Rutland Water, Whitwell, Exton and Empingham

Date : 18 September 2011
Area : Rutland

Walk : Whitwell, Exton Empingham , Rutland Water

Start At : Car Park South of Whitwell

End At : Return to start

OS Sheet : Explorer 234

Start Grid : SK 9234 0830

End Grid :

Distance (M/k) : 10m / 16k

Ascent (ft) : 633

Descent (ft) : 633

Route

These notes are provided to enable the walk to be plotted on a 1:25,000 map.
From the car park return to Whitwell, at the main road turn right to the Viking Way sign before the pub. Follow the Way signs north passing through Exton to Grid 9299 1290, take path east. In Osprey Wood cross the embankment take the path on right down steps follow past Fort Henry Lake to Horn Mill. Go downhill to a path on the right to Empingham. Where the paths cross on the hedge line turn left to Loves Lane, then right to the Village. At the A606 cross straight over into a small lane to a path on the right across fields to Rutland Water and along the perimeter path back to the car park.


Journey
As we drove towards Oakham and Rutland Water, the sky was overcast and the wipers were wiping intermittently, by the time we got to Whitwell it was dry and the sky to the south and east was clearing.


The Anglian Water car park at Whitwell costs £3 a day to park which is not bad considering the facilities available, toilets, café, cycle hire, adventure park and an outdoors shop.


The first section of the walk was along part of the Viking Way, a long distance walk between Oakham and the Humber Bridge (143miles).


Leaving the car park to walk up the hill into Whitwell we noted that there was a distinct autumnal feel/smell to the air. The path from Whitwell to the village of Exton starts along the drive way to the car park behind The Noel Pub,  keep to the left hand side to the top then over the stile and into the fields beyond.

This is a wide open farming countryside with attractive views over field to woodlands with the occasional house, barn or church spire in the distance. The path was a wide well mown field margin leading the way gently uphill, past hedgerows full of red and fat black berries. We gradually reached the crest of the ridge and descended into the village of Exton. In the short time since we left the car the air temperature had risen from 18 to 23 C.

Exton is a village of two halves the lower side is more modern housing while higher up the hill, neared the Hall, the houses are much older, more picturesque with plenty of stone and thatched cottages.

Passing by Pudding Bag Lane we continued up the Viking Way on Exton Estate roads, as we walked we were amused by a number of variously worded signs, set just off the path, all warning of great dangers if we dared to step off the right of way.

Later we passed a field full of cows and youngish calves, with a Danger Bull sign pinned to the stile on the far side of the field only, which is worrying. Thankfully we did not see a bull in the field.

North of Tunneley Wood we walked down into and up the far side of a large trough nearly 2k long, perhaps 300m wide and 25m deep. We turned east walking along its north side, where we stopped for lunch. I assumed that this feature was not natural and thought it possibly an old ornamental lake or river.

Back home, on the internet, I found out that it was the remains of an ironstone quarry and/or was the route of a railway line that ran clockwise right around  Exton Park and village, serving several ironstone quarries before heading off to Cottesmore (see Ironstone Tramways ) This perhaps explains some of the warning signs earlier in the walk as the map shows disused workings in that direction.

Nevertheless, the quarry and railway are gone and the remains have merged into the agricultural landscape with little sign of what was here only fifty years ago. We will have to come back and walk over several of the footpaths in the area one of which is marked on the OS Map as passing across one of the disused workings.

Turning south down some steep rough steps we walked into another world, a long tree lined ‘river’ valley that was enchanting to wander through, so peaceful and quiet. We stopped several times to listen, other than an insect buzzing or bird song it was silent. Surprisingly this was also on the line of the quarry railway.

Fort Henry Lake was stunning in the sunshine, the autumn colours starting to appear, the swans and cygnets on the lake, the last of the water lilies and Fort Henry.

Fort Henry is an 18th century folly, The estate website says of it: “The interior boasts the most elaborate plaster work and is a dreamlike setting for a summer lunch, dinner party or photo shoot, with only the swans to watch in this tranquil setting”. (See Exton Estate)

We wandered over the medieval village of Horn, which showed up quite well, and the lovely walk continued down the valley to the Trout Hatchery at Horn Mill where we watched the trout jumping and the spinning paddles aerating the water. The air temperature was now 29 C.

As we headed for Empingham, climbing steadily we met the conundrum of a ploughed field with no way marker in sight and no footprints to show the route, so we took the field edge option. Setting off anti clockwise we ended up walking three sides of the field. The next field was also ploughed, this time I checked the map.

In Empingham we wandered around looking for a shop, anything selling ice cream, without luck, the pub was packed, so we pressed on to Rutland Water and had a nice big 99 cone in the shop/cafe at the car park at the Butterfly Centre.

This was one on of the most satisfying walks we’ve done in some time, it was a journey, it was interesting, it was warm and sunny, which does make a big difference, we both enjoyed it. It rained all the way home.