SITE 222 THOMAS BABINGTON'S CARRIAGEWAY
IF YOU WOULD PREFER A SHORT WALK ALONG THE CARRIAGEWAY THEN TAKE THIS ROUTE:
This is an area of the Rothley countryside that could see big changes in 2014 with so much building. The following record is important to show how lovely it was in 2005
THOMAS BABINGTON'S CARRIAGEWAY
Date: 14th May 2005
Observers: Marion Vincent and Brian Verity
Location: From the old A6, through South Hall Field (Site 160), over the fields to the Rothley Temple.
OS Ref: SK59001210-SK57701230
Map Title: Site222
Owners: Various according to the fields it runs through:
1)South Hall Field Site 160
2)Brookfield Site 220
3)Short Browns Ward Site 223
4) Thorney Wong Site 227
5) Bridge Close Site 210
6) Cricket Ground Field Site 120 (Rothley Park, Great Brick Close)
7) Rothley Temple (Rothley Court Hotel) Site 115
This is the carriageway constructed by Thomas Babington who spent his retirement from his parliamentary career on improving his estate at The Temple by planting trees, building a bridge and laying out a carriageway. It took him from his home, Rothley Temple, over the fields to the main road then down the Bridle Road to Wanlip, which joined the main road to Syston.
The part through Rothley Parish is now only partly lined with trees; many are ancients, others more recent and plenty of evidence of ancient stumps. I want to record all the trees and features along this part of the carriageway.
12th November 2005
This morning was spent just looking at the route that the carriageway would have taken, taking photographs and just making visual discoveries to be recorded when we start this part of the project.
We started off on the old A6 slip road to record the site of The Lodge but there is no evidence of the building. There is parkland railing along part of the hedgerow. The carriageway through South Hall Field, Site 160, is clearly defined so no problem in locating where the Lodge once stood. The trees through South Hall Field on either side of the carriageway are a mixture of previously recorded Ancient Trees and younger ones. The carriageway rises to the top of South Hall Field into Brookfield Site 220 where trees have been felled but stumps remain for us to plot its course. There is one huge stump that has been taken out of the ground and left in the field and this needs to be measured as it looks to be of great size. See note further down.
We then enter Short Browns Ward Site 223, where there is still a lovely avenue of trees, before entering Thorney Wong Site 227, which takes us down to the Bridle Road by the side of Rothley Park Golf Course. Over the Bridle Road into the present day drive to Southfield Farm for a short length before entering Bridge Close Site 210. The present day drive to Southfield Farm was opened up about three years ago to give Tony Cooper access to his farmhouse without having to cut across the Golf Course. A lovely Ancient Stone Bridge which has Listed Status, takes us over Rothley Brook and into Rothley Park Cricket Ground Field Site 120, before entering the current grounds of The Temple (Rothley Court Hotel) Site 115.
Photographs have been taken up to the Stone Bridge but a sunny day awaited to take more up to The Temple.
11th January 2006
I returned Site 220 Brookfield to record the Ancient Tree Stump 514. It has a girth of 6.55 metres, making it a very large, ancient tree. I do not know what caused its demise or why the root and stump were dug out and left near to what looks to be its original site.
21st January 2006
Brian and I went to the Cricket Ground Field Site 120 to map out the route of the carriageway from the Stone Bridge over Rothley Brook as far as The Temple boundary. We did this by using ranging poles to probe the ground to find the gravel base of the carriageway. This proved to be very successful and a photographic record was made using the poles to show the left hand boundary of the carriageway looking from the Stone Bridge to The Temple. It is easy to see the route in some parts using the contours of the ground and the ground vegetation.
The end of the carriageway from the field is where the current side boundary of the grounds of the Rothley Court Hotel meets their car park to give a final straight run to the front door.
Along the route in the Cricket Ground Field is an Oak Stump with a good surface, which we will return to and count the rings. Old maps show that Oaks were planted in 1727 and 1733, so it will be an interesting exercise.
TRACKING THE ROUTE OF THE CARRIAGEWAY THROUGH GREAT BRICK CLOSE (ROTHLEY PARK) WAS DONE BY PRODDING THE GROUND WITH RANGING POLES TO FIND THE STONEY BASE AND BY USING TREES AND STUMPS TO WIND OUR WAY THROUGH TO THE TEMPLE.
THE FOLLOWING PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW HOW WE TRACKED THE ROUTE IN JANUARY 2006
Journey's end. Thomas Babington reaches The Temple after a lovely drive along his private carriageway.
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