and occasionally rides a bike.
A word of warning. The walk descriptions are not detailed enough to guide you - please take a map. The batteries never run out, and you always have a signal. Oh, And don't take left or right as gospel!

Monday, July 17, 2017

Empingham, Normanton and Rutland Water


With Marion. Monday 17 July 2017, starting at 9.30 am. Hot and sunny, dry underfoot. 7.25 miles.

A walk I have done several times with different people. Good views of the water from Normanton Cottages. A little road walking on quiet roads, a few stiles towards the end.

We walked along Crocket Lane in Empingham, near the church, and followed the streets, eventually arriving at the footpath along Willoughby Drive. Then it's across a field, with cattle who took no notice of us, over the stream and right along the Hereward Way (Mill Lane).

After the first house we crossed the field diagonally to the next footbridge, and walk slightly uphill along the edges of two fields. They look well ready to be harvested.  After the second field we crossed the A606 and continued along the path opposite, still following field edges until we reached Ketton Road. Here we turned sharply right and walked along the quiet road to the next junction. 
Knapweed, I think.

Here we turned left along Empingham Road past Normanton Cottages, which look as though they could once have been almshouses, or estate houses. There are lovely views of Rutland Water and the dam from this road. 

We carried on until the road bent to the left. We took the footpath straight ahead, with an intermittent wall on our right.

At the road we turned right and headed west towards Normanton car park on Rutland Water. The cafe was open, so we stopped for a drink in the welcome shade.

Then we followed the path round to the dam and across, before turning sharp right along the path with woodland on the left of us. At the bottom of the slope we climbed a stile into a field and then another one into more woodland - once again, just the job on a hot day!
To the woods . . . and out the other side


Another footbridge over a stream - looking a bit muddy for dipping feet - and a couple more stiles along the path to Nook Lane, Empingham, and back to the village and the car.
Off to Wellies at the garden centre for lunch. A very enjoyable 7 miles.






2 comments:

Ida Jones said...

Lovely - and very summery!

aliqot said...

Thanks, Ida - even our feet were hot by the time we finshed!