Hello and welcome back to my blog 😊.

Today I enjoyed a 10-mile circular walk taking in the Grantham Canal and the villages of Plungar, Stathern and Harby in the picturesque Vale of Belvoir.

It was a blue-sky sunny morning as I sent off along the grassed towpath from Stathern Bridge heading for Plungar. There were a couple of things niggling me when I thought about the route.

The first was, would there be any cows in the fields, because I have noticed that there were some cows in fields again. They can be particularly feisty after being released from winter quarters. The second was would the final steep climb from Stathern Woods onto the escarpment be dry, because if it was wet, it would be treacherous and I was solo walking today.

Along the towpath I came upon a memorial to the fallen crew of a Lancaster bomber which suffered engine failure after returning from a mission mine-laying. Sadly, all the crew, apart from one, perished on that fateful night.

It was a nice peaceful walk beside the canal. Coots and Ducks were enjoying the water.

Leaving the canal I passed through the small village of Plungar and followed the lane to reach fields that would take me to Stathern Woods. The escarpment was clearly visible now.

The woods were quite boggy in places as I walked through. This is not boding well I thought. However, the higher I got the less water there was and when I reached a steep section it looked passable.

Picking my way up the steep section I was very surprised to find to find evidence that someone had ridden a horse downhill! I could see the marks where the horse’s hooves had slipped. That must have been a hair-raising ride.

At the top of the escarpment I joined the Jubilee Way for a while. The views would have been better if there were less trees but I could still see for miles.

Next I headed downhill, via Tofts Lane, into Stathern.

Arriving into Stathern I headed for the village shop for a Latte hit and a bacon & egg bap. I have visited on other walks and its a nice spot for a break.

Feeling refreshed after the break I made my way through the village past the church admiring the honey coloured Ironstone blocks used in the construction.

Leaving Stathern my route took me across multiple fields and stiles. Thankfully there were no cows to worry about😊. Luck was with me today.

Walking into Harby I passed the Millenium sign and headed for the canal passing St Marys church.

A short walk along the towpath brought me to Stathern Bridge once again. A coffee vendor was selling coffee from a van. It was indeed my lucky day- time for another Latte!

Happy Walking! 😊🚶