good walk with lots of potential wildlife to view. Thornton village is located to the west of the M1 motorway, at around a 3-mile drive from Junction 22. The walk itself begins and ends in the Severn Trent Water Thornton Reservoir car park. The reservoir is over 150 years old, being built in 1854. It was originally constructed to provide water for Hinckley, Nuneaton, and western parts of the county of Leicestershire. Severn Trent Water closed the reservoir in 1982, but it was reopened to the public in 1997, providing an ideal, easily accessible place for walking.

How to get there

From Juntion 22 of the M1 motorway, drive around 3-miles to the south along Markfield Lane, heading into the village of Thornton. If entering from Main Street, head down Reservoir Road, and the car park will be on your left.

Walk

1 From the Thornton Reservoir car park, facing the water, turn right and follow the path out through the metal gates, so that you are entering onto Reservoir Road. Cross over the road and turn left, then stay on the pavements and walk along the footpath leading over the reservoir dam wall. Once you reach the end of the dam wall, turn left to cross back over the road (here is a smaller car parking area) and pass through the wooden gate to enter the reservoir site.

2 Follow the reservoir-edge path along, keeping the reservoir to your left the whole time. Once you reach the tip of the north-east point of the reservoir, you will find the path takes a sharp left, and crosses over a bridge, over the inlet stream. If you remain on the reservoir-edge path, you will follow the northern edge of the reservoir downwards. As you progress down, you will see possible walking options leading into the woodland to your right. If you ignore these, and stay on the reservoir-edge path.

3 The reservoir again reaches a tip, this time to the north-west. If you remain still on the path to the edge of the reservoir, ignoring any signed into the fields to your right. Once at the tip of the reservoir here, take the sharp left, and cross the next bridge over the inlet stream. Continue on the edge path, keeping the reservoir to your left the entire time.

4 As you progress down this path, you will find St Peter’s Church on your right, just up the hill. To your left, on the reservoir, you will see a boat jetty, a further car park, and here also some visitor toilets. Again, keep to the main path/road, with the reservoir remaining on your left, and this will link back up with the car park where the walk started.

Grid Reference: SK 470074
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