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| Name: | Bawdon Castle |
| Hill number: | 17299 |
| Height: | 232m / 761ft |
| Parent (Ma): | 2873 Bardon Hill |
| RHB Section: | 39: Central and Eastern England |
| County/UA: | Leicestershire |
| Catchment: | Trent |
| Class: | Tump (200-299m) (Tu,2) |
| Grid ref: | SK 49494 14365 |
| Summit feature: | large outcrop |
| Drop: | 34m |
| Col: | 198m SK504139  |
| OS map sheet(s): | (1:50k) 129 (1:25k) 245E |
| Change log: | show changes for this hill entry |
| GPS data: | show GPS entries for this hill |
N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way. Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass. Please quote the hill number and hill name.
| Logged Descriptions (logged by 43 users) | By | Date of Ascent |
| My first summit of 2024 on a short walk from where we're staying for the new year. Took the ROW behind the summit and cut over to it through the scrub. A nice rocky spot. /D | meltdiceburg | 01/01/2024 |
| A fairly flat, bramble-covered summit area. | justin_j_evans | 30/07/2023 |
| Ascended from minor footpath to the northeast. Met a farmworker round the far side of the summit Wood who gave the ok to look for the tor. Lots of brambles and chest high nettles all over so probably best avoided in Summer time. | KevPalmer | 02/06/2023 |
| Parked by ROW to S on the verge. Summit area is used by a wind turbine and some kind of hardware storage. I made the mistake of approaching summit from S which was a battle through brambles, best to continue on ROW and approach from E. Solo | RoguePulsar | 09/04/2023 |
| Parked by gate on fp to the south. Bit of last minute thrashing in the undergrowth and wrestling in the canopy of a Sweet Chestnut tree to reach a typical Charnwood Tor. | DC11main | 30/07/2022 |
| 3 of 5 starting on bluebell way in Coalville. 12.8 miles. Just as I started to dry off the rain started again. Off from the track towards top the nettles were waist high. No problem though. Big tree shading the summit. Back down through farm track. Don’t think was supposed to be in here. Down to gate at main road and out. Jogged to the next one | The-Z-Man | 25/06/2022 |
| Assuming you get through the brambles -its not everyday you get to step back in time 600 million years to climb some of the oldest rocks in Britain - formed when dinosaurs were still a distant ridiculous notion to yet evolve from the simple multi-cellular leaf. Almost as impressive is the surprising range of 18 (!) different footpath gates for rights of ways held in stock by Secure-a-Field in Ridgefield Business Park on the w.slope. No such thing as simple gate it seems: Kissing or self closing? Wood or metal? One or two way opening? For people or horses use as well? I must carry my I-Spy Gates book in future. They also offer a choice of 5 Bison footbridges - SIMPLE.TOUGH.DURABLE. - just like the summit rocks. | Chris Pearson | 16/12/2021 |
| Nothing, much to note, this was the last of the Charnwood Forest section for me.. | Filbertfox | 11/04/2021 |
| From the ENE. Brambly motte with masonry on the ground is all that remains of the castle. | clivevilla | 02/12/2020 |
| As Wheelsy. Nice summit tor nestled under a large sweet chestnut tree, surrounded by low brambles (easily trampled). Subsequently went to Birch Hill: Used footpath from south - space to park nearby. Fallen branch has collapsed the wall near NE corner of woodland, so easy access. Once inside wood, easiest to keep on northern side before going up to summit (just one fallen beech to negotiate, otherwise easy ground). | PGCE | 05/08/2020 |
| Room for a car by footpath to NE. Followed this around edge of woods then track SE until past the wall running NE from summit. Once past this headed in direction of wind turbine where the wall was broken down. Fair amount of bracken and brambles around rocky outcrop. | Wheelsy | 15/02/2020 |
| Roadside verge parking to NE. RoW initially then a direct route to summit. Interesting outcrop although 'castle' perhaps misnomer - Bawdon Rocks might be a better name. | jonglew | 31/12/2018 |
| From NE - FP west and then SE. At gate followed fence to corner and then through rough stuff to rocks at HP. | PeterD | 02/09/2018 |
| as for JohnW | arranc | 13/07/2018 |
| Followed the path from the north east. | Alancache | 15/03/2018 |
| Parking: To the NE in muddy pull-in by start of footpath SK496148. Follow ROW's to SK496144 then head SW across rough field and one BWF to summit. Bramble etc not too bad at this time of year. | David Evans | 10/03/2018 |
| Markfield bus - Old John Tower - Benscliffe Hill - Bawdon Castle - Ives Head - Birch Hill - Bardon Hill - Bardon bus. First-rate summits but a lack of good paths connecting them. For this one, should have read the logs more carefully! Don't approach through woods from their SE corner - too many nettles. Instead cut across from the right of way ENE of the top to minimise getting scratched. The summit rocks are a miniature scramble with tree branches and bramble stems right in your face! | Mark Jackson | 28/10/2017 |
| RoW from NNE, rather circuitous but easy until last bit through brambly copse and slabby scramble up outcrop. | Aye Jimmy | 07/05/2017 |
| Parked by start of footpath then a gentle amble around the farm before a track to the left aids approach to summit rocks. | Dugswell2 | 02/03/2017 |
| Easy footpath stroll past farm then straightforward into woods | Colin Crawford | 03/01/2017 |
| Cropston to Shepshed. E-S traverse of summit area which is adequately described by previous visitors. | Smudge | 31/12/2016 |
| Parked outside the open gate to the distribution facility and walked up the track. Decent summit in spite of the general mess. Had a chat with a man who was locking the gate and asked if I'd had permission from John to walk on his land. Recommend others use the footpath to avoid potential friction. | Wycombe Wanderer | 28/12/2016 |
| Direct ascent from footpath to the north thwarted by dense nettles. Second attempt from end of farm track to SSE worked much better with path/track most of the way as described by Mark Sims. | davidpettit84 | 19/06/2016 |
| With Sophia Howard. Tomlinson drove up to us on track 5mins from summit and initially tried to stop us. May I have permission to simply go to top of hill. Can't give that it's my dad's and he's in the Caribbean. Ia that your car. Uh, yes. It's a private drive up to that business warehouse. It's6pm. I'm sure they wouldn't mind. Why do you want to go there? I'm collecting Leicestershire hill summits on a website. Oh go on then. There is a rock tor up to the left. Thanks we'll just walk straight up and straight back. Result! | vegibagger | 05/04/2016 |
| As RichardM. On Leicestershire completion day. | ngthack | 14/02/2016 |
| Field path around edge of Bowdon Castle Farm security fencing to edge of wood with old wind turbine. Farm track to nice rock outcrop and view point on what otherwise is a messy hill. | RichardM | 09/02/2016 |
| Parked by footpath to north east and followed around small wood. If you carry on to south of top you can pick up track to right and then veer of to rocky top just before reaching some buildings. | Mark Sims | 09/11/2015 |
| Parked in lane and walked across fields. | Ramblingpaul | 15/07/2015 |
| Followed the right of way from the south, but the summit is very disappointing, being overgrown and surrounded by farm debris. | JohnW | 24/06/2015 |
| While on circular walk via Ulverscroft Priory and Charley Road. Easy access - good views across Leicestershire towards Notts and Derbs. | callumorr | 18/01/2015 |
| Parked 496138. Struggled a bit through wood from South, but discovered there is a perfectly good track leading out ESE from rocky summit. | GordonAdshead | 08/01/2015 |
| Path nr Bawden Castle Farm (residence for sale) then to top, nice and rocky. | Adrian | 28/09/2014 |
| Climbed after Beacon hill by taking a track that leads to Benscliffe road but then took a permissive over the fields running parallel to Benscliffe road, climbed over a gate onto Dean's lane that leads to Benscliffe roads and straight over to follow footpath that skirts Catten Rough, i went around this field boundary, climbed gate back onto fp and followed it around to closest point to summit and then went back on a farm track that leads very close to the summit. A tree is growing alongside the rocks hampering access to the highest point. Was raining hard at the time i visited. I carried on the footpath leading me out to a minor road (verybusy) which i walked down. Next summit Birch Hill. | Dazingdale | 15/12/2013 |
| Date is first visit. Notes from later...fine granite tor, nr FP, spoiled by agricult surroundings. layby 522118, acw circuit of 13 200m Charnwood granite hills | RHW | 11/11/2001 |
| Martin R | 05/02/2022 | |
| johnkenyon | 18/04/2021 | |
| cbarbrook | 10/04/2021 | |
| Barry Smith | 23/08/2020 | |
| carole engel | 18/02/2018 | |
| Campbell Singer | 21/07/2015 | |
| andrew brown | 01/07/2015 | |
| stevent0809 | 20/09/2014 | |
| Moorponder | 30/03/2013 |