Directions
This leg starts off at the church in Empingham at TL950048. Head uphill to pass the church on the right, and then immediately turn right up Crocket Lane. Follow this eastwards; it passes a grassy area on the left and then curves to the left.
As it does so continue straight on along a narrow lane that runs between beautiful thatched stone cottages. When this ends continue straight on along a surfaced path with a hedge on the left; this emerges out through a metal clapper gate onto Willoughby Drive. Turn right along the road, keeping to the left of a little traffic island with trees on it. At its far (southern) end turn left to head east-northeastwards along a road. As this curves to the left take a road to the right and follow it eastwards for a short distance past houses on either side.
At the end of the road turn left along a surfaced path. After five yards it curves to the right to cross a stile into a field. Head slightly south of east across the field, crossing a footbridge over a stream and heading across some scrubland to reach a stile that leads onto Mill Lane at SK957086. Turn right to follow the road south for a couple of hundred yards; cross a cattle grid and pass a house on the right. As the road curves to the left turn right, keeping the house on the right, and continue south across a field for about twenty yards to reach a metal footbridge across a stream. On the other side of the footbridge turn left and then immediately right to head south up a slight hill with a hedge on the left. This eventually reaches the A606 road once more at SK957078.
Carefully cross the A606 and head straight on through a wooden pedestrian gate to join a bridleway. Keep a hedge on the left as you head along the field. At the end of this field go through a pedestrian gate through a hedge, keeping a copse on the left; the copse soon ends and is replaced with a hedge. Half a mile after the A606 the bridleway goes through another pedestrian gate to reach a road at SK956070. Turn left along the road for a couple of yards and then turn left across a stile beside a double metal gate into another field. The path heads southeastwards across a field, skirting a hedge guarding the eastern end of a farm. It continues on towards the northeastern corner of New Wood, heading through a gap in the hedge to reach a stile.
Cross the stile and head straight on across the field. At the end of the next field cross a stile through the hedge and continue on with the hedge on the left. As the hedge curves to the left turn right, leaving the hedge to head straight on across about fifty yards of the field to reach a stile in another hedge. Cross this and a green track on the other side to reach another stile, on the other side of which is the western extremity of the quarry. The route from here to Ketton may change over time due to quarrying works; the route given here is correct as of 2011.
After crossing the second stile turn right and follow the path around the southwestern corner of the quarry. It soon curves to the left to head in an east-southeasterly direction. When this reaches a gate, go through this and take the left-hand fork which heads back to the edge of the quarry. Rather worryingly the path descends along a ridge left in the quarry to reach a large metal bridge over a haul road. On the other side a stony track slowly rises to reach the eastern edge of the quarry.
The path reaches a summit and starts to descend, leaving the quarry well behind. It soon goes through a metal gate across the track; continue on for about twenty yards until you approach a metal gate on the left. Here turn right to reach a stile at SK977048, and cross this into a field. A footpath now heads diagonally across the field, but if there are crops it may be easier to turn left and follow the edge of the field, keeping a hedge on the left. This curves right, then left, and finally right again before joining the proper course of the path beside a metal pedestrian gate.
Go through the gate and turn left to join a rough track. After twenty yards turn right down a footpath with a wall on the left. Go past some metal barriers to join a dead-end road. Take the first road to the left past bollards to reach the A6121 in Ketton at SK980043.
Turn left to follow the A6121 northwards for a short distance to reach a pedestrian crossing. Use this to cross the road and then turn right past the village cross to enter Redmile's Lane. Shortly after the lane curves to the left, turn right down Chapel Lane which in turn ends at a T-junction with Church Road beside the Railway Inn. Turn left along this road, passing Ketton Church on the left (the graveyard's boundary with the road being marked by a line of old gravestones) and cross the River Chater using a wooden footbridge alongside the road bridge.
Take the first road to the left, Aldgate, and almost immediately turn right past a gate to join a footpath that climbs up a slight slope. It crosses a driveway and continues on as an unsurfaced path between fences. It crosses an access road and heads on between hedges, climbing four steps on the way. After a sixth of a mile it reaches a footbridge that carries the footpath over a railway line.
Cross the bridge and continue southeastwards along the path; it ends at a driveway that in turn ends after twenty yards at Geeston Road at SK986040. Turn right to head southwestwards along the road for a couple of hundred yards until it ends at a T-junction with another road. Continue straight on and follow this road as it curves to the left and descends to reach Collyweston Bridge over the River Welland after nearly half a mile.
On the other side of the bridge the road curves to the right; ignore a track coming in from the left and immediately afterwards turn left through a hedge to enter a field. The path crosses a small plank footbridge and turns half-right to head east-northeastwards uphill diagonally across the field. Go through a couple of hedges as the path continues to climb. At the top of the hill cross another stile to join a track called Ketton Drift at TF000040. Turn right and follow this track eastwards; initially it is a green lane, but after half a mile it becomes a public road called West Fields that leads into Easton on the Hill.
Continue along this road as it crosses West Street and becomes High Street. Pass the Blue Bell Inn on the left, and at the war memorial turn left up Church Street. After a third of a mile it reaches the Easton on the Hill church on the left; continue along the track immediately beyond the church, passing a car park on the right, and then turn right through a gap in the wall to join another footpath. This soon crosses the access road to another car park to reach a stile in a hedge.
On the other side the footpath cuts diagonally across a field before reaching another stile through a hedge; it continues northeastwards across other fields, slowly heading downhill. After the second field continue on northeastwards with a hedge on the left; the path takes a slightly more direct route than that shown on the map. It passes through a narrow patch of woodland to enter another field; at the northern end of this it descends into some boggy land to cross a stream on a footbridge. On the other side of the bridge it climbs up some wooden steps to reach the East Coast Main Railway Line.
Go through a gate and carefully cross the railway line to reach a gate on the other side. The path immediately crosses a footbridge over a stream and then descends down steps to enter a field. Head northeastwards across this for a short distance to reach the A1(T), and pass under this using a tunnel. Head northeastwards across the floodplain on the other (eastern) side of the main road, with a stream of the river on the left; after a quarter of a mile a green footbridge (Broadeng Bridge) over the stream is reached at TF021061.
Cross this bridge, and on the other side turn half-right to continue northeastwards across the floodplain. The path skirts a tributary of the river on the right before passing through a hedge into a grassed area. Continue on across this to reach a track; turn right to head south for a few yards along a surfaced path to reach another footbridge (George Bridge) over the river at SK028068.
If you wish to reach the centre of Stamford, then turn left to head across the floodplain to a footbridge over another tributary. If you wish to reach the railway station, then cross George Bridge and head straight on uphill along Wothorpe Road; just before a bridge over a railway is reached, turn right down some steps and follow a narrow path with a railway line on the left until Stamford station is reached.
Oakham to Empingham
Stamford to Wansford
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