Barnwell circular, via Armston

Mon, 2014 Apr 14 9:20 AM BST

Led by Barry with me and Maureen. Mostly good paths on clear fields. Not much mud. Fine if windy. Almost 8 miles.

We head south out of Barnwell, past All Saints Church - and take the non-Nene Way bridleway which leads across a dyke-cum-drainage ditch beyond Lower Farm.

The path turns slightly and leads south east over Barnwell Brook with its small sluice, and uphill slightly. There are cowslips and other flowers along the way. We join another bridleway, swinging slightly further towards the east and making for Bull Nose Coppice.

Here our path turns 90 degrees to head more or less northeast, then north, passing South Lodge Farm on our left, and heading to the minor road.  We can see the village of Thurning a mile or so away on our right.
We cross the Thurning to Barnwell Road, and skirt North Lodge Farm before resuming our course to the north. We're getting ready for a break, and find a sheltered spot with a fine view of the water tower.

We follow the field boundary for a couple of fields, then cross the Barnwell to Hemington road. We catch sight of Polebrook church some way ahead of us. The path goes straight ahead, turns left then right following field boundaries, then diagonally over another field, through a short stretch of woodland, and across a narrow field. It turns left and follows the hedge, then right and along until it meets a "privately maintained road, where we turn left, almost retracing our steps for a couple of hundred yards. We follow this road as it bends right and takes us into the hamlet of Armston.

The road swings left and as it bends to the right once more, our path goes off to the left, south east. It crosses a field and skirts Armston Grove woodland.

It continues in the same direction behind Barnwell Manor, eventually turning left and into the village.

Map and details