Great Cransley, Loddington, Thorpe Malsor

Walked on two occasions -Thursday 14th September and Monday 18th September 2017(with Norma and Maureen).
Just under 7 miles. Good conditions underfoot, and on both occasions we avoided the rain.

We parked on Church Lane. At the end just before the sign saying no through road for motor vehicles, we took a path through a wide gate, passing some waste ground on our right and then a cemetery. After the cemetery the path goes downhill through a field of sheep, then up again close to Old Lodge Farm. When it meets a track, you turn right and  follow the track downhill and up again.

Red admiral making full use of the ivy flowers

 At a T-junction you turn right and continue for a short distance until you see a signpost. Turn left here through Cransley Wood. The path may be a bit muddy, but on both occasions I walked it was very  pleasant.

 At the end of the wood, follow a grassy track to the left, and follow the field boundary round to the right a little while later.

 It is easy to follow the path, as it turns left along a disused railway line and over a footbridge.

 This path emerges near Mawsley Lodge, a disused farm which is fenced off. Go past the farm, and turn right through a gate, along the edge of a couple of fields. The path meets another one, and here you turn to the right and continue in a northeasterly direction, going under a line of electricity pylons.

There are a couple of cattle grids like the one in the picture, but there are gates at the side!

  The track bends to the left and is surfaced as it passes a large house and continues into Loddington, entering close to the Cricket ground.  You can take the left hand road at a junction, and vary the walk a little by passing the church - no benches here, though there are some along the road.

 I had a little trouble waiting for a photo-opp here - avoiding including the bins, and waiting for the sun!

The second photo was on Monday - different sky!

We walked through the churchyard and across the field to the main road out of Loddington. 

This section is about a mile of walking along a pavement next to the road - luckily not a very busy road. It passes Three Chimneys. At a crossroads you turn right into Thorpe Malsor. 

Not quite yarn-bombing, but very pretty!

You walk downhill and just before the church turn right.

 A wide track goes along the edge of woodland, then at the end of the first field it turns left.

 Before long Cransley Reservoir comes into view at the bottom of the slope.

 There's a perfectly sited picnic table just before the dam. On Thursday there were dragonflies, and plenty of birdlife - grebes, swans, the odd coot.

 An excellent spot for a break, before crossing the dam.

 and the sailing club.

The footpath goes through a gate, then slightly uphill with a hedge on your left, to meet the road back to Cransley. 

At the road turn right, go past White Hill Lodge, and follow the road. A short distance before the village a footpath cuts the corner, through a field of sheep, where three or four tups had been fairly busy. To reach the village aim for the farm, but go to the right of it, and there is a stile.
This is close to the Three Cranes pub, and Church Lane.

We finished our outing with a sandwich and coffee in the Dunelm store in Kettering.