[1] From the lay-by on the A607 at Croxton Kerrial walk towards the village.
The water spout just down from the lay-by is the remains of an old water system.
At The Peacock Inn cross the road and enter The Nook. Just behind the sign for the 'Surgery Car Park' take the track right. Ignore a gate into a field and continue along the track to its end. Now enter a field and continue in the same direction with a hedge on your left. Follow this hedge passing through three fields.
[2] At a track turn right, follow this for about 100 metres until it bends to the right. Here is a gate and stile. Take the stile to enter the field and follow down the field with a hedge and stream on your right. Take care this is slippery after wet weather.
This is Croxton Park a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The grassland here is managed sensitively to preserve the historic parkland, so the sign says.
At the foot of the hill our path crosses the drive to the former abbey site. Cross the cattle grid carefully then proceed with caution over an area of bog and ditch boards, to a gate and stile alongside. Once over the stile the ground improves and as you climb again so do the views. A gate and yellow topped post offers a marker but this is only visible as you reach the brow of the hill.
(A) Take your time and turn around as the view from here is worthy of your attention. The path you came down looks impressive from here. This is the best opportunity to view Croxton Park and the site of the abbey.There was a mansion here for the hunting built by John, third Duke of Rutland in about 1730, the shell still stands. The Park comprised about 800 acres, Horse Races were held here and a track can still be seen near Waltham. Croxton Abbey, which stood on the Bescaby side of the Park, was founded about 1150 but there are no remains.
From the kissing gate continue in the same direction to a stile and yellow topped post at the boundary of this huge grass field. Cross the stile and bear right walk diagonally across the field to meet the main road. Take care crossing main road.
[3] The path opposite goes along the edge of the left hand field but a convenient track is available on the other side of the hedge. The level ground ends abruptly at a stile and the path drops down towards the village of Branston.
This is a favourite local location and you should pause to take in the view. Directly ahead is Branston then to the left is Eaton and on the horizon Eastwell all pleasant small villages traditionally built with the golden brown iron stone. To the right and through the gap cut by the River Devon the western edge of Grantham and on a clear day perhaps Lincoln. Belvoir Castle stands guarding the hill on the left of the gap.
Drop down the hill with the hedge on your right. Pass through a narrow belt of trees then bear left across the next field. Caution there is some wire netting half trodden down near this stile. Cross another stile and cross the next field to a stile in the centre of the far hedge.
[4] Here you meet a cross track. Take the drive opposite, through the garden pass to the right of the cottage to find a tarmac path leading to a stile. Note the street lamp on the corner of the building indicating this was once a busy village path even in the dark. Drop down the slope to a gate and stile. Very muddy here after rain, proceed with caution.
(B) Immediately after the stile the reason this path was once busy becomes clear as on the left is the village pump. The pump has the initials 'DR' for the Duke of Rutland and a peacock (his crest) is cast at the bottom.
Continue along the sunken path which becomes a road to the village main street. Turn right along Main Street .
Most houses are built of the golden local stone, once extensively quarried for steel making.
Pass the Wheel Inn on your left and the old village school on your right. After the church on your left take a track signed as a bridleway on the right. At the end of the wide track pass through a farm yard where a hand gate on the left allows access to a field, continue in the same direction dropping down the slope to the the corner with the hedge on your left.
Cross the stream, at the time of writing there was no bridge, then bear left to climb the opposite bank with a broken hedge on your left. At the top a gate and stile lead to a field. Bear right diagonally across the field.
There are views to the left of Knipton reservoir which was built around the end of the 18th century to supply water to the Grantham canal.
[5] Turn right and walk along the road back towards Branston. When the road bends sharp right take the track to the left. Follow this well defined track back to Croxton Kerrial. When it gains a concrete surface continue along this, ignore any side tracks.
The building stone at Croxton is different from that of Branston being a pale limestone giving the village a totally different appearance.
At the end of Chapel Lane turn left up the hill. Turn right into Church Lane and follow this, passing a reconstructed village pump to a junction with Thorpes Lane. Turn right here from where there is a good view over the village to the church.
At the end of Thorpes Lane turn left then right into School Lane, follow this around to the left back to the Peacock Inn, turn right for the lay-by.