Wing Circular via Glaston, Morcott, S.Luffenham and Pilton

Thu, 2014 May 1 9:18 AM BST

With Maureen and Gordon. Straightforward, mostly easy paths and tracks, with a little road walking, and one railway crossing. Relatively flat. Rain began just as we finished walking. Almost 9 miles.

Wing church

We start from the Maze and walk to the junction, turn left along Wing Main Street, past the church and phone box, and take the footpath through the pub yard, past holiday cottages. We leave the pub car park at the opposite corner. The path goes straight on, but there is a right turn leading to Wing Hall Farm shop, café and campsite. 

Through fields toward the minor road to Glaston

We follow the waymarkers through a couple of fields down to the railway line, which has to be crossed with care.  Then it's not far to the road to Glaston, where we turn left and walk steadily uphill along this quiet lane. At a junction we take the right fork, still climbing gently.

The junction

 We Keep on as far as Glaston church, and follow the footpath through the churchyard, then turn left and right to meet the A47.

A window in Glaston Church

Part of Glaston Hall

 We walk on the A47 verge for a few yards before turning left again on a footpath through the outskirts of the Hall grounds.

Under the spreading chestnut tree. . .

The path stays fairly high up away from the woodland, and not far from the road as it goes over a couple of fields. No trace on the ground, but the waymarks and stiles are there.  We spot at least five hares tearing across one of the fields.  The path grows clearer and leads us into Morcott without problems.  We reach the road from Wing, turn right and walk along Morcott High Street as far as the church. Turn left and into a cul de sac, and eventually on to a footpath, through a wooded area. Cross a footbridge over a stream.

Retired from the roads?

Path from Morcott

From the footbridge

The way is clearly marked on the ground, mainly along field boundaries, heading northeast toward South Luffenham. We don't go into the village. The path goes through farm buildings, and soon turns left. We decide, seat or no seat it's time for a break.

A well-earned break

 The path takes us slightly north of west now, toward Pilton. We walk along a well defined bridleway and soon reach N Luffenham Lane. The map tells us there's an earthwork, but all we see is a small wood with undergrowth.

There's an earthwork on the map here!

 We keep in the same direction, gradually swinging round more to northwest, meeting North Luffenham Lane at a bend in the road. We carry straight on along the road - a left turn. At Pilton we turn right down Pinfold Lane, past the church, which is fairly well hidden by trees. We don't visit today - the sky's getting darker by the minute. The village itself is very attractive, with masses of flowers.

Rutland horsehoes at the Farrier's

Horsehoes in Rutland are upside down, so that the devil cannot swing in them! Or make a nest. According to this website. Elsewhere people claim all the luck runs out. You choose! They must bring luck however they are hung.

Pilton church peeps through

 Shortly after the speed limit sign there is a footpath on the left. It follows the field boundary, then is channeled between a hedge and a fence, safely out of reach of the cows and calves in the field.

I was rather taken by these curly-haired lambs.

A clear path through the next field brings us out on the road close to Wing. We turn left fro a couple of yards and pick up the path over the last few small fields. It emerges close to the bridleway and road junction in Wing, near the Maze.

Map and details