NR 9 - Brixworth Cp to Ch Brampton and back

Fri, 2014 May 30 10:11 AM  BST

With Marta. Grey but dry and quite warm for walking. 8 miles plus.

After a wet and dreary week I couldn't turn down the chance for a dry walk. We parked at Pitsford Water/Brixworth Country Park, and did four miles of the Northamptonshire Round, returning via a slightly different route, including a mile of the Brampton Valley Way.

We have to walk along the access road to the A508 roundabout and cross over to the Brixworth Road. Here we turn right and walk for a couple of hundred yards until we meet the bridleway - a wide track which goes up and down in its two miles to the Merry Tom Crossing of the Brampton Valley Way.

White campion and knapweed?

on track, and nearing the BVW

At the crossing

over the river - not inviting today

  After Merry Tom crossing and the bridge over the river, we follow the road for a short distance, then take a footpath off to the left - all pleasant walking up towards the road.

Wide clear paths lead to the A5199

We turn left at the road and then very soon take a small road to Brampton Hill . This becomes private and we take a path to our right until we reach the signpost in the photo below, where we pause for coffee, and to admire the views. 

A good viewpoint, and a good job we know which path to take

All this for coffee and cake?

 Then we turn left towards the farm. Another good wide track. At the farm road we go straight across and follow the footpath down.

Poppy season

The hedge is on our right at first, then on our left. We follow this path to the Holdenby Road from Church Brampton.  

more colour

 Here we turn left, and then take a footpath on our right, which brings us out on the main road, opposite the single track road to the golf course. (See our walk from May 20th)

Marta documenting the point where our route links to the last one

Now our route differs from the NR . We walk uphill alongside the Harlestone road out of Church Brampton, cross over Sandy Lane, and take a footpath on our left. This is fenced off from the nearby arable (muddy) field, and is more easy walking. Before long it brings us into Back Lane, Chapel Brampton - part of the village one way system. We turn right and follow the road back to the Harlestone Road, then left to the Northampton Road. We cross into Pitsford Road and follow this as far as the Brampton Valley Way - the station and pub.

Near the Pitsford and Brampton station - colour of a different kind

 We turn left and walk through various railway items, and for almost a mile alongside an unused, or rarely used railway track. 

signal box

mosaic

This part of the walk is well supplied with benches to sit on, and is used by cyclists and dog walkers, though we see very few today.

At Merry Tom crossing we rejoin our outward route, and turn right along the bridleway, back to Brixworth and the country park café for lunch. This is now a place with good friendly service - and big cups of coffee.

Map and details