Hello and welcome back to my Blog 😊- the first for 2025.

Today the Three Amigos met up at Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir and enjoyed a 10 mile walk along the Grantham canal to Grantham and back.

Choices of where to walk today were limited, with much of Lincolnshire and Leicestershire suffering from flooding.

Mick had done a recce at Cropwell Bishop Country Park yesterday to see whether we could walk by the canal there, but sadly, the towpath was flooded. There was also a lot of water in the canal.

We arrived at Woolsthorpe after navigating icy roads – the temperature was below zero. Walking along the road to the canal was ‘interesting’ with black ice everywhere.

There was some ice on the towpath but it was much safer than walking on the tarmac road. We noted some ice on the canal. We were pleased to see the sun making an appearance- maybe it would be a sunny day?

The towpath was quiet – we met more people on our return leg. We wondered how the swans cope with the cold water.

Naturally, the Three Amigos had a good old catch up. The latest Wallace and Gromit film ‘Vengeance Most Foul’ was discussed, particularly because, towards the end, there are canal boats and canals involved in the plot. It was agreed that it was very good film. Highly recommended.

Chris was on a mission to set a fast pace so we pressed on and soon were arriving into Grantham. There were plenty of wild birds in evidence here, which was nice to see.

We stopped for a cuppa and a bite to eat. The sun had disappeared into the cloud which was a shame. Refreshed after our stop, but feeling chilly, we set off on our return leg.

The towpath was good and mud free so we were very happy about that. Soon, we were arriving back in Woolsthorpe, passing the flotilla of Grantham Canal Society boats.

It was a good walk to begin the year. Looking forward to some nice walking in the coming months – weather permitting!

Happy Walking! 😊🚶