Broughton - Gt Cransley - Thorpe Malsor - Loddington - Gt Cransley - Broughton

This walk was led by me, with Barry, Gordon, Eddie. Garmin has trace from last Friday in Oakham, so distance probably about 9 miles - to 9.5. Started around 9.30 am. Almost same as walk on 9 August 2012.  Lovely weather, dry fine, sunny.
With thanks to the Broughton Bystander.

We took almost the same route as on this walk on August 9 2012.  We began from the Red Lion pub, walked down Church Street to Broughton church, with its red clock face, and flower meadow.  Then we took the footpath opposite alongside some houses, and passed a children's playground.  At Cox's Lane we turned left, making for the road to Great Cransley which we followed underneath the A43, downhill then up into Great Cransley.

We walked through the village, ignoring the church this time, and taking the second footpath which leaves on the right hand side, between houses.  It goes over a stile, then across a field full of sheep to Northfield Road, at the opposite corner.  There's a certain amount of road walking, past White Hill Lodge and round a right hand bend. At this point Cransley Reservoir came into view, below us on the left.

Cransley reservoir jewel blue beyond the ploughed field.

At the end of a field on our left we had a choice of paths, and chose the clear second one to the left, diagonally across a field downhill to a patch of woodland.  Once in the woodland we turned left once more to reach the sailing cub and the walk along the reservoir dam.

After the water we turned left then right making our way up the hill until we reached a right turn as the path met a farm track which went past a wood and into Thorpe Malsor.  We were lucky to see the person who keeps the church keys, and were able to see the restored organ and splendid interior.

All Saints, Thorpe Malsor

We turned left along the street out of the village, then left at the Loddington Road. We walked about a mile along the narrow footpath beside this road - not a very busy one, until we reached Loddington. The village sign was erected in 2001, and is made of ironstone and steel representing local industries.

The sun rising over the third millenium, with St Leonards Church

Three of us

We saw the church on our left, but didn't visit. Instead we headed for the cricket field and took advantage of its benches to have a break in the warm sunshine.

From here we took Mawsley Lane, and followed this as the tarmac turns to grass, and the path hugs the field edges on our left.  Eventually, just before the ground rises we reached a double farm gate directly in front of us, and a wooden gate to the left. Here we turned to the left towards Mawsley Lodge.

The path goes west then northwest around Mawsley Lodge, then joins the route of a dismantled railway, through some woodland, and over a bridge, until it turns right towards Cransley Wood.  The path goes through the wood and meets a road on the far side, which leads into Great Cransley.  We walked along to the end of Church Lane, and turned right at Broughton Hill, following the route back to Broughton. 

And somewhere along the way we met a couple of llamas.  Here's one of them:

Map and details
Another garmin glitch here - the first part of this route is the mile I walked round Oakham last week, and a straight line from there to Broughton.