Oaksta two

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Walked from Oakham to Stamford, after months of heavier than normal winter rainfall. This is a good route, entirely on well used paths, cycle tracks and pavements. There are a couple of short sections that are a little muddy when wet, but nothing too serious even in very wet conditions. The route loses a star for the length of the pavement walks at both ends - Stamford has no sensible alternatives and the Oakham route minimises the distance and is very easy to navigate, so these seem entirely justified to me.

From Oakham, we follow Catmose Street and Stamford Road out of the town - it is best to cross to the south side of Stamford Road early, as this offers the safer route across the ring road roundabout. Beyond the roundabout a good pavement/cycletrack follows the south side of the road for some distance, with a little detour to cross Old Stamford Road (i.e. the main road before the Rutland Water dam was built). After a while we leave the road to follow the reservoir edge around the Barnsdale hotel grounds (mostly tarmac but with a short rougher compacted gravel section), then follow a road uphill and turn right on a car park access road.

Beyond the car parks the track continues, with a few twists and turns before reaching the Whitwell car park, where there are toilets and a cafe (which may be seasonal and was fenced off). Do not turn left up Bull Brig Lane, as what looks like a track on the map is a private drive with no right of way signs and a locked gate. Instead, follow the cars out then turn right a short distance to use the marina car park roads to find the cycle track. It is easy to follow the track to the Sykes Lane car park, where there are more toilets. We ignore the surfaced path to the right in favour of a gate above the pasture by the dam. The path here is a little indistinct but follows the edge of the wood on the far side, before crossing a field and a muddy wood to reach Empingham. This section has a few stiles but the path is well trodden and obvious.

From here it is easiest to stay on the Rutland Round route, heading left up Nook Lane and crossing the A606 opposite the White Horse pub. There is a helpful sign for the village shop, which is down Church Street. We then follow Main Street out of the village (there is a very short amount of verge walking beyond the houses), then bear right on a good if slightly muddy track past Chapel Spinney. This leads to farm tracks, then more field edge paths and a short wooded section, where there is a short flight of easy angled steps. The path right towards Tickencote is cut further east than the official right of way line, so I have marked the walkable route here. More fields, farm tracks and one slightly wet and muddy section (and a few stiles) bring us to Tickencote village. We pass the church and continue down Church Lane. At the end the field path is slightly left, and takes us easily to Casterton Road/Old Great North Road.

The pavement is initially only on the south side, but beyond Casterton the pavement on the south side has gaps, so it is best to cross to the north side, which has a continuous pavement from the near edge of Casterton to the centre of Stamford. This is a long and rather tedious pavement walk, but the buildings get more interesting nearer the centre. We cross a square and head down Castle Dyke to find the shortcut path over the Welland, from where the meeting point at the railway station is a short pavement walk through a housing estate.

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