Northants Round 7 Bugbrooke to Nobottle , return via Nether Heyford.

Fri, 2014 May 16 10:34 AM   BST  

With Marta. 5 miles or so of NR , about a mile wandering round Harpole, and then return trip via Midshires way and other paths, and a short section of Nene Way. Very warm, rather humid after lunch.  Around 12 miles. 400 feet of climbing.

All locked up and ready to walk

We start from the green in Bugbrooke and walk along the road to Kislingbury for a short distance before taking the bridleway marked to the left.  We promise ourselves an early coffee . . .

walk this way

The path is enclosed by hedges and trees and we hear the call of a green woodpecker, but don't see it.

Tree trunk and ivy

After a mile or so we emerge into fields and make our way through two fields and down to join the Nene Way - a section we walked in 2011. We turn right and follow the path east to Bugbrooke Mill, with its flour lorries and silos.

a mouse fishing?

The path is easy to follow, leading across the road to the mill, and then alongside a hedge. As the tall bushes end, the path turns left into the mill grounds and crosses a couple of fields before going under the M1. We decide coffee can wait until the noise is behind us.

to the M1 and beyond

After the motorway we stop near the weirs and Harpole mill - there are large blocks on concrete on a footbridge here - tables and chairs ideal for a break.

near the weirs and old mill

the mill pond?

Our next obstacle/landmark is the A 45 - quite busy here, but with a central reservation, and not difficult to cross. On the opposite side our footpath is marked with a sign, but on the ground the rape plants are vigorous and we see no way through. We make a detour of getting on for half a mile roune the edges of the huge field, then make our way back to the route.

we found the path again after a long detour round rampant rape

Harpole is a village of friendly people, but of the two pubs The Bull is closed - ok, it's not 12.30 yet - and the Live and Let Live doesn't serve food. We buy sandwiches and liquid at the village shop, and find a churchyard bench to sit on for lunch.  We must have added almost an extra mile as we wandered up and down the High Street.

Harpole church

is this thrift?

From the church we take School Lane and pick up our footpath, which is enclosed by fences for a while, then heads north west uphill to Harpole Hill. There's a bench in front of the wood on top, but we don't need another rest just yet, we tell ourselves, sternly.

view from Harpole Hill

The path dips down slightly, then up across a planted field, and some steep steps take us to the edge of Harpole Covert and on to a track, continuing our northwesterly line along a low ridge then down into the hamlet of Nobottle.

steep steps to the ridge

and little else either

A short road walk takes us to the Nobottle sign. Just before this our path turns left - a bridleway, and part of the Midshires Way.  It is very clearly marked, though there are one or two meetings of ways which need care.

New Covert from the Midshires Way

There are a couple of fields of cows with calves, and in one in particular the cows show some interest in us - luckily from a fair distance!

Hebridean sheep?

what fine horns you have

The track becomes a minor road and crosses the motorway via a bridge.  We head on towards the A 45 again. It is single carriageway here, but not too busy.  We walk along the  minor road through Upper Heyford, then take a path to our left which joins the Nene Way at a footbridge, just after crossing some lovely restored meadows.

Ragged robin in the restored Heyford Meadow

The Nene near Nether Heyford, from the footbridge

Now it's just another mile or so - we think we deserve a coffee and cereal bar break in Nether Heyford before continuing along the Nene Way towards Bugbrooke, and rejoiinng the path we took at the start of the walk. A minor hiccup occurs with map-reading or memory, but we are soon back with 12 miles under the boots.

Map and details