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. 

29/11/23 Gretton, Thorpe by Water, Seaton, Bisbrooke, Lyddington

29th November 2023

We went for a walk - Thorpe by Water, Seaton, coffee stop on the warm and sheltered seat in the churchyard, after I had gone back to retrieve my hat and buff.

Over the fields to Bisbrooke. On the way there was a new obstacle - a temporary lake  formed from the usual trickling stream. 

This required  some ingenuity to cross, and Harry’s athletic leap ended in him slipping in the mud. Change of plan at this point and instead of the long route via Uppingham and Stoke Dry, we walked back along the road. This was done at a fair pace, since it was not warm, direct route to Lyddington and then Gretton. Another brief stop for coffee and a few squares of chocolate. 

10 miles.

Gretton, Thorpe by Water, Seaton, Bisbrooke, Uppingham, Stoke Dry, Lyddington,

 Monday 28th August, with Harry, 14 miles approx.

From Gretton we took the public footpath from Church Gap, crossing the field 

and making for the gate to the enclosed path to the railway line.

We crossed the railway and walked down over the next field where the path is clear - the crop has been harvested. At the bottom we turned right and followed the hedge to the footbridge through the hedge.

The bushes were resplendent with blackberries - and nightshade flowers.

We turned right after this and followed the way marked route with the river on our left.

Looking back towards Gretton

Another footbridge

 We crossed a couple of large fields, some with rolls of hay. 

Across the river a cow observed our progress.

We crossed the river at the large footbridge, just before the track goes under the disused railway .

Over a stile into the next field, and very soon turning right through a gateway to a path between hedges and fences which leads into Thorpe by Water itself.

We walked through to the B672, and turned right, walking for half a mile or so along the road, which wasn’t too busy, as far as the turn to Seaton.

The sunlit village was straight ahead.

We made for our favourite seat in the sun in the churchyard, perfectly timed for eleven o’clock coffee and a biscuit.

From the church we turned left, then left again at the main road, continuing until we reached the path up four steep steps and heading north before crossing a disused railway and heading north west towards Bisbrooke.

We resisted the temptation to help ourselves to a marrow, 

or to have another contemplative pause at the church.

We took the high level footpath into Uppingham, where we sat down for a few minutes among the flowers in tubs opposite the market place.

We left Uppingham along the Stockerston Road (B664). and shortly after the town sign took the Rutland Round footpath, over a stile through a hedge and across a field where the hay was being collected on to trucks. 

The path soon goes along an enclosed section between fences. Another field leads to views over Wardley Wood. We turn left after a stile and head towards Beaumont Chase Farm and back to the B664 road.

Another left turn and a short distance further on we took the bridle way on our right (Rutland Round again) past Stoke Dry Wood. We had to outpace a couple we’d passed earlier, so that we could bag our favourite lunch spot on this walk.

Rested and fed, we continued along the Rutland Round as far as Manor Farm above Stoke Dry.

We crossed the A6003 and took the path slightly to the right through the fields down hill towards Lyddington.

Lyddington church

On the other side of Lyddington we walked along Thorpe Road, and crossed the B627 to join the path back to Gretton completing the circle, and then returning home.

Cat on a cool thatched roof

The Welland

Gretton church peeping through

Slightly further than our recent walk near Lyndhurst , rougher terrain, but nowhere near as hot.

Cycling around Welland valley

Tuesday 30th August

After lunch we went by bike to Lyddington, Seaton and Harringworth, bought 12 eggs and returned up the hill to Gretton. (I estimate 10 miles). 

Harringworth Round

 With Eddie and Maureen, about 7.5 miles. Not warm and very little sun.

Harringworth stables.

We decided to tackle this anti-clockwise, taking the path close to the entrance to the stables which crosses the field towards the Welland. The path follows the river as far as Turtle Bridge.

Nettles are still thriving

We turned right soon after crossing the bridge, and made our way towards Barrowden with the hedge on our right. Look out for the way marker guiding you across a field and away from the church spire.

We crossed a couple of fields with stiles, and turned left up the road, the right and left at the junction. We didn’t visit the coffee shop today - the weather was not inviting enough for us to go the extra mile. Instead we continued towards Morcott - quite a. long slightly uphill stretch of road.

View of the windmill ar not easy to get from here, but I tried.

We had to cross the A47 - not too bad this way as visibility is good . Across the road we went through a short downhill section of woodland, then crossed a field to a stile and steep steps down to the A6121. We crossed this and walked through Morcott as far as Mount Pleasant Road, where we turned left then picked up the footpath leading back to the A47 close to the junction with a small road. The next section involved crossing a couple of fairly big ploughed fields - downhill and fairly dry.

We followed the path which goes under a small railway bridge before climbing steeply to Morcott Road (from Seaton to Morcott. Lovely views of the Welland valley viaduct from here.

We took a late scone and coffee break at Seaton church - the usual sun trap bench was at least sheltered from the wind.

From now it was downhill all the way past the farm with its pond to the Welland valley, dry and unflooded and easy walking back to Harringworth. 

We took the path under the viaduct through the churchyard and past the stables to return to the cars

BY bike from Gretton to Rutland Water

 Tuesday 12 October 2021. With Harry 20 miles. The weather promised to be sunny, or so we thought as we drank coffee in the garden.

Out ward route via Harringworth, Wakerley,  Barrowden and the Luffenhams. Return via Lyndon, Wing, Seaton and Harringworth.

A pair of swans on the Welland near Wakerley.

A murky Rutland Water from Normanton car park as the drizzle persisted.

Approaching Wing

Coffee break over…

Penultimate hill climbed - only the hill between Harringworth and Gretton remains

3 hours, 20 miles, 1160 feet of ascent.