Lyddington, Uppingham, Bisbrooke, Seaton
Leader: Phil Williams
As usual, we will meet at Fleckney village car park (///loses.always.huts) by 9.30 a.m.
Credit for this walk must go to Janet Long.
From Fleckney, we high-tail it to Lyddington in Rutland, some 22 miles and 35 minutes away (be prepared to sub your driver the amount of £4.40). The best place to park is near the Old White Hart (///importing.toast.toothpick) as the road is wider here than elsewhere in the village. Lyddington is a pretty ironstone-built village, home to Bede House that was once a wing of a palace belonging to the Bishops of Lincoln.
To start the walk, we set off north through the village with the Old White Hart on our left. On our way out of the village we pass the interestingly named Marquess of Exeter pub. This is a historic Grade II listed building, believed to be on the site of a tavern that existed since parish records began in 1563. The name is associated with the Cecil family who built the magnificent 16th-century Burghley House in nearby Stamford. William Cecil was the Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth l. The Cecil family also had direct involvement in the village of Lyddington which is presumably how the pub came to bear this name.
Onward and upward (map-wise) we continue along Main Street and exit the village where the road bears right. On the left, the eagle-eyed will notice a “Waggon Wash” – restored in 1995. I’m not sure I’d like to put my car through it! As the road straightens out there is a side road on the left. Immediately after this we take the gate onto a footpath that is the start of a gradual climb, with some undulation, all the way to Uppingham. The route takes us through four fields, over Lyddington Road, and more fields with fantastic views before reaching South View and then Reeves Yard – the original centre of the town dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Uppingham also boasts one of the most prestigious public schools in England, Uppingham School, founded in the later 16th century by Robert Johnson, who also founded Oakham School at the same time.
After a brief wander around this historic settlement, we head out along either North Street East or High Street East until we reach the roundabout. After carefully crossing, we take Glaston Road leading downhill slightly then turn off the main road onto the track to the right, also called Glaston Road. As this track bears right we take the path to the left. This path is fairly level but as it is still high up there are good views all around but it can be a bit breezy.
After a long row of newly planted hedgerow and a wooded area, we find ourselves in Bisbrooke, first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 then spelt “Bitlesbroch”. Over the centuries the spelling has gone through as many as 19 name changes including Bitelesbroke, Pysbroke and Butlisbroke before the present spelling was adopted.
After a brief tour of the village we continue our descent to a dismantled railway line before climbing back up a short distance on the way to Seaton. At the highest point of this section you might catch a glimpse of the Welland Viaduct consisting of 30 million bricks making its 82 arches along it’s 1,275 yard span.
After the descent into Seaton we turn right onto Main Street and head northwest until we reach Grange Lane. This final section of the route consists of a gentle rise and fall whilst skirting The Barrows and passing through a few fields. The path exits very close to the Marquess of Exeter so it would be rude not to pop in for some very well-deserved refreshment!
As you will have gathered from the above there is undulation, most of the climbing occurs at the start of the walk. There are a very few stiles and when it was recently reviewed there was no mud. It’s a great walk with some excellent views.
General information:
The Fleckney Walking Club meet every other Sunday for a walk of about 6 to 9 miles with a pub stop somewhere along the route.
What3Words is used to pinpoint start and other relevant locations for the walks.
We leave Fleckney village car park at 9:30 a.m. (///loses.always.huts).
For these walks you are advised to wear good quality walking boots and carry weatherproof clothing.
We suggest you also bring refreshments as a coffee stop and/or a picnic stop is also usually on the cards.
For those who are car sharing to walks outside of Fleckney, passengers are requested to subsidise their driver by the amount of 20p per mile (one way). For example, if the start of the walk was 10 miles from Fleckney the fee would be 10 x 20p = £2.
If you fancy leading a walk, there are plenty of ideas for walks here.
During the summer months we also have Thursday evening walks of about 4 to 5 miles in length.
These generally start and end at a not-too-distant village pub!
We meet at the village car park, by 7 p.m. (///loses.always.huts).
In the event of a walk being cancelled due to inclement weather (or any other reason) the walk leader will communicate the cancellation to club members by email and be at the start meeting point to advise anyone who turned up regardless.
The annual cost to join the Fleckney Walking Club is £10 for the Sunday Walks, or £5 to be a Social Member. Thursday Evening Walks are completely FREE.
You can find The Fleckney Walking Club Group on Facebook. This is a private group but you are welcome to apply to join us.
If you would like to join this walk then please fill out the form below and press the Submit button.
(If you are reading this message in an email, please click on the RSVP Now! button directly below to take you to the form.)