even before the act was passed there were problems where the line approached the estate of the earl of harborough. the original plan was to follow the course of the wreake through stapleford park. not only did the earl refuse to sell the land, he put up notices forbidding the surveyors entry to the park. a group of surveyors, walking along the towpath of the oakham canal, were confronted by lord harborough's men and ordered to return to where they had come from. since it was a public right of way, the surveyors refused, whereupon they were arrested and put in a cart, presumably to be taken before a magistrate. they were stopped by a policeman who pointed out that the surveyors were in the right, so they were simply tipped out into the road.