This is stage six of the Hit The North expedition.
![Stamford to Oakham via Rutland Water Stamford to Oakham via Rutland Water](https://martinblack.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Screenshot-2013-03-30-at-21.47.52.png)
I arrived in snowy Stamford just after midday, a friendly gent on the bridge agreed to take my photo.
![Me, in Stamford Me, in Stamford](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JU7b_AzNsps/UVGbyfhTAmI/AAAAAAAAAc4/5lbn-pOq124/s512/SAM_0255-edit.jpg)
The river Welland was running swiftly under the bridge. I followed the river westwards out of of town…
![The river Welland at Stamford The river Welland at Stamford](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BseGM0nECiY/UVGbyY9IqZI/AAAAAAAAAbA/Vv5evdCcfVI/s640/SAM_0256-edit.jpg)
…and soon found myself on the Jurassic Way an 88 mile walk starting in Stamford and ending in Banbury in Oxfordshire.
![Trail signs... Trail signs...](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-m-z50N5rTxg/UVGhTPkwNKI/AAAAAAAAAco/FnzC6iQHKMA/s640/SAM_0260-edit.jpg)
Four miles later I found myself in the pretty village of Easton on the Hill where I stopped for a snickers bar and some water.
![The church at Easton on the Hill The church at Easton on the Hill](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7AK-dvjSXnU/UVGhTMVltwI/AAAAAAAAAco/vIJKjzJrgic/s640/SAM_0262-edit.jpg)
I then struck out over gently rolling hills and fields. The snow was quite deep in parts, I could have done with the snowshoes I enjoyed using so much earlier in the year during my Pyrenees hike.
![Winter tree near Easton on the Hill Winter tree near Easton on the Hill](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9hLB1WqiNvs/UVGhUUdnSGI/AAAAAAAAAco/bvQG1XDP0rQ/s512/SAM_0264-edit.jpg)
I crossed the river Welland once more just outside the village of Ketton.
![The river Welland at Ketton The river Welland at Ketton](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WQWtym8aUi0/UVGhVOPrxWI/AAAAAAAAAco/9ExIz8Lz-ZU/s512/SAM_0265-edit.jpg)
At Ketton I crossed the county border between Northamptonshire and Rutland.
![Rutland! Rutland!](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g9GN4H0J92s/UVGhWdtVmQI/AAAAAAAAAco/4bJJMNPFquw/s512/SAM_0268-edit.jpg)
This was the first time I’ve walked in Rutland and I immediately thought of Eric Idle’s Monty Python follow-up, Rutland Weekend Television, that I enjoyed as a child in the 70s.
In Ketton I was met with a welcoming sign, only 10 miles to go!
![10 miles to Oakham 10 miles to Oakham](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rsyQVTBtmI0/UVGhXDDKdDI/AAAAAAAAAco/PXD14JD-k7E/s512/SAM_0270-edit.jpg)
However, that 10 miles turned into 14 or so as I managed to get terribly lost just north of Ketton. It took me an hour of walking around in circles before I managed to rejoin the path to Oakham, via Rutland Water.
The last six miles of the walk were spent following a track around Rutland Water.
![Rutland Water Rutland Water](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KPr7wlmRp-Q/UVGhYN__92I/AAAAAAAAAdE/VVrj9yJi4_Y/s640/SAM_0284-edit.jpg)
And what a joy the walk was! The cold had kept other walkers away and I had the route to myself for almost the whole way to Oakham.
I arrived in Oakham as the sun was setting and caught the train back to Ely.
In summer the ospreys are a great sight on Rutland water. V enjoyable walk
Bob
Hi Bob, I’d love to see the Ospreys, I think they were all hiding away somewhere warm while I was there!
Brilliant – Looks exciting 🙂
and Rutland weekend television
Stunning photos Martin
Hi Melinda, thanks for visiting, glad you like the photos : )