Apethorpe circular

Me, Eddie, Barry, Gordon, Maureen. Last minute decision, with booklet - done in reverse. 6.7 miles. Weather fine while we were out, with a chilly wind,  but it began to rain later, just as we ate lunch. Brilliant timing.
Wildlife: deer - muntjac - , kites, a hare.

I wasn't sure who would be walking today, and we had no advance plan.  Luckily Eddie had a booklet to hand, and with its help and the usual map we did this shorter walk from Apethorpe.  We left the village along the road at the side of the Kings Head and walked west. At the junction we took the left hand turn (signposted to Lodge Farm).  This road runs behind the hall grounds, and continues more or less south.  There is a clear sign to say that the bridleway has been diverted off to the left, and we followed the new path to the right hand side of a small lake, then round to rejoin the original roadway.  Our route was now just north of west to the corner of Tomlin Wood, where we turned left towards another small wood, Morehay Lawn.

We walked along the edge of this wooded patch, and carried on, turning slightly to our left then right along a field edge and into another wood (Holey Brookes).  We crossed another track in the wood but carried on through.  At the edge of the wood, our path led almost due west, diagonally across one field, and then along the hedge of the second one.  In the third field is an abandoned cottage, and a footbridge slightly downhill and to the right of it.

We had to cross a ploughed field after the bridge to reach the corner of Bushey Wood, where we had a break, before following a track along the right hand edge of Bushey Wood and then the edge of Hostage Wood.  The track heads north east and downhill to the stream.  The crossing is a bit steep and muddy, with some stones to help.

The route continues on a track which becomes covered in tarmac and leads past Spa Farm, with its watchful and barking dogs, the onwards to Spa Farm Cottages.  Here we turned right and followed the road back to Apethorpe, meeting the road beside the pub.

Then we went to the Sondes Arms in Rockingham to eat and celebrate Eddie's coming of age (65)  tomorrow.

It looks like Christmas already!

This walk from Aug 11 2011 covers some of the same ground
Map and details