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. 

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.

May 2025 - Short local strolls, Northamptonshire

 

Friday 16th May

In the afternoon we  walked down West Hill and along the track

to the Community Orchard with its new table.

an interesting beastie

A walk round the village after dinner  - we saw a few swifts today, and Harry heard a distant cuckoo.

Saturday 17th May

After lunch we decided to walk down behind Church Gap, in search of the cuckoo that Harry heard last night.

The sun came out and the temperature rose. We met our neighbour and her daughter returning from a walk with their two dogs, Henry and Hugo.   

No joy on the cuckoo front, but a lovely walk of around 3 miles as far as the bridge over the Welland just before Thorpe by Water. We returned to have tea in the garden.

Later walk to see swifts - no cuckoo heard.

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.