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. 

Wing, Pilton, South Luffenham, Morcott, Glaston and back to Wing

Thursday 28 February 2019. With Maureen and Eddie.  Seven and a half miles.

We set off from the maze in Wing, taking the footpath just to the right of the bridle way, and taking the four stiles in our stride.  

Catkins

The path crosses the road between Wing and Lyndon and continues across a fairly recently ploughed field - nice and dry today - before joining the Road into Pilton on the outskirts of this small village.

Two-L llamas...

We walked through he village past St Nicholas church surrounded by its cedars.

Three sketches done in August 2016:

After the church we turned right and at the crossroads ahead we turned left and walked until a bridleway left the road on the right hand side, as the road bent left. The bridleway continued in a roughly easterly direction, crossed anothe minor road and brought us to South Luffenham, just before a bridge over the route of a dismantled railway. We detoured briefly for a look.

The dismantled railway track

We went back to where our path turned sharply to the right, heading southwest towards Morcott, through fields with some already sizeable lambs.

The path turned left ( south) and took us over a stream and into the village.

Best friends forever...

An eccentric garden - there were also chickens with feathery legs.

The church provided us with organ music and a couple of benches for a break.

Church of St Mary the Virgin -a Grade 1 Listed architectural gem featuring probably the finest original Norman arches in Rutland, according to its website.

From here we continued, turning right along the road after the church, and taking a footpath to our left. This led olong field edges up towards the A 47, going over the Glaston Tunnel. We walked briefly alongside the A47, and took the first road to the right, then went along Church Lane, and walked through the churchyard.

On the other side of this we turned right and followed the road down into the valley and back up to Wing via the Maze and a short pause for a swing at the children's playground!

Maureen and I had lunch at Wellies - beetroot and horseradish soup.

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