Empingham circular via Normanton and Rutland Water

Thursday 01 February. With Maureen. A beautiful sunny morning with a chilly north wind.

We walked along Crocket Lane in Empingham, by the church, and followed the streets, eventually arriving at the footpath along Willoughby Drive.

Then it's across a field, over the footbridge across the stream and right along the Hereward Way (Mill Lane).

After the first house we crossed the field diagonally to the next footbridge, and walked slightly uphill along the edges of two fields. No serious mud in spite of recent wet weather.  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, signposted to Normanton.

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. 
There was some evidence of recent wind damage and felled trees as we passed a wooded area on our right.

We carried on until the road veered left. We took the footpath through the gate straight ahead, with an intermittent wall on our right. There are another couple of gates. Once again the conditions underfoot were fine.

At the road we turned right and headed west towards Normanton car park on Rutland Water.  The wind was very cold and we had to walk right into it. 

The cafe in the car park was open, so we stopped for a drink. We could have sat inside, but instead huddled in a sheltered corner, enjoying the sun's warmth, out of the biting wind.

We followed the waterside track. To our left was woodland with snowdrops and aconites. We walked 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, a little muddy, but quite walkable.

Another footbridge over a stream led us out of the wood. There were 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.