Smelters' Walk, Fineshade Wood
2 miles (3.2 km), circular. Starts and finishes at Top of the car park, Fineshade Wood. Under an hour, easy.
Start: SP 981 984, and finish. OS grid.
Take it with you: download the GPX file of the part mapped so far (it opens in OS Maps, Komoot, Outdooractive or a GPS unit) or open the start in OS Maps.
Map incomplete. Forestry England’s line for this walk is about 1.7 miles of the 2 miles its page gives, so the map falls short of the real thing. See the whole route on the publisher’s page.
Up and down
Almost flat: about 23 m of climbing and 25 m of descent; highest point 92 m.
Facts
- Code
- EM 1196
- Distance
- 2 miles (3.2 km)
- Publisher’s page
- forestryengland.uk
- Type
- Circular
- Walking time
- Under an hour
- Difficulty
- Easy (how we grade)
- Designation
- Regional route
- Region
- East Midlands
- County
- Northamptonshire
- Total ascent
- About 23 m. Highest point 92 m
Getting there
Starts and finishes at the same place, marked by the dot on the map.
- Car parks
- Car park (pay), 130 m from the start. Directions SP 979 983Car park (pay), 250 m from the start. Directions SP 978 983
No bus stop or station within a kilometre of the start. Nearest: the bus stop at Royal Oak PH (opp), 2.2 km away (Directions); Stamford station, 9.5 km away (Directions).
What to expect
No steep climbs: no kilometre gains more than about 21 m.
From OpenStreetMap, where mappers have recorded it: check before you go.
Pubs and cafés
- Pub
- Top Lodge Caravan Club, Tixover: at the start and finish.
- Café
- Top Lodge Cafe, Tixover: at the start and finish.
As OpenStreetMap records them. Opening times change, so check before you set off.
Walked it? Log it
Connecting routes
- SE 109Jurassic WayThis route finishes on it at Top of the car park.
- EM 1189Mill Wood Trail, Fineshade WoodShares 0.6 miles of path with this route. Starts and finishes on this route at Visitor Centre. This route starts and finishes on it at Top of the car park.
- EM 1193Dales Wood Trail, Fineshade WoodShares 0.6 miles of path with this route. Starts and finishes on this route at Top of the car park. This route starts on it at Top of the car park.
Walks nearby
- EM 133Richard III TrailLong-distance route, 68 miles, one way. Starts 5.7 miles away
- EM 1026Lyveden Way8.2 miles, circular. Starts 8.5 miles away
- EE 1045Torpel Way8.1 miles, one way. Starts 9.8 miles away
- EM 109Rutland RoundLong-distance route, 65 miles, circular. Starts 9.8 miles away
- EE 1296Gunwade Trail2.5 miles, circular. Starts 9.9 miles away
- EE 1306Bluebell Trail2.5 miles, circular. Starts 10.1 miles away
Sources
Checked against forestryengland.uk on 12 October 2026.
- Route line: Forestry England, Recreation routes, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Forestry England).
- Facts: forestryengland.uk
Something wrong or missing?
Tell us what to change about this walk: a wrong distance, a moved start, a path that's closed.