Corby Kingswood to East Carlton Park

 Monday 18th September, with Norma and Maureen. Just over 7 and a half miles.

We chose this walk because the weather forecast was not good, and none of us had walked huge distances for the last week or so.

In th]e event the weather held out apart from a five minute hail shower just as we emerged from a tree lined path.

The usual route, through Kings Wood, then along Danesholme Road to the junction with the A6003. Crossing with care to reach the footpath sign on the west side of the road.

The first field has been ploughed and prepared for the next crop - hard dried soil makes for an unpleasant surface. We head north west to a wooden footbridge on the field boundary. This is in a shallow dip and can’t be seen from.the start of the path. 

We head for a small low concrete platform and leave it slightly to our left and aim for the trees ahead, until we catch sight of the bridge and adjust our route if necessary.

From there we have another similar field to cross, this time aiming for an oak tree on the right hand edge of a copse. We are still going north west.

The water towers on the 6003 are visible over to the east.

 

We walk through the corner of the copse, and turn slightly right to follow the field edge then follow the route of the path to cross over the farm track from Middleton Lodge Farm, continuing until we enter a somewhat overgrown tree covered section, where I attacked a few recalcitrant brambles.

This emerges on to a bridleway, where we turned right and then followed it round to the left until we reached the A427. The traffic along here can be fast.

We crossed and then followed the track, avoiding the left hand fork to the mushroom farm. This is another overgrown section and brings us to the old road from Corby to Harborough, now much quieter.

We crossed this , and negotiated three stiles to cross the fields and reach the back road into Middleton, we turn left when we reach the last stile, and head west to the main road.

Here we turn right, then take the footpath between two houses, which takes us to the bottom edge of East Carlton Park. We go into the park and walk uphill to the cafe.

For the return lag we use a slightly different route, down to the footpath below the park, then straight up the hill to the old Corby Road, joining our route out and returning.