Burton Lazars - Burrough Hill and back

Mon, 2013 Oct 7 9:40 AM British Summer Time

Led by me. With Barry and Gordon. Fine weather, though cloudy. Mostly gentle slopes. Mud in woods, and on path down from B Hill. 10 miles - just.  Elevation gain 723 feet. Highest point - 621 feet/210 m - Burrough Hill.

A walk from Heather MacDermid's book: Foxton Locks to Rutland Water

In Burton Lazars we take Racecourse Road, which goes south from New Road.  And, yes, it seems there was once a racecourse here!   We have to walk right down into the dead end to find the footpath sign, but it's there.

We originally aim for the wrong yellow waymark post - we need the one further to the right. The path crosses one field and the corner of the next before reaching the main A606.  We have to cross the road, and take the path on the opposite side.  It's clear for the first two fields, but next we should have aimed slightly to our right - to the right of a conifer plantation.  A bit of dodgy map-reading on my part.  We find the waymarks again before long.

There's another slightly confusing bit when we find a stile leading up to the side of a pond - no need to take that, we could have stayed at the field edge.  We make for a gate, then cross a field of cows and some very small calves.  At the far end we go through a small gate and pass some rather loud stereotypical grunting pigs.  We are in Little Dalby, and take the book's advice and visit the church, which is at the top of the hill.  We've been aiming for it for the last two miles. It's not open, but impressive from the outside.  

One of the splendid gargoyles

and a green man?

We may have walked less than three miles, but we're ready for a snack, and there's a bench.  
We take the footpath down hill and find the Jubilee Way footpath, which goes behind Little Dalby Hall and crosses the minor road, before making its way over a field, and along a track which climbs gradually. We leave the Jubilee Way and turn right along the permissive path known as the Dalby Hills track - it goes west along the lower edge of woodland before leading along a rather muddy track through the woods.

At the end we follow waymarkers up to Burrough Hill.  I do my ritual touching of the trig point before we head over to the toposcope - three men are flying radio-controlled model planes today. It looks fun.

One day we'll get here and the views will be crystal clear. . .

From the toposcope we head north, keeping the ramparts on our left, then move to our right and find a path which leads downhill through the wood, still more or less north.  This track looks as though it's been used by trail bikes or four by fours - very rutted and muddy.  However, it leads to the road - marked as Burrough Road.  We turn left and take a green lane on our right - this is easy to follow, and we ignore any paths off. We reach Little Dalby Road, and turn right, then left along Sandy Lane (marked as part of Sustrans route 64. 
The lane climbs up, but when we look back the view of Burrough Hill is excellent. 
At the top of Gartree Hill there are fine wide views all around.

Looking back towards Burrough Hill

When we reach the top, I'm so pleased that I almost forget I've promised us another break. It takes only one reminder though - I haven't had my coffee yet.  

We follow the lane downhill until we meet the clearly marked footpath to Burton Lazars. Barry has already seen it clearly on the ground - many thanks to the local farmer for making it good after planting.

We pass some derelict farm buildings and take to the fields.  From here it's simply a matter of following the paths and markers into Burton Lazars.  We pass some old army/air force type buildings, and then walk over the field full of humps and hollows where a hospital for lepers, run by the order of St Lazarus,  was once situated. 

The path takes us downhill past modern farms and cottages to Lime Street, which leads to the A606. Cross this and we're back on the road to the car.



Map and details

A week in Devon - with a few photos

Ten days or so on the move - overnight in Bristol,
a couple of days with Jenny at Hope Cove,

Through the cloud to the cliff-top path

  a few days outside Tavistock, exploring Dartmoor,

and then two nights in Southampton with Esther's family.

We walked a bit - lots of short walks, and one longer one, and cycled a bit, mostly off-road and on decent tracks.

Cycle ride - The Granite Way from Okehampton to Lydford and back - in rather wet conditions! About 22 miles.  Coffee stop in the pub at Lydford helped us shelter from some of the downpour!
Shorter off-road cycle route - part of Princetown Railway - this was rather rough and I wasn't sure of the route - I did about 4 miles in all.

The granite tramway

Longish walk - 7 miles of the Yarner Wood Loop from Haytor including part of the Templer Way - a decent walk, partly along an old tramway made of granite!
For most of it I lost satellite reception. I'll post a few pics later.

Through Yarner Wood

Wide, if misty views

Following the road back to Haytor Visitor Centre

Four Counties - from Easton on the Hill

Mon, 2013 Sep 16 9:41 AM British Summer Time

Led by Mel - with me, Terry and Steph, Chris and Marion, Chris, Barry, Gordon, Maureen, and Jill. Around 6 miles, and mostly flat. No rain, bright and breezy.

Look at the weather when we set off! And it's still blue skies when we arrive at Easton on the Hill.

We walk out of Easton on West Street. This turns into a byway,  and leads through fields and woodland with views west towards Ketton.  There are a few hunt-followers around this morning in the usual 4x4 s.

Clouds over Ketton

We continue downhill until we reach the Welland, close to Tinwell. At the river we turn right, heading East towards Stamford.  

Photocall at the site of the Roman ford, where "in AD 61 survivors of the ninth Roman Legion fled . . . pursued by Queen Boadicea"

Then it's on to the Town Meadow with its tables for our break.   We walk over the footbridge and past the George, uphill out of Stamford along the Peterborough Road, through St Martins Without.  Opposite a gate to Burghley Park we take the footpath southwest, crossing the A1 via a footbridge, then past Wothorpe House.

It stands in ruined splendour - once used for the Burghley House family to stay while the main house was spring-cleaned. 
Our route continues southwest, alongside a few blackberry bushes, on the edge of woodland.

Barry in silver medal position here

We meet the A43, cross it and make our back up the short hill into Easton and back to the cars. Just the job for a Monday morning - and no rain either.

Oh, the four counties are Northants, Rutland (just over the Welland), Lincolnshire (Stamford) and Cambridgeshire (the outskirts of Peterborough).

Map and details

Walcote - Swinford - Walcote

Thu, 2013 Sep 12 9:33 AM British Summer Time

Led by Barry, with me, Maureen and Gordon. Flattish, sheep and cattle and some arable. Dry weather with a little sun later. 7.8 miles.

There's a smell of resin from the cut wood

I meet the gang at East Carlton, and we make out way by car to Walcote once more. We park behind the same vehicle - 6IGEON of clay-shooting fame - as Monday.

The rowan berries are bright

We take the A4304 for a short distance before our path leaves to the left - somewhat hidden by the lushness of the hedge.  We cross the field and then walk along the edges going south.  We pass a few tiny ponds in field corners and clamber over ten or a dozen stiles. We notice them today - nearly all are slippery.   In one field behind Thornhill Stud,  there are several horses.  A white one is quite interested in us - not just for a fuss though.  

"Is that all I get?"

We walk past some old practice jumps , then cross the Lutterworth Road.  Near Swinford Corner we take another path southwest - a bridleway this time, so no stiles for a while.  This leads towards the M1 - we kept on the bridleway all the time, ignoring a path to our right.   When we reach a bridge carrying the farm track over the motorway, we wander out to watch the traffic rushing along, then go back , and leave the bridleway, taking a footpath   going south east with the motorway roaring away on our right as we walk.  After a couple of hundred yards we turn east, and the noise grows fainter, as we approach the village of Swinford - nothing to do with swine, it seems, according to some online information:

The village of Swinford is a compact village at the head of a small tributary of the River Avon. The Anglo-Saxon name would have been “Suin Heaford” meaning “the head or source of the Swin Stream”. In time it was shortened to “Swin-ford”, but has nothing to do with swine!

1718 - the photo isn't quite in focus!

The village is quite big, and provides a seat where we sit a while. 
Our footpath heads slightly north of east, past a playing field, over fields (more stiles) and past a wooded area, before meeting a byway heading more or less north.  The main features here are power lines and wind turbines, both of which provide background music as we go.

After almost a mile, the byway meets the road between Walcote and Swinford.  We promised outselves we'd have a second break today, so we sit on a handy length of wood, even though it's no more than 3/4 mile to Walcote.  A bus passes by, but little else.  

I had to include this photo for the colour that's in it!

On the roadside there's a stall with plums and veg. Too tempting - I pays me money - but the paper bag's wet and they fall out instantly.  They're not difficult to collect and re-bag, and tonight I feast again! 

I love vegetable gardens - and sunflowers

The Old Post Office

Walks - you must be crazy!

A pleasant walk, with more than twenty stiles - and no rain until later in the evening.  There are still a few swallows around.

Map and details

Uffintgon circular - Greatford, Barholm, Casewick Park

Wed, 2013 Sep 11 10:01 AM British 'summer' Time

With Marta. Same walk as one on july 25 2013. Flat terrain. Overcast day, but dry - good underfoot - paths clear. About 10 miles - .25 ish switch-off after Greatford pub.

The same walk as I did on July 25 2013.  This time we found our way to Greatford Church, but we still couldn't locate 'Meg's Well'.  The photos show very grey skies.

Near Uffington church stand three redwoods.

Marta saw two hares when she looked through the huge gates of Uffington Manor on the main road.We turn right before the houses after West Hall Farm.

We believe this is the site of the mill mound marked on the OS map.  

Our path takes us over farmland, always clearly marked and following track or field edge. We come out behind Cobbs Nook Farm, and join the Macmillan Way,  along a wooded bridleway.  We join the road turning left and then right to where we cross the East Coast Mainline at a level crossing.  A short half mile takes us to our left turn into Shillingthorpe Park.

The cows and calves are gathered round the food here.

We cross the river West Glen, and make our way to along the farm road to the woodland, before turning right over fields.  These are no problem this time, as they have been harvested and waymarking is good.  We follow the path behind the very private Greatford Hall into the village. A local resident of 25 year's standing tells us how to access the church - there's a small white gate near the bridge over the small river.

In the church is a memorial to Francis Willis, who is reputed to have cured George III of his madness in 1789.  Dr Willis owned Greatford Hall, and ran an asylum there.   The church also boasts a Roman coffin, and many interesting plaques and dedications.

As we come from the church towards the road we pass the entrance to Greatford Hall.  It was destroyed by fire in 1922, but rebuilt.

The inn sign for the local pub, where we had an excellent baguette lunch, with friendly service.

A large stone cross near Bridge cottages

The crown commemorates the coronation of George VI.  There is more info and more photos (not mine)  here.

We cross the fields south towards Barholm.  On the way we spot an ambitious mobile phone mast trying to look like a tree.  We cross a bridge over Greatford Cut, which joins the West Glen River to the Welland and forms a flood defence system for Greatford.

Barholm Church . Click on the link for further information.  
From Barholm we take the road past the Five Horseshoes pub and the Old Hall. We turn left and make our way over several fields to the railway again. No level crossing here, but a warning about trains travelling at 100 mph.  The track is straight and the view is good. On the other side we walk over two or three fields before reaching Casewick Park, with its lovely buildings, high hedges and fine gates.

I need to identify this tree.

A look back at Casewick Hall as we leave the park, and take the road leading to Uffington.

Apart from the hares, we saw a few swallows swooping after the insects, and a lot of small speckled wood (?) butterflies.

Map and details