Shacklewell Hollow to Gaddesby
After a lovely night at the scout campsite, I was ready to set off on another bright sunny morning. The weather this week has been perfect. Bright sunshine in the morning, with clouds in the afternoon, to stop it getting too warm!
I set off along fields towards Empingham. A clear route has been cleared through the field which made it easy to follow. For part of the route I rejoined the Macmillan Way. It felt funny to rejoin it, as it was back in my second week that I walked part of it.
After making it through Empingham, I joined the footpath to Rutland Water. The reservoir was massive and is used as a park for many watersports. There’s a boat yard and a beach for wind surfers! It was really peaceful to look out over the water, with the bright blue sky above it.
I stopped at the boat house for a snack and to enjoy the view. The water was really still and was like a mirror, reflecting the trees.
I continued along the edge of Rutland Water. Halfway along there was a beautiful bluebell woodland. The carpet of Bluebells was like nothing I’ve seen before. The area was huge and the flowers were so dense. It was incredible. A map can give you lots of information, but running like this aren’t marked. It’s been amazing so far to find hidden spots along my route. Things that I didn’t expect to find, but remind me just how wonderful nature is.
From Rutland Water, I headed into Oakham, which marked the end of Leg 11 of my trip! I stopped on a bench in a memorial garden dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II. There was a lovely statue of her, complete with corgis!
From Oakham, I took a selection of roads to Knossington. I had my first bit of uphill for the day. It was nice to treat my legs, as I’ve got a lot of climbing to come!
A collection of lanes and footpaths took me into Somerby, where I stopped at the pub for a drink. At the entrance the pub has a sign commemorating Leicester City’s football win in 2016. I stopped inside for a lemonade and had a lovely chat with a fellow walker.
My route then took me over Burrough Hill. It was so nice to be on a hill again. After being on the flats of Cambridge and Suffolk, I’d not realised how much I’d missed the feeling of being up high. The views were beautiful and there was even a toposcope to point out local landmarks.
I left Burrough Hill and joined the Leicestershire Round all the way to Gaddesby. The initial track was unfortunately quite rugged, which was harder underfoot, but it soon got easier.
The Leicestershire Round took me through Thorpe Satchville, where I stopped on the bench for a snack. The bench was beautiful, and very comfy. It had been handmade by the local blacksmith of the village to commemorate the millennium. Unfortunately, he died a couple of years ago, but one of the locals told me that he was a lovely chap. I definitely appreciated his skills!
On the way into Gaddesby, I passed the church, which was really intricate. Before finishing at the pub, where Lucy came to pick me up.
Tonight I’m staying with Lucy, who is a Guide Leader in Leicestershire. She is also DofE advisor for Leicestershire, so we have known each other for a few years. When I was planning my route through Leicestershire, I contacted her for some advice and she very kindly offered a room for the night!
In the evening, I went to visit Lucy’s Guide unit. It was lovely to chat to them about my walk and see their shocked faces when I told them how many miles it was! The guides are working on their civil engineering badge, so started by making spaghetti and marshmallow structures. Harvey decided to test them, to see if they would take his weight!
Finally, I finished the evening by seeing my trousers. The gaffa take had held for a day, but wasn’t going to hold much longer. Hopefully this repair will last until I’m home and I can get a second pair from my wardrobe!
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