Orlingbury - Hardwick - Moonshine Gap - Little Harrowden - Orlingbury

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 9:20 Western European Time 

Led by Barry, with Gordon and me. Dry and fine, but muddy underfoot in places. Around 7.5 miles.

Moonshine Gap is a section of the road between Sywell and Wellingborough. We hadn't intended to walk there originally, but once we had, I couldn't resist using the name.  A mixture of songs in my head - 'I'm a regular moonshiner, moonshiner am I' competing with 'Cumberland Gap'.  The road itself is less poetic, and I couldn't find the origins of the name.

From Rectory Lane in Orlingbury,  we headed across The Green, and followed the Northampton Road for a couple of hundred yards to where a footpath went off to the left, heading south.  We crossed two fields diagonally, and in the third one went under a row of electricity pylons.  Then we followed a hedge (on our right).  More fields, and a certain amount of mud, especially around gateways - see the pic below.

One of the worst mud wallows I have had to cross.

We joined a minor road, which took us into the tiny village of Hardwick.  After our exertions in the mud, we were easily tempted to use the bench near the church and have an early break.

The church at Hardwick, and a welcome seat for an early break.

We left Hardwick after the Manor House, taking a footpath southwest, then south until we reached the minor road from Sywell to Wellingborough, and the section called Moonshine Gap.We followed the road, past Cheesecake Spinney (no, really), and at Appleby Gate, we left the road for a footpath leading straight ahead (northeast), and past the sports ground.

Past the sports ground just after 'Moonshine Gap'

The path crossed the Hardwick Road, and continued in this direction as far as the B574, just outside Gt Harrowden.

This looks more like pretty countryside - a pleasant change from overgrown crops!

we crossed the road, and walked northwest to Little Harrowden, crossing a footbridge over a stream. In Little Harrowden the path crosses the road again, and goes past the primary school.  It continues northwest, downhill , over a stream and gradually climbs back into Orlingbury.

Dovecote in Orlingbury

A doorway for hobbits?

Alas, poor dragonfly.

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