Brigstock - Deene - Kirby Hall - Gretton

Sat, 2015 May 30 9:52 AM BST

Part of Corby walking festival. An alternative part of Around Corby walk. Ten of us, led by Tommy Rodger. Several from Kettering Ramblers. Sunny and dry. Nine miles.

A motley crew

We gathered in Gretton and were transported to Brigstock to start the walk from the village hall. Back to the High Street, and then turning right up Old Dry Lane, which took us to the A6116. We crossed this and continued on old Dry Lane which becomes a bridleway through woodland, and eventually goes past Bocase Farm - the owner has provided the seat in the photo below, but it was too early in the walk for us today.

The Bocase boundary stone, and a seat provided for walkers

 From here we walked with Harry's Park Wood on our left, heading more or less north. We carried on at the corner of the wood, running right when we met a path junction, and very soon left to resume the northerly direction. The path took us to the A427 at Yoke Hill, and we crossed the road. 
Now we followed a path along the parish boundary, turning left and leaving the track on to the old airfield then following the path right and keeping the woodland of Weldon Park on our left. 

An unfortunate deer

This path led us past Lodge Farm and to the A43. We crossed this and walked along the drive to Priors Hall Golf Course for a shirt distance before taking a footpath off to the right through trees, over a field and through a small wood. Then it was across open fields towards Deene Hall magnificent in the distance.

Heading towards Deene Hall from the old airfield

Then it was time for a lunch break. It almost felt like summer.

We kept on the same path past the lakes as far as Home Farm, Deene, where we turned left and slightly uphill.

close to Deene Hall

At the point we turned left at Deene

We went past the woodland called the rookery, and through a slightly overgrown area, and a deer proof gate. Then across a large open field, and a smaller one, before turning to our right towards Kirby Lane, opposite the entrance to Kirby Hall. We walked down to the Hall, and took advantage of the open shop which sells tea and coffee.

It has to be Kirby Hall

From there we followed the public footpath through the gate by the shop, up the  hill to the gate and over the field diagonally downhill to the right to the cluster of four stiles. Then it was uphill to the gate leading on to the dusty track, and back to Gretton village hall.

Thanks to Tommy for a good leg-stretch!

Map and details

East Carlton to Great Oakley via Wilbarston and Pipewell

Thu, 2015 May 28 10:04 AM BST

Part of Corby Walking Festival. With Tommy, Gordon and a group of Kettering Ramblers (14 of us in all). Fine sunny weather, dry conditions underfoot. 7.5 miles approx.

The route is part of Mel Jarvis's Around Corby walk - pages 12, 13 and 14.  I enjoyed not having to think about the route this time, and just following the crowd.

The section between Pipewell and Great Oakley is the most awkward, with overgrown paths, one field of barley with no path on the ground, and two sets of curious bullocks. An enjoyable walk, and better weather than we could have hoped for.

Great Oakley, Newton, Little Oakley

Thursday 23 April

With Maureen. A fine sunny day after early cloud. In all about 8 miles.

We walked down to the Spread Eagle - around a mile before starting the walk proper as described in Mel Jarvis's "Around Corby" book. 

From the pub you walk through the tunnel under the road. When this reaches another road, turn right over Harper's Brook, and then left on the other side of the road. The path goes behind some houses and emerges onto a small road. Today the flowers were lovely in the first garden. We turned right along this lane and right at the end, taking a small path on the opposite side of the road we reached.  After around 100 yards we reached Woodlands Lane, and turned  left. We walked to the end of this, ignoring two footpath signs on the way.
After a turn to the right, there is a path through a metal gate, and over a bridge. There is a paved path going up to the top left corner of the field, leading to the road with the old station building, slightly to the left.

Old station building and the footpath we didn't take

At this point we walked along the road, turning left at the first road, then under the railway bridge and onto the bridge over the new Geddington bypass. After the road bridge we turned left and followed the footpath parallel to the new road until it turned right, along the old route. It crossed a stream and then went uphill with the hedge on our right. After the first field, the path headed diagonally to the left. At the highest point near an electricity pylon it crossed another path. We paused for a snack before taking the path continuing our line of travel. This was clear on the ground.  The path led us to the road between Newton and Geddington. Today we chose neither, but turned very sharply left along the nearby footpath leading back towards Little Oakley. The two paths form a V shape in the field.

We followed the instructions in Mel's book, across the first field, through the hedge, across the second field and through another hedge.  There is a hedge on the right. We walked alongside this through a short section of a field, then through another hedge. 
Up here we here the whistling call of the peewit (lapwing), and see a few flying around. We misread the instructions at this point and ended up in a corner near a pylon, with no way through. A short retracing of our steps to a track we should have taken to the left, slightly uphill brought us back to where we should be. We followed this until we could see Little Oakley ahead of us - see picture below.

The track joins a road into Little Oakley just before the stream. Just afterwards the path turns left into a field. Slightly awkward gate. Then it follows the stream before heading towards the new bypass once more. There's a slightly dodgy very small stream crossing.  This time we see the viaduct on the other side, and cross over using the underpass.

Looking back

We go under the viaduct and follow the path past a private road to Oakley Hall and into the parkland near the church area. We walk through and back out into Great Oakley, turning right and taking Levin Road back up to the  mini roundabout, and then left to the main Corby to Kettering road at the big roundabout.

Map and details

Wildlife noted - lapwings, and the first male orange tip butterflies I've noticed this year.

Around Corby:Weldon to Gretton

With Marta, About 6 miles.  Dull but dry, some sun later.

I haven't been looking forward to this section, since I know a good couple of miles go through the area where new houses are being built at Priors Haw.  not the most scenic walk just now, though landscaping is promised, and there is a conservation area well marked out. 

Our first task was to find the spot where the walk could be picked up from the book, so we made our way to the churchyard to take the metal gate leading to a path over the brook.

An unusual gravestone, to The lady Louisa, wife of the honourable and Rev Daniel Heneage Finch Hatton, one time vicar of Weldon.

The path takes us over the brook and up towards the houses of Church View.

When we reach the main road we cross over, and take the path just to the right of a white thatched cottage, sporting a  threadbare thatched pheasant on its roof.

 The path looks as though it goes to the front door of another house, but in fact it turns right then left and takes us through the houses, coming out near the Shoulder of Mutton pub.

We turn right and go past the pub, then walk to the corner. We ignore the footpath sign at the corner and turn right. In around fifty yards there is another footpath sign on the left, which leads to a road then through a gate and along a path towards the A43. 

We cross and find our way on the path through the embryonic new housing development. I'm sure this will be more agreeable in five years or so.

Still, the mile and a bit or so is easy enough to follow, past the conservation area, then over a couple of sections of fresh-ploughed field and into the woods.

Map and garmin confirm we are pretty well on track.

Now it's back on the paths as they have been for years -  a footbridge, two deerproof gates, a road, then down to Kirby Hall. http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/stately%20homes/kirby%20hall.htm 

Its Elizabethan splendour catches brief sunlight in the hollow.

It's the birthplace of the above mentioned Lady Louisa's  Finch Hatton husband.

Windfall apples cluster round a tree but they're too bruised to harvest, and the road curves into the avenue of horse chestnuts leading to the hall gates.

The entrance gift shop shack proudly wears a peacock on its roof.

We climb the hill, look back and then walk down across the grass, startling a hare almost underfoot.

After the clustered stiles in the dip, we go up the last hill of the day - it's dry now, not ankle deep in mud as it can be. At the gate we take in the view once more, before heading down the dusty track and into the village. 

Geddington to Weldon - Around Corby

Fri, 2014 Aug 22 9:34 AM BST

With Marta. Part of Around Corby route. Mostly fine with odd shower. About 12 miles. Some problems with route-finding. Ploughed fields etc.

Geddington ford

We pass the ford and narrow road bridge, and the Eleanor Cross on our way to Wood Street, which leads up to Geddington Chase. We take the footpath to the left of the old brickworks, ignoring the clearer bridleway to our right.

Old brickworks, soon to be a community garden

The path takes us uphill into the woodland, to Chase Lodge. We keep straight ahead to the right of the dog kennels. At the end of the trees we should have taken the path next to the hedge slightly angled to our right. The path runs along with the hedge on the right. You can see on my map where we had to retrace our steps - concentrate on the task in hand!  

Eventually the path turns left, down a slope and on to a track leading under two rows of electricity pylons. Keep straight ahead and meet a minor road. Turn left into Stanion. We paused for a coffee break in the pocket park, where we met a local volunteer doing some much-needed weed clearing.

Then we followed the road to a junction, where we turned right. After the road bent slightly left we almost missed the footpath sign to the right - it's slightly set back from the pavement!

sunflowers going to seed

The section between Stanion and Brigstock was a bit tricky, as parts of the path were poorly marked and overgrown, and one very large field had recently been ploughed. 

Hard to find waymarks

We eventually arrived at the path alongside Brigstock cricket pitch, and made our way to the Green Dragon for a sandwich.

From here we walked back past the tall old clothing factory, past Back Lane, Old Dry Lane and New Town, before taking a path to our right at an opening past some houses. At this point we were consulting Mel Jarvis's book , Around Corby, closely (p 17)!  The path tooks us north over a couple of fields, then across the A 6116. The path still heads north and enters the wood ahead about a quarter of the way along the edge from the right. We soon met a wider track where we turned left and followed this for about a mile. Then there is a rough track which leads on to the A427 between Weldon and Oundle.

We turned right, and walked downhill into Weldon, turning left into Church lane, with Willow brook running alongside until we almost reached Weldon Church with its lantern for forest travellers.

Weldon church

More info on this church here .

Here we turned right along a footpath and made our way back to the car.

Map and details

East Carlton to Geddington

Tue, 2014 Jul 22 9:48 AM BST

With Marta. Hot - much more than 64 deg F! Sticky going and very overgrown in places, plus the odd ploughed field. I think around 11 miles.

A measure of the heat - I felt obliged to cover up bare arms before 10am! 

We were following the Around Corby route from Mel Jarvis's book. To begin with all was sweetness and light, though the fact that I've walked the route before was helpful too. We had no problems as we headed out of East Carlton Park, and towards the path which runs along the bottom of the park. We turned left along this part of the Jurassic Way, then crossed the road to walk between the two fences and out into the fields.

We followed the Jurassic Way to Wilbarston according to the directions in the book.  Then, when the Jurassic Way turns right at the crossroads near the Fox Inn, we continued to the bend in the road, turning left towards Springfield Farm. Facing the farm gate, there are two footpaths. We took the one through the farmyard, to our left.  We crossed one field, then took a gate on our left and followed the path diagonally uphill to a stile in the top right hand corner.

There is a gap in the hedge leading to steps which go down the embankment to the main Corby-Harborough Road.

On the other side of the road, the path restarts slightly to our right.  The stile at the top of the steps is a little overgrown, but not as bad as some we meet later!  The paths through the fields towards Park Farm are mostly easy enough to follow. We crossed over the driveway then the path goes along the field boundary on the right of the buildings.  There's an opening in the hedge ahead, and then the path continues with the hedge on the right.

There is a wood on the right.  The path goes through the hedge and continues south across another field. On the other side of the field is the old airfield, now used for agriculture. We followed the perimeter track round to our left for about a mile, passing some large hangars, a weigh bridge, a bend in the track, a road to the left and another bend before turning left to walk through the wood (between Pipewell Wood and Little Haws Wood on the OS map.

Once through the wood we turned left and followed the edge of the wood to Pipewell.

All went smoothly until we met the path out of the village and encountered "a small field that can in the season be badly overgrown with nettles". Luckily we hadn't decided on shorts today! It looked as though the path hadn't been walked for ages, though it is usually one of the routes for the Corby Walking Festival in May.  We did find the way-markers, but more by luck than judgement. 

By the time we reached the Spread Eagle near Great Oakley we were ready for lunch. 1.30 must be after the rush - the sandwiches were good and service rapid. 

Our route was under the bridge along the footpath. We made the mistake of crossing the first road and taking the obvious path, and ended up in the playground. Just as well school holidays hadn't started yet.

There's a seven year old trying to get out!

A quick back-track and look at the book, and we realised we should have crossed the road and taken the footpath a little to the right of the brook!  

Great Oakley church

This took us along to Woodlands Lane and eventually to a footpath with concrete surfacing leading uphill and to the old Station House. We followed the footpath across the field and under the railway.  Now that the new bypass road is in use it would be as well to turn right and walk along the road between Little Oakley and Great Oakley, then turn left along the road to Newton in order to use the road bridge. If as we did, you use the footpath, you have to detour back to the bridge in any case.

From here you find the footpath again and climb up to a plateau with a pylon at the top. There are several paths here, but we took the one leading southeast to the road between newton and Geddington. Our final stretch was along this minor road.

Geddington church from the tableland!

Map and details

Great Oakley to East Carlton via Pipewell and Wilbarston

From Mel Jarvis's Around Corby Walk but clockwise.  With Barry and Gordon.  Lovely dry sunny morning with no wind. About 7 miles - no big climbs, but lots of high stiles!

Monks in sheep's clothing - on the site of Pipewell Abbey

Pipewell Abbey

The wide expanse of Pipewell/ Desborough airfield

Some info on the airfield  If the link doesn't work first time try refreshing the page. No idea why!


Another link to a story from BBC People's War website mentions the airfield and more about Corby and Northants in WW2

One of several stiles

The path follows the line of the hedge

Worth a dollar or two?

Approaching Wilbarston

To be investigated?

Wilbarston

A carved tree at East Carlton

East Carlton Church

Wildlife - rabbits possibly a hare, definitely a fox running across the field with his brush flowing as he ran