Gretton - Bulwick - Deene - Gretton

10 miles.  With Maureen and Eddie. Fine, sunny, rather windy and cool.


We set off from Gretton Village Hall, and followed the Jurassic Way as far as Harringworth Lodge and the lake. At the end of the lake, we turned right just after a hedge, instead of left towards the Lodge.   We crossed two fields then the minor road between Deene and Spanhoe.  The path continues in a straight line across four fields towards a small wood, called Bantrup Bushes. At that point we turned right and shortly after the end of the wood, left, following the hedge until we turn right and join a surfaced track. This leads to Red Lodge Road and we turn left and cross the A43 by a bridge.  

The road turns leftat a junction, and joins the main village road, where we turned right.  There is a bridge over the Willow Brook. 

We made our way to  the church, opposite the Queen's Head pub.

Harvest festival display in St Nicholas church, Bulwick.

We moseyed around the church and stopped for a break on a handy bench.

We took the path between some houses and the pub car park over a stile into a field.  This leads past Bulwick Hall, though there is not much to see from here.  We should have kept straight across and then crossed the ploughed field ahead of us, but made an unnecessary detour - this meant we did see the Hall.  I blame the footpath signs - I'm sure they are there somewhere.

This fine gateway may once have been the main entrance to Bulwick Hall. 

After a bit of off-track wandering we found the correct route on the opposite side of the A43.  It is marked at each side, but the signs are not clear, though there are better ones just away from the road itself. 

Down we went, over the bridge, following a path through the wood and then into a rather boggy section - not to be recommended after wet weather, though it proved passable today.  The path crosses a couple of fields and goes past this monument:

apparently erected in 2000 by or to EB and MB sacred to the memory of their parents (Brudenell , who live at Deene House).   More info or at any rate some entertaining guesses. 


The path continues down to the road past the old school house and into Deene.  Before the road begins to climb uphill, the path goes to the left, behind Home Farm, and makes for the upper side of a piece of woodland called The Rookery.


We crossed a narrow band of trees, went through a deer-proof gate and continued across a large grass field and a smaller one, then joined a track at right angles, turning right towards Kirby Lane, coming out opposite the gate to Kirby Hall.


We walked down the road to the Hall, past the shop (ice-creams available!) and up the grass to a rather wobbly stile. Down across the field to the right of the trees, and climb the four stiles in a row as a special treat to access the field leading to the lane to Gretton.

Then back to the village hall.


Wildlife - a few kites, one being mobbed by crows; some rabbits, a squirrel.

Map and details