Around Rutland 2026 - Day 7

Thursday 23rd April, St George's Day - Day 7

Today my walk started with a toddle round the sights of Oakham with Denise. We don't get to spend a lot of quality time together on these walks of mine. She's either busy cooking, washing, nursing my feet, driving me to starts & picking me up at finishes!

So, today was special because she was able to be my tourist guide as we wandered round Oakham Castle and then the environs of the magnificent church before she joined me briefly as I set out towards the Hambleton Peninsula. We parted as I headed out of Oakham and she returned back to the cottage - possibly to warm up as the wind was probably colder than yesterday.

I was striding out across the A606 and headed towards the quaintly named "Dog Kennel Cottage" where I had to turn right along the Hereward Way. There were a couple of cars parked on the grass obstructing the way a bit. I could see a large field with a well worn path ahead and a dilapidated barn with a sort of path twisting around nettle beds. I thought that looked more private so headed for the better worn path. I was happily plodding along taking a video when I realised that the way forward was blocked. The  path was well trodden because it was one that dog-walkers use, a path around the large field! Doh! 

I retraced my steps and found the path by the barn! Once I had crossed the A606 again (I'd had to cross it twice as it curved round) I was on the peninsula.

When I'd told people that I was going to walk the peninsula their reaction was either; “Oh, I've cycled round Rutland Water but missed that bit out.” Or: “Why? There's nothing there!!” I must admit, for the first couple of miles, along the narrowest strip, I began to wonder if I'd done the right thing!! Boring was too kind a word for it. Then, suddenly, the view opened up . . . . . . And I had a hill to climb. 

Needless to say, once I had gone up I had to come down but the views were rather lovely. I could make out Barnsdale , where I'd started my walk yesterday. Walking on this side I could understand the geography of the two valleys of the River Gwash being ideal for flooding for the reservoir. 

I was walking eastwards down the side of the northern valley and the dam was a few miles in front of me. Later I would round the point where the two valleys met and then turn and walk westwards along the southern valley heading back to Oakham. A huge area of fertile farmland and a couple of villages had been drowned but a remarkable wetland reserve had been created.

I was surprised by the number of people on this route. Most walkers had parked their cars at various points around the Hambletons but it was also a popular route for cyclists. I met a couple, Paul and Margie, who were a little older than I. I had seen them first as they'd parked their car after the boring stretch and had followed me at a distance until I'd stopped to try and work out what bird I could hear. I used my Merlin App and it turned out to be an Osprey. 

I could hear it calling "Kee-kee" but I couldn't see it. At first I thought it might be in the tree tops but the sound kept moving around. I moved on but could still hear it calling. I stopped again to listen, it seemed to be following me. I still couldn't see it until - suddenly - there it was, high in the sky, right above me. It gently floated on the wind & thermals calling as it went. I had only seen it as there was a large gap between the tree tops. No chance for a photo, I was to occupied with keeping my balance as it soared directly above my head.

That really made my day and I strode onwards marvelling at how lucky I had been. I knew Ospreys were around Rutland Water but little did I think I would actually see one. I rounded the point and headed back towards Oakham with the sun still shining and the wind now more at my back. I found a convenient bench in the sun to have my banana break. I shared it (the bench, not my snack!) with a couple from Melton Mowbray who came to Rutland Water frequently. They told me I'd enjoy seeing the bluebells further on. They were not wrong. What a fabulous sight. I don't ever remember seeing so many as there have been this year. 

I found an idyllic spot with another handy bench (there were loads of benches all along the walk) to have my lunch. What a view overlooking the southern arm of the reservoir. 

The rest of my journey was fairly uneventful apart from some cute lambs and their mums. They are so used to humans that often they hardly stir a muscle as I walk past. 

There was one small herd that were heading towards me at a little bit of a pace. 

That was rather unusual but, as they passed me, I realised why they were on the move. Behind them were a couple and two dogs, one in a pram!! and the other, a large pit-bull type, on a lead, but obviously eager to try and get at the sheep. It's male handler (what a surprise) was cursing it loudly as he tried to control it. Oh dear!

My route (after the boring bit again) took me to Egleton where I'd finished my walk yesterday. Today I took the track over the field towards Oakham. I'd just crossed the A6003 when my phone rang and I answered. It was a rather breathless Denise. She had followed my progress on Google Maps and had come to meet me, on foot! She'd seen me crossing the road and had apparently shouted & waved but I hadn't seen her! I retraced my step back to the road and there she was jogging down the road towards me. Well, it's good training for next months 10k! It was lovely to meet up and we walked together the last mile back to our cottage in Oakham. 

Last day tomorrow. I've done 12 miles today so, hopefully I can have a slightly easier day's walk.

If you would like to support my charities please follow the link: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/marg-davies-april-2026-round-rutland-walk    

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Around Rutland 2026 - Day 6

Wednesday 22nd April 2026

Yet another beautiful day in Rutland. How lucky am I with this weather? Today's route was a 'broken circle' around Rutland Water itself. I say broken circle because I chose to start at Barnsdale not in Oakham itself. I didn't think that 3 to 4 miles of walking next to the A 606 was going to prove very interesting.

Barnsdale Woods and it's environs were carpeted with masses of bluebells. I love the purple/blue haze that they show when in full bloom. Sadly I never think that photo's do them justice.

As I came down to Barnsdale Creek I began to appreciate the vastness and beauty of Rutland Water. 

Around the reservoir are a number of parks and activity centres for all kinds of water sports. 

I had started at Barnsdale and soon reached Whitwell with its marina and water-play inflatables. I have no doubt, in warmer weather, it is a hive of activity. Today most people were enjoying dog-walking, cycling, running and bird-watching.

The terrain on the northern shore was a sometimes tarmac and sometimes a compacted fine gravel surface. It did undulate quite a bit at the start but levelled out more as I approached the dam at Sykes Spinney which is the park closest to Eppingham where I finished my walk yesterday. I think it was at Whitwell that I realised that I'd forgotten to take any of my tablets this morning! Not just my anti-cancer ones but also the painkillers that are a must for me on these walks. Nothing for it but to carry on and try and ignore the discomfort.

By the time I reached Sykes I had learnt to search the far side of the vast carpark to find the path's continuation across the dam. The dam is a solid looking structure that was built in the 1970's to supply the ever growing population of the East Midlands. The twin valleys of the River Gwash were flooded. 

The dam construction was started in 1971 (the year I joined the WRAC!) and took five years to complete (my length of service!). 

First of all they had to build the dam. This they did by excavating and using the clay from borrow pits within the boundary of the reservoir. The dam is 35 metres high, up to 810 metres wide at its base, and 1200 metres long. 

All the landscaping round the reservoir was carefully designed, particularly the dam wall which is hardly noticeable from nearby Empingham.

The path continued round past Normanton Park Hotel  (which are the converted stables of the long demolished Normanton House) 

The building most associated with Rutland Water is St Matthew's Church, the private chapel of the original house.  It escaped being demolished even though it was below the high water line of the proposed reservoir. It was deconsecrated in 1970 and a Trust was formed. They filled the lower half of the church to just below window level with limestone and rubble capped with concrete. Externally, a bank was built to give protection from the water, and a causeway laid to provide access. It is now a Water Museum. I didn't go in because as I arrived so did a boat full of tourists!! 

I chose to detour slightly to the village of Edith Weston, named after Queen Edith of Wessex [1029-1075] wife of Edward the Confessor & sister to Harold Godwinson who's dowery held the manor. See every day is a learning day!!

Anyway I detoured to the village shop and bought some Ibuprofen and then gave in to buying a rather sweet, sticky and delicious homemade caramel oat bar with a thick layer of dark chocolate on the top!! It helped me over the pain!!! That's my excuse anyway.

Continuing on my way I came to the Lyndon Visitor Centre, managed by the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust. I went into the centre to enquire if it was possible to walk diagonally through their reserve (on a footpath) to Manton Village or whether I would have to negotiate the steep climb up to the and onto the busy road into Manton. She told me I really needed to pay for a visitor pass to access the area. When I told her what I was doing she kindly permitted to walk through without paying. I was very appreciative as the diagonal walk was a much kinder incline up to the village. 

Having climbed up, of course, I had to come down again to walk under a railway bridge beside the A6003. Fortunately there was a good raised pathway keeping me well away from traffic. I was looking forward to the final part of today's walk as it appeared (on paper) to walk through the Rutland Water Nature Reserve with its vast and popular Bird Watching Centre at Egleton. Sadly I was disappointed as, unsurprisingly, the Reserve was fenced off so I only got the briefest of glimpses of the waters beyond the high bund. 

Although I only had a couple of miles back to our cottage I asked Denise to come & pick me up at Egleton Village. 

I think I'll include the walk to the Nature Reserve to Friday's walk so I can enjoy watching the wildfowl.

If you would like to support my charities please follow the link: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/marg-davies-april-2026-round-rutland-walk    

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Around Rutland 2026 - Day 5

 Tuesday 21st April 2026 - Day 5

I was looking forward to today as I hoped it was going to be as lovely as yesterday's walk. Denise dropped me off in Thistleton again. As a matter of interest, yes, there is a church - somehow I keep forgetting to take a photo at the start so keen am I to be off!! At least we remembered to take one of me today.

Although the sun was shining there was a bitterly cold easterly wind and a lot of today's walking was across very flat, exposed, open fields. I wore my fleece for most of the day and, at the start, it was zipped right up to my chin and my hands were deep in my pockets to keep warm. 

No doubt the area being so flat was the reason behind siting RAF Cottesmore there. It later hosted the USAAF.  It closed as an RAF station, I believe, in 2012 when it was turned over to the British Army. Currently I think it is home to the 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and to the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment.

I was amused to see, approaching Hooby Lodge at the end of the runway, a "hide-like structure" on tall stilts which overlooked the airfield. I'm sure it was a hide to observe wildlife in the surrounding area and for the residents of Hooby Lodge to observe the landings & take-offs. It appealed to my sense of humour to imagine Russian spies hanging out there during the Cold War! 

I was beginning to be aware of the noise of heavy traffic on the nearby A1. As I got closer I discovered the first problem of the day. A huge field of grain crop, about a foot high (30cms in "new money") with no pathway marked at all. No footsteps, no sprayed line, no ploughed path. Nothing. I was standing at one corner and my goal was the corner diagonally opposite. I had 3 choices: go directly, diagonally through the crop and probably get soaking wet legs & feet (not to mention damaging the crop!); I could go right along the edge of the field and then turn left along the far edge until I could exit (that looked a VERY, very long way); I could go left along the edge of the field and the turn right along the far edge until I could exit (that was longer than going diagonally but looked a bit shorter than the other option). It was a shame because everywhere else the way has been well signposted and farmers have usually kept the pathway well marked. 

If I thought that was going to be the only diversion I was mistaken. After a while the path came out by the roundabouts and the underpass to Stretton to avoid crossing the A1. The route bypassed the actual village and continued onwards towards Clipsham. At first there was a good pavement but, as I left the village behind the pavement stopped although there was a gate leading to an extensive Woodland Trust area beside the road. 

There seemed to be a well trodden route running parallel to the road as well as other pathways turning off into the wooded areas. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best that there would be somewhere to exit at the other end! There was!

After a quick banana snack stop I was back on the busy little roadway towards Clipsham itself. Another quaint, well kept village. I managed to avoid getting runover and got back onto a grassy pathway from the village opposite the Olive Branch pub (no I didn't visit!!) 

The route from Clipsham to Pickworth was supposed to have been an easy one. Basically I should have been heading SSE to reach the corner of Pickworth Great Wood. I could see where the path should have gone but there was no way anyone could have got through the tangle of brambles and hawthorns. A newer sign indicated the public path to the left so I followed. It was taking me further away to the east than the OS Map had indicated but I had no choice. It was a well trodden Bridleway pockmarked with hoofprints and badly churned up in places. In fear and trepidation (well, not really - just a bit apprehensive!) I continued. 

The reason for the detour appeared to be a very active quarrying operation. Google informs me that quarrying has taken place here since the 13th Century. It's stone has been used in Peterborough and Ely Cathedrals, many Oxford Colleges and after the 2nd World War was used to rebuild the Houses of Parliament after it was bombed in 1941. That didn't help me though coz I didn't look it up till I got back home!

Eventually the pathway curved one way and another along the perimeter fencing of the quarry until it took me to a lunar-looking landscape with mounds of quarry waste. 

The path took me steeply down to the quarry floor, across its vehicle trackway, and up again the other side, past old quarry workings and back out onto the grassy, open fields beside Pickworth Great Wood. I was still not on my originally planned route but I was getting closer. 

Just before Pickworth I had a decision to make. I could either head south and then west into Empingham crossing the A1 near Great Casterton (passing an OK Diner!) On the other hand I could take another route heading diagonally south-west into Empingham crossing the A1 by doing a 2 mile dog-leg in order to go under it. At the time, coz I was a bit frustrated, tired & hungry, I chose the latter option in the hope it was a tad shorter. Turns out they were both about the same distance! My chosen route involved a lot of tarmac so my feet have had another pounding today. I eventually found somewhere to stop for lunch, after 4 hours and 9.5 miles of walking, overlooking the A1!! Not idyllic but I needed the rest and some food.

After lunch all I wanted to do was to walk as fast as I could and get the journey done. My only really pleasure during the last 1 and a half hours and 3.6 miles of walking was the view as I came down into Empingham and meeting Denise as she walked up through the village to greet me. 

As we walked back down to the church where she had parked the car my legs turned to jelly & I was staggering all over the place. She has that effect on me xx

When we arrived back at the cottage I spoke to a resident who I'd talked to the previous Thursday when we were doing a recce. Today I discovered that her name is Jan Davies. Her husband Bryn comes from a village near Pontypridd!! It was nice to chat; what a lovely lady. 

If you would like to support my charities please follow the link: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/marg-davies-april-2026-round-rutland-walk    

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Around Rutland 2026 - Day 4

Monday 20th April - Day 4

Today I'm back walking on my own. Lovely though it is walking with other people it does add a certain amount of extra "stress" so it's nice to be walking solo again. The road from Thistleton to was uninteresting. In fact I was so keen to get started I have no idea if there was a church there! There was one at Market Overton with a rather lovely lychgate.

I am being spoilt by the weather; yet another beautiful morning with clear blue sky. I'm also fortunate that the terrain today is far more forgiving than yesterday; slight undulation for the first few miles as I seemed to walking along a ridge. The views on either side were spectacular and magnificently panoramic.

The path that I had intended taking onto the ridge meant going diagonally through a large rapeseed field. Given my aversion to said crop I chose a slightly longer route through a less annoying one.

Along the route there were a couple of thoughtfully places benches one of them dedicated to "Sachi The Springer Spaniel"

Fairly early on the walk I had taken my fleece off and packed it away in my bag. The sun had warmed the air a bit and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. I came down from the ridge (I was travelling almost at 10k walking pace the going was that good!) and came across the disused Melton to Oakham canal.

It was opened in 1802 and closed by 1845 when the new railway had taken all the trade. 

My route took me past Holy Trinity church in Teigh, one of the so called "Thankful Villages" who apparently lost no men during the First World War. I went thankfully onwards with the blue sky above me and hardly a wisp of clouds in the sky.

Generally the path has been well signposted and I've been able to see where I'm heading from some distance. Today was the exception which was a problem as my Map App was no help as it was only showing the planned route (in black) and my actual route (in dark blue) on a plain white background!! No features or contours - nothing!

Having left Teigh I crossed a field of sheep and their young, sleepy lambs basking in the sunshine. I twisted & turned a bit to avoid disturbing too many of them until I came to a fence. I looked left and right but couldn't see the usual Yellow topped signpost. There was a farm gate away to my left but no markers in sight. I wandered to my right past small, scrubby trees. All the while I was looking ahead trying to find a post. Nothing. I turned round to retrace my steps and, low & behold, there it was, tucked down in a bit of a hollow behind some bushes. 

Not long after I stopped on a convenient footbridge to refuel with a banana! I needed it at the pace I was walking. Snack over I set off again and had to cross the railway line that had presumably done-for the canal.

After crossing the railway I was on a tarmac lane that curved round and gentle climbed towards my lunch stop at Whissendine. About halfway along the lane I came across what I assume was a Second World War pillbox. 

(I Googled it and it comes up with an FW3/22 Casement. A bunker used for the defence of the United Kingdom against a possible enemy invasion. They were built in 1940 and into 1941.) 

Not far from the pillbox was a feature on the other side of the hedge that was labelled as "MOAT" I could just about make out the undulations. Every day is a learning day!!

I had my lunch sitting in the intermittent sunshine on a bench outside St Andrew's church in Whissedine. Sadly the bench wasn't as comfortable as the one on Day 2 but it was a bench!

From Whissendine it was mostly downhill to Oakham and home. The walk had one last curve-ball to throw me! A little uphill slog to leave me puffing and panting, not just from the climb but also because I was breathing in the "stench" of the rapeseed in full bloom in the field beside me! 

The next village I came to was Langham, only a couple of miles to go. It also had a church, I could have made a detour to see it properly but I chose not to!! I was definitely beginning to flag by now.

I thought I had reached Oakham but was disappointed to find the it was the village of Barleythorpe! Looking at the map it's more like a suburb of Oakham. Eventually I arrived at All Saint's church in Oakham itself. I must have a wander round it and the castle before I leave! 

I headed for home and was pleased to be greeted by Denise in the High Street and we walked back to the cottage together. An astounding 13.44 miles completed today despite my poor feet. I rather like walking mainly downhill! So much so that I'm going to do the same tomorrow and walk from Thistleton to Empingham rather than the other way round!

If you would like to support my charities please follow the link: https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/marg-davies-april-2026-round-rutland-walk    

If you'd like to leave a comment please do just remember to add your name in the text so I know who you are.