2024 18th June - Tilton, Maresfield, Lowesby

 With Marta.

Some of the paths were unclear/overgrown, so we modified our original route slightly.

Lowesby, as always easy enough, and the walk back to Tilton, was fine apart from overgrown section between hedges. Lowesby Station looks more run down than previously.

The walk felt pretty strenuous. Marta and I agreed on that one! Almost 8 miles, but felt like more.

Tilton, Marefield, Twyford,Lowesby

Wednesday 11 September 10 20 am. 

Walked from Tilton wiith Marta. Just over 8 miles.

A day of changing clothes, too hot, then some drizzle, then too hot again. We left Tilton along Marefield Road and then down the track to the left. Downhill and over a muddy patch - unexpected as we've had plenty of dry weather.

We decided that a late start justified an early coffee stop, and found a spot where the track met a quiet road. A large group of cyclists passed us - clearly a decent road for a bike ride.

From here we turned left and followed the road through Marefield and past Manor House Farm. Soon after this we walked under a railway bridge, and continued along the left hand fork. There were lots of cows in the unfenced field.

At the next road junction we crossed over to a footpath which led almost due north and past Lowenva Lodge Farm. There is a short section where we had to consult the map and follow field edges before we picked up the yellow signs, and then we followed the path into Twyford. It was drizzling enough for us to be grateful for the shelter of Twyford church porch. I almost succumbed to the temptation of yet more coffee, but the sun came out and encouraged us on our way! 

We left the churchyard, and after a slight hiccup took the first road to our left, following it round until we found the footpath we needed.

This path was not hard to follow, and crops have been harvested. The electricity pylons are a useful aid to navigation around here.  

We went past Highfield Farm, then downhill to the Melton Road. We crossed the road and took the small road opposite, known as Park Road. This goes past the site of the medieval village of Lowesby, but we couldn't see much evidence.  We followed the road past an avenue of trees leadin to Lowesby Hall, and picked up the footpath to our left, near the bottom of the hill.

The path goes towards the hall and passes it on the left. It's clearly marked and leads round to the road to the church.

After the church our path crosses the road and heads southeast, with spelndid views of the countryside.

We went past the old Lowesby signal box and station , now marked on the map as Springfield Farm.

Then it was up the lane past Springfield House, and following the path over the fields, climbing gradually back to Tilton.

Lunch at Buttercups 

Tilton circular via Maresfield viaduct, and Lowesby

Thursday 06 June. With Harry, Maureen and Eddie. Just over seven and a half miles. Fine weather, dry underfoot, but some crop-dodging still needed close to Lowenva Lodge.
Basically the same route as on Monday, with a couple of wrinkles ironed out, and we didn't walk an extra half mile just before the end this time! 

Downhill to start with towards Red Lodge Farm, with great views ahead. 

 A bridge crosses the dismantled railway - well below. We didn't scramble down.

 The viaduct - and we did scramble up...quite tricky.

Photo by Harry Hamill

Photo by Harry Hamill

 Time for a spot of golf.

 The short stretch of road looks a bit ravilious.

 Pheasant on a mission at Lowesby

 Ready for the off again?

Old signal box -photo by Eddie McGeown

 Novel nest box at the old station.

Donkey at Buttercups Tea Room, oh , and Harry.

Tilton via Maresfield viaduct and Lowesby and back to Tilton

Monday 03 June 2019.  A walk from Tilton with Norma. Sun, showers in the sky. 8.6 miles It would have been around 8, but we had to dodge a few crops, and went wrong just before the end. 500 feet of ups and downs.

We set off around 9.30. From Tilton we took the Maresfield Road and forked right to follow road past Red Lodge Farm. It turns into a track and heads northeast to a T junction with Hyde Lodge Road. We took the road ahead for a very short distance, and at a right hand bend, we continued along a track straight on. When a bridleway crossed our route we turned left past Owston Lodge Farm and White House Farm. At White House Farm we turned left and after a few yards took the path to the left of the Farm fence. This led over fields - the path has not yet been made good, although there are waymarks, if you can spot them.

The first field was ok, we skirted round the edge of the second one, and in the third one followed tractor tracks in roughly the correct direction!  This brought us out at waymarks and the path going under the left hand arch of the viaduct.

Almost four miles walked, and after the last fields we thought we'd earned a break. And behold, a convenient golf club...

Afterwards we followed the path with the field boundary on our right, to come out on the Twyford Road. We passed a calf wearing the skin of another one - I didn't realise this was done with calves as well as lambs.

At the road we turned right, and in 200 yards or so took a footpath to the left. This leads close to a farm called Lowenva Lodge. We should have turned left again at the first field boundary, but instead followed a path straight ahead. There are some more fields of crops and we ended up having to make our way back to put ourselves on the correct bridleway route again. It's a good job we have suitable phone apps to help these days! Without too much trouble we made our way to the Melton Road, crossed over and in 200 yards or so  took Lowesby Lane to our left. When we reached Lowesby we had another short pause on a welcome bench near the large village green, with phone box and old pump. 

A little further on we turned right along the footpath towards Tilton. This section covers the same ground as the walk I did last Monday, through a couple of fields, and along a grassy track enclosed by hedges, before descending to the old railway station (Springfield Farm).

The old signal box

The old Lowesby station

an encounter with some noisy guinea fowl?

We walked along the farm track uphill past Springfield Hill. For most of the way we kept on track, but shortly before Tilton we missed a turn and headed off too far to our right.

We had to retrace our steps and pick up the correct route. It may have added almost half a mile to the walk. Not what you want at the end!

Still, we eventually came out on Digby Close and made our way back to the car, before heading to Buttercups Tea Room for a welcome lunch.

Tilton on the Hill, Lowesby, Twyford, Marefield, Tilton

With Harry just over 8 miles. Fine weather mostly, though we did shelter briefly from a couple of showers. 
 Walk taken from Heather MacDermid's book  "Foxton Locks to Rutland Water". Walk no. 7.  You also need a map.

We started from the village hall, and walked to the T-junction with the road to Melton Mowbray. Here we turned left and crossed the road a little further down to walk along Digby Close. 


The footpath starts between houses 16 and 17.  The footpath leads into a field, with great views.  We caught sight of two green woodpeckers flying between the trees.

Keep the hedge on the left and aim for the bottom corner of the field. Go through the gates and continue following the waymarkers to Springfield Hill. Ignore a bridleway going to the right and continue along the farm track downhill. At the bottom of the hill the main track swings round to the right, but the path we want is slightly to the left and goes across the dismantled railway line, passing the old station buildings.

Lowesby station,  looking less charming than when I saw it in October 2011 (see below)

We pass under power lines and with the hedge on our right head uphill. The path is easy to follow and well marked, and after half a mile or so we saw Lowesby church ahead of us.

 A patchwork of fields lay over to our left.

We paused briefly on the steps of the church, then continued to follow the path - well waymarked here to keep walkers away from private areas.

Lowesby church

The path goes to the right of Lowesby Hall, then crosses an avenue of trees and goes diagonally to the left. There is a decent view behind to the hall.

The path meets a minor road (Park Road) where we turned right and walked uphill and along to the junction with the B6047 Melton Road.

We picked up the footpath opposite the junction. It heads north alongside a triangular spinney, and to a second spinney, where there are gates enclosing a small area. We had a pause here to shelter from a shower.

it was a bit damp out there.

At this point the official path crosses the field, but we walked round the edges since it was unclear.  There is a track  on the right hand side of the hedge, and at the corner of the field we changed over to the other side. The hedge was now on our right. We went under the power lines and cut across the corner of the field along the path to the farm gate. The village of Twyford was in sight and we headed for it. We passed the play area, and the old school, and had a light lunch and coffee in St Andrew's church porch. 

Important dates on the old school? 

We then walked past the school and followed the road for a short distance, until we saw a footpath sign on the right hand side, just before the speed derestriction sign.

There was a stream on our left. We headed uphill towards some brick barn buildings, and followed the waymarks, going to the left of the barn.

From here there were two large fields where the path was not laid out and the waymarks were tricky to see. We walked round the edge of one, and through the other, keeping to the track with the help of GPS as far as possible. 

The crop was long and wet and not a lot of fun was had walking through.
The book we were following, dated 1989, warned that this part of the walk is not well cleared or waymarked, and things seem to have improved only marginally in the last thirty years!

The viaduct was visible over to our left - on this walk we didn't go under it.

After this there was a field with horses,  where we saw a hare.  From here there was no problem with waymarking or the route to follow. We came to a small road, where we turned left and very soon right along a lane to Marefield, which led us through pasture land where lots of cows were grazing, before going under the railway bridge and into Marefield.

In Marefield the footpath goes through someone's garden - there is a gate and clear markers, but it seems a little odd.  From here the path is pretty clearly marked as it crosses a stream and a disused railway line, heading towards Tilton.  We walked to the left of John's Wood and joined Marefield Lane to Tilton. We turned right and walked the short distance back to Tilton.