Melton Mowbray Dismantled Railway
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
Access is off the A606 Nottingham Road or Asfordby Road which divides the two sections of the disused line.
Public footpath
Site species count:
This former railway line was part of the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway which opened between 1879-1883 to transport iron ore, agricultural produce and passengers.
The disused track now provides a haven for wildlife and provides a welcome, calm environment compared to the busy surrounding road network. The track immediately starts its assent from Nottingham Road and reaches a plateau quite quickly from which the rooftops of Melton can be seen. A well-maintained grass pathway provides access between Hawthorn and Blackthorn scrub which extends to the railway cottages at the base of each bank. From here, butterflies, birds and buzzing insects seem to abound on warm, sunny days and the whole area acts as a micro habitat for wildlife.
The track descends to Asfordby Road but is quickly picked up again with an assent back to the onto the line track (originally connected by a road bridge). The line is relatively wide in this section and bounded by mature trees before reaching a bridge and excellent viewing point over the River Eye.
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