June 14th travel to Pen Llyn

 Bryn y Ffynnon - magical as ever. We set off around 11 am. We broke the journey with a stop at Corley services for coffee. It’s much better, more spacious and green, than the Rugby Services we used once before.

Stopped at Leisure Salop for a break (there’s a campsite/cabins/ garden centre/ shop and cafe. Busy ish on a Saturday). I had a short wander around. 

 We ate our packed lunch at LLansantffraid ym Mechain for lunch, just after the bridge over the river Vyrnwy, where it is joined by the R Cain.

There was once a view before the trees hid it, and once a path, though now the gate is locked and the steps are overgrown - I wonder if it was damaged by floods at some point.  

We were lucky enough to get a table for dinner at the Ship Inn (Y Llong) near Pwllheli - veggie crumble/ chef’s chicken pie.

Mynytho, near Pwllheli

 Down the steep track to the house - where it was quite chilly, so we lit the stove.

June 12th - Rushton to the Bull Pen

 

Thursday 12th June

A warm morning with some sun. I walked with Marta from Rushton to Bull Pen cafe. No diversion into Barford Meadows Reserve this time. We passed a field with a large bull, cows and calves. (All behind fences).  Another field contained shorn alpacas from Homefield Spa.

We had coffee and teacake at the Bull Pen cafe, then walked back a slightly more direct route.Just over 4 miles of pretty flat terrain. 

Local strolls to West Hill x 2 and Kirby Hall

June 10th 2025 Sunset over West Hill.

June 11th 2025 

We walked to Kirby Hall, starting about 5.45, and returning just before 8pm. Quick dinner and a walk round the village and to top of West Hill again.

June 9th 2025 - Seaton to Gretton linear.

Monday 09 June

Harry collected Maureen and drove us to Seaton. She presented us with scones and a ginger cake. He dropped us off near the pub. We walked through the village past a display of perennial sweet peas which outshone even ours at home.

At the end of the village we took Grange Road downhill and along the public footpath, through fields and past Prestley hill - one of the twins peaks, or paps of Lyddington.

Our route goes past the site of the ancient fish ponds behind the church and Bede House into Lyddington.

We refreshed ourselves with a leisurely (45 minute) coffee stop at the White Hart, before taking the quiet Thorpe Road, and the footpath on the other side of the slightly busier road at the end. 

We followed this across the fields, under the disused railway bridge to the footbridge over the Welland.

A few more fields, then it’s back uphill to Gretton, crossing the railway line, and along the short stretch of tree-covered path. 

A final uphill pull through the ridged and furrowed field to Church Gap brings us into Gretton. About 5.5 miles. 

June 5th 2025 - East Carlton to Wilbarston

 Tuesday 5th June

Met Marta at East Carlton Country Park at 9.45. We followed the Jurassic Way path to the Milking Parlour cafe in Wilbarston for coffee.

Damp and even wet on the way back.

About 3.5 miles in all today. Flowers lovely.Misty moisty views. Soggy boots. Shoulda worn wellies…

June 2nd 2025 - Warkton to Wicksteed

 Monday 2nd June

Walk with Harry and Maureen. From Warkton to Wicksteed Park, along the Ise.

 A wander round the park before coffee and  teacakes at the Carousel cafe.

There’s a distant view of Barton Seagrave church from park and plenty of goslings and cygnets on the pools.

Almost 6 miles in all.

May 26th 2025 - Wakerley Woods to Fineshade

 Monday 26th May 

With Harry, Maureen and Kate. We parked at Wakerley Woods, pausing to admire a VW van’s set up for cooking breakfast.

We followed the familiar Jurassic Way route through the woods, past Laxton Hall and over the A43.  On the other side of the busy road we crossed a field of sheep, and over the bridge to the short steep climb past Fineshade Abbey.

Over a stile and into another field, where the Highland Cattle were all lying down, some hidden in the patch of trees - we didn’t even see them at first.

The path through the woods was lovely in the dappled sunlight.

One more field to go and we reached the road to Fineshade Top Lodge.  

We did a fairly leisurely 3 mile circuit of Fineshade Woods, using the gravel tracks.

A pause for  coffee and teacakes at the cafe set us up for the final mile and a half back to Wakerley Woods car park.

Just over 6 and a 1/2 miles in all, and about 350 feet of up and down.

Thanks to Kate for the lift, and Maureen for the scones

May 24th - Burghley Park to Stamford

 May 24th 2025 

After lunch we drove to Burghley to park and walk into Stamford.  There’s a lot of activity in the grounds preparing for tomorrow’s “Game and Country Fair”, but we can park as usual and walk as usual, apart from having to dodge a few more vehicles than normal. 

In Stamford we look at Oakham artists’ exhibition. On the way to the main street we notice swifts flying over the town, then go to buy a few cards.

Afterwards we browse without buying in the upmarket and very well-presented cheese shop, Rennet and Rind, then indulge in coffee at the Cafe Black, which is serendipitously dog-free today.

A brisk warm walk back through the park, where the trees are in full lush leaf, and then home, where the resident blackbird lands on the car bonnet waiting for raisins.

After dinner we walked round the village, where quite a number of swifts were flying high up. It had got windier, and the air was damp.

May 20th - Geddington to Bull Pen

Tuesday 20th May

Drove to Marta’s to do walk over to the Bull Pen cafe, through Weekley Hall Wood.

A lovely sunny morning, which warmed up nicely.  Quite a few butterflies in the woods - brimstone, a couple of blues and possibly a speckled wood, though it looked slightly more orange.

An over-exuberant Alsatian type of dog jumped up and scraped my arm with its claws - just being over friendly…

Used first aid kit at the Bull Pen, and ended up with a bright blue plaster.  In the cafe there was also a woman with a tiny ‘lap dog’, sitting on her knee the whole time. Some places are a little too ‘dog friendly’.

Back to Marta’s for a cold drink before returning home. 

May 19th - Gretton - Thorpe by Water, Lyddington

 Monday 19th May 2025, with Norma and Harry.

Contacted Norma and arranged to meet at her house. With Harry, we walked over to Thorpe by Water where we saw a few swifts.

Our next stretch was along the small road as far as the bench near Lyddington, where we had a longish break (and coffee) before returning along the same route, apart from the Thorpe by Water village section. No cuckoos. A few swifts on Gretton High Street. 5 and a half miles.