Lyddington-Seaton-Bisbrooke-Uppingham-Lyddington

A fine frosty morning, crisp ground underfoot, sun shining, clothing well layered. Seven miles with Maureen. The same route as on several previous occasions, the last one around eighteen months ago. 

Across the village green, church away to the right, we head north past the ancient fishponds of Lyddington Bede House. Is that a ghostly monk? Maybe not.

We turn and skirt the wooded hill, through a gate and onto a path which used to be a mudbath, but has been surfaced - bliss! Uphill to open fields. The path is clear and well-marked, under a line of pylons, and soon turns left slightly and over a stream to Seaton Grange. From here a road climbs up into the village.
We turn right and walk until we find the footpath sign and steep steps up to our left. We've reached the plateau and the wind is blowing.
The signs are very good, the fields are clear, the path goes north as far as the dismantled railway, then turns to the northwest.   We can see Bisbrooke church with its tower away to our left before we go downhill then across a new footbridge. A lot of the stiles have been replaced by gates. That makes life easier!  The path goes between hedges and brings us out close to Bisbrooke church.

Someone has put windfall apples in a basket with an invitation to "Help yourself", but we don't want to carry extra weight.
We cross the Glaston Road and take a track (labelled Inmans Road at the start). This track heads directly west into Uppingham. It comes out on another Glaston Road and takes us into the town centre, past the cricket ground. 
We have a luxurious warm indoor cup of coffee at the Coppergate cafe, before taking our own sandwiches outside to a sunny bench, sheltered from the wind.

Then it's the footpath beside the cemetery, up a short steep hill, with a great view of the town behind us.

After a flat section, we reach a wider track where we turn left then right to go downhill again. Here be sleeping pigs warming themselves in the sun, looking like heaps of rich black soil near the fence.

And here be goats, an almost invisible donkey - and another sleeping pig, we think! 

Of course what goes down comes up again - another short steep climb before we cross the school playing field, and then descend an agricultural field to the Uppingham to Lyddington Road.
We meet horses who come to say hello, but are not interested when they realise we are foodless.

 We take the footpath across the road which takes us into Lyddington the back way, past a couple of large ponds and fields with more horses.

This route can be muddy, but today the ground is still frozen.

Exton, Fort Henry, Greetham circular

Monday 27 November 2017. With Maureen and Marion. 7.3 miles. A dull day, but dry.
The walk covers some of the same ground as the walk on November 02 '17 and the walk on Nov 06 '17, but it is shorter.

We set off from The Green near the Fox and Hounds pub in Exton, and walked along Stamford Road, following it as it turns right, then crossing over and taking New Field Road when it goes off to the left. This road goes over a cattle grid and becomes a track, heading east. It bends slightly to the left and comes to a junction. We took the track which goes slightly to the right and it took us round the side of Lower Lake. We turned left round the lake and met the wide track from where you can see Fort Henry and its lake.

We followed the path (to Greetham)  with the lake on our left as far as the steps.This time we crossed the roadway and went down the steps on the other side. It's been two or three years since I've been here and it has changed a bit - the first thing we noticed was a well-constructed bird hide with feeders. 

A not very good video of the woodpecker! Visible if you can view it full screen size.

An ideal spot for coffee, but we were happily distracted by a great spotted woodpecker or two and lots of blue tits, great tits and coal tits. There are pictures of treecreepers and nuthatches, but we didn't see those.  

This is part of Greetham Valley Golf Resort, and according to an info sheet, they have erected 8 owl and 8 kestrel boxes. At least one barn owl chick was raised on site last year.

They have left certain areas in  more natural condition and turned some into meadow-flower to support pollinating insects.

 Checking out the accommodation.

The golf course greens staff have built the Bug Hotel and built woodpiles to attract insects and native snakes.

The view from the Lake Hide - a heron flew up just after we arrived.

There are two bird hides, one in the woods and one by the lake, for the use of the general public - the public footpath runs by these.

They plan more nesting boxes and feeding sites, and habitat for the resident kingfishers.

The path is easier to follow than I remember, and the resort now boasts a hotel and self-catering cabins, a restaurant and bar and the sign Walkers are welcome.

The path goes on to Greetham, passing some strange structures - Rutland Glamping, and a footpath there for residents only.

At Greetham we turn sharply left just ouside the village and head south. The path should go diagonally across the field, and along field edges to join the bridleway where we turned right, and then the Viking Way, where we turned left, and followed the footpath signs.   To arrive back in Exton, we took the footpath off to the left across two fields and down Old Dairy Yard into the village.

Primrose Hill and the Regent's Park

Thursday 23 November.

A gloriously sunny winter day.

View from Primrose Hill

Regent's Canal

Mowgli and Bagheera

Monet-style bridge

View from the cafe

Look closely - there's a heron up there.

Gretton- Caldecott - Rockingham circular

With Norma and Maureen. Monday 20 November 2017.   9.5 miles. Around 350 feet of ascent/descent. Lunch at Lydia's coffee shop.

This morning we are three

a fine drizzle fades to nothing

at first our path goes past the church

through the damp grassy field

no cows or sheep today

across the railway line

look and listen

the next field's ploughed

the path just visible

sticky after last night's rain

downhill and on

to the road

we cross the Welland

and take the path

by the weir and fish ladder

over a stile and

past kingfisher fence

no bird here today . . .

ahead

we see a heron rise and glide 

stretch-legged and slow-winged 

low over the next field

to a new fishing spot

above

a red kite navigates

seeking carrion

we walk the wide valley floor

note where during the War 

a Lancaster Avro

clipped an ancient oak

then crashed 20 miles further on

near Northampton

Caldecott . . .

another road 

duck eggs for sale

and now a stretch of minor road

about a mile

before the turn to a plantation

and footbridges over the river course

as it chooses its route

the wind still chills

so we seek shelter

among the sycamores

whose yellow leaves carpet the ground

I choose a tree to be my back rest

coffee and scones

my walking esentials

then on to cross another road, 

head up into Rockingham

whose tea-shop doesn't do Mondays

we climb the steep roadside pavement

pass flowerpot men,

 a Bill and a Ben

- all together now  . . .

Turn at the forge 

past the cars and

down the meadow,

views over the valley to our left

Caldecott, Seaton, Lyddington churches

clustered houses, lines of trees

before the railway bridge we turn

it seems the farmer has blocked

the unofficial path - 

the one that cuts out West Hill

we take the longer flatter way.

 

When we arrive in Gretton

the cafe is filled to the brim

there's a funeral ahead.

We enter, muddy boots in hand

(not on our feet)

ah, there's a table free.

The volunteer servers are under pressure

but food is good, though coffee

could be stronger!

The funeral guests depart

and we expand into the space available.

From Market Harborough Union Wharf to Foxton Locks

With Harry and Maureen. 11 and a half miles. Beautiful weather - just walk along the canal towpath.

A blue bright morning

golden leaves in the sun

the canal is mirror smooth

with perfect reflections

painted narrowboats

houses, trees, the sky

in replica below.

Across the cut huge houses with gardens

tables and chairs by the waterside

two canoes sleeping on the water.

The nearside is home to smaller dwellings

fenced off from the towpath

gates locked against the world.

Boats cruise by, the boaters waving

one hand on the tiller 

and the other on a cup of tea.

Dogs and their people take their daily walk.

Bridges and reflections form near circles 

yellow leaves blanket the water

reeds and weeds with seeds dance in the wind

fieldfares are in the hedges 

- the first this year 

flying from Scandinavian cold

By the lockside pub 

we sit with coffee and a sandwich.

Hopeful swans and ducks swim near

 - they're disappointed -

one swears at a too-nosey dog.

Boats wait their turn to use the stair of locks

there's comradeship in lock life.

With bellies filled we set off back

the sun has gone 

a mini-shower sprinkles the canal.

we have the wind behind us

and walk at quite a pace

with plenty of breath to talk.

Cue for a rendition of "Bill and Ben"

Goats with mouths of steel eating hawthorn twigs

Tame as you like.

Harry walks a little way ahead

suddenly he stops  -" shh - a kingfisher”

sitting on a willow branch, 

all blue and orange brown

it flashes like a blue arrow above the water

a bird that always makes the day sublime.


Even if you can't get a photo!

Gretton to Harringworth Lodge

Monday 13 November. Five of us today - Eddie, Marion, Maureen, Norma and me. We walked almost six miles in all, as far as the lake by Harringworth Lodge, and back by the Jurassic Way.
When we set off there was ice on the puddles. Grand views over the Welland valley to Seaton and the viaduct.  Ploughed fields were muddy, but we managed to avoid them. 

This walk sits right on the edge of the two maps mentioned.

A civilised bunch

then I have to play the fool when the first photos didn't work!

Tilton, South Croxton, Lowesby, Tilton

Thursday 09 November 2017.  With Maureen.  11.5 miles and around 630 feet of climbing. A little more strenuous than our recent expeditions. Almost the same route as this walk from six years ago though we didn't touch Cold Newton this time. The weather was rather less sunny too. 

The path starts from one of the parts of Digby Close at right angles to the main road, and leads through a field and down through a small shrubby area before coming out into the open countryside again. As usual for lovely Leicestershire we are able to follow the yellow wooden posts. 

 The path runs along the hillside to Springfield Hall and down towards the old Lowesby station. There's a track running round to the right here, but our path goes straight ahead and crosses the old railway route.

 Once we've crossed this and reached the next field we spot the old signal box over to our left. It looks a bit dilapidated.

 The yellow posts lead us uphill and on towards Lowesby, with its church surrounded by trees.

 We walk round the churchyard - too early for a break, so we pick up the path round the northern side of Lowesby Hall, with its fine buildings and grounds surrounded by a ha-ha.

 The beech trees are still in autumn dress.

 We turn slightly to the left of the main road to the hall and follow the route of the path keeping the woodland well to our left and aiming for the point where we cross Park Road. the path continues in the same direction after crossing this road, and we keep the field edge on our left for some time. 

After a few fields, the way marker points slightly to the right , so we aimed roughly in that direction and climbed the hill to the fence where we saw these horses in the field. It turned out we had gone a little too far to the right, but by following the Midshires Way along the hedge and downhill to our left, we rejoined the route. We should have gone just far enough to the right to skirt Carr Bridge Spinney.

 We continued following the footpath northwest past Hall Spinney, and Baggrave Hall, though this was hidden behind the trees. We crossed a minor road and continued on the right hand side of Queniborough Brook. The church spire of South Croxton was visible slightly on our right and ahead. 
We arrived at this large pond, with wildfowl and water lilies and followed the path through some woodland and onto a samll road. We turned left into South Croxton, passing the Golden Fleece pub, and a garden with a small astro observatory, almost hidden behind the hedge.

 A little way along the road, just after a bridge over the brook we found the bench we used six years ago. Not so sunny today - the rain came down a little heavier just as we paused for a break.

 It wasn't heavy enough to make us move. Break over, we took the footpath on the other side of the road from the bench. It led across fields to the left.  The direction was now almost south. We crossed a bridleway and shortly afterwards took a path along a track to the left, now heading south east. We avoided Waterloo Lodge Farm, and carried on past Watson's Spinney towards South Lodge, where we turned left along a small unfenced road - an avenue of trees looking quite wintry now.

 At the bend in the road we turned right along a bridleway which took us past Inkerman Lodge and across its drive, then into woodland. the old railway carriage shed is still there.

 After the woodland we crossed Park Road near White's Barn and followed the bridleway,  climbing gently north of Cold Newton. We had a slight diversion here, partly because the signs weren't clear, but were soon back on track.  We continued, crossing Skeg Hill road, where the bridleway becomes a wider track.

Tree and sky-scape

The track crosses the disused railway and Hammer's Lodge Farm. At this point it climbs quite steeply, though not for long.  We followed the Midshires Way until we met a footpath, between two fences - signage not as obvious just here. 

 The footpath took us to the B6047, just before a layby. We crossed the road to the pavement on the other side, and walked the short distance back into Tilton.