Tansor, Ashton, Oundle, Cotterstock

 Tuesday 13 July, 7 miles.

I met Marta at Tansor at 10.

We walked to Ashton and Oundle,

and back via Cotterstock,

the Lock and Church.

 

Lunch - a shared pizza - very good - at T and K at the Wharf. Warm, dry , cloudy.

Tansor, Ashton, Oundle circular

 Monday 21 June. Eddie, Kate, Maureen. 6 miles.

Tansor, Ashton and Cotterstock

Friday 19 October 2018. With Marta. Just over 6 miles, and once again,glorious weather after a chilly start.  Mostly the same route as yesterday's walk with an additional extra mile or so to include Cotterstock church.

Will the clouds win?

Maybe the sun will win..

We parked at Tansor, and walked along the road through the village opposite the church. This took us past the village hall, and Linden Hall. we walked through the large gate at the end, heading towards the A605 Oundle to Peterborough road. It is possible to cross this road with care as there is an island central reservation. 

Time to try a spider's web photo

Once again  we took the minor road directly opposite and walked along it for about half a mile, until we came to a small crossroads, where a bridleway turned right, heading southwest towards Ashton.

After about half a mile we passed another bridleway turning right (ignore this path). Next we passed a rifle range, and the grassy surface changed to a road. Before long we arrived at Ashton. 

Selfie time

Brilliant sunshine once more and tables on the village green - smell the coffee! 

The Chequered Skipper - pub sign made of nails.

 We left the village along the  small road with a "No through road" sign. We went into the grounds of the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene, dedicated to Charles Rothschild, who rebuilt the village in 1900. He also built Ashton Wold Hall, which is tucked away along a long drive. He committed suicide in 1923.

We followed the road where the wall has been built to accomodate some of the large old trees, and then took the Nene Way path which leads down to the road near the derelict Ashton Mill, with its pond.

Soon we reached the footbridge over the Nene.

There were a few people fishing along the bank. We turned right and followed the river round and under the A605 coming out at Oundle North Bridge.

Sunlit sheep quick march

We crossed the road at the bridge and took the Nene Way path past the boathouses, walking with the river on our left. Plenty of large bird life today - herons, swans with teenage offspring, cormorants perching on a tree.

One boat, today.

At Cotterstock Lock, we crossed the river and walked with it on our right, through fields to the converted corn mill.

From there we turned left, and walked up to the turning for the church. We paused on a bench in the sun before walking back to the corn mill and following the road to the junction for Tansor. We turned left, and walked along the road until we came to the footpath sign, which took us over a ploughed field, over a stile, then a pasture with a few cows and some sheep. Another stile, another ploughed field. Another stile and a narrow passageway between two gardens and we were back at our starting point.

Tansor to Ashton circular via the edge of Oundle

With Maureen and Eddie. Just over 5 miles on a fine autumn day. We parked at Tansor, and walked along the road through the village opposite the church. This took us past the village hall, and Linden Hall. we walked through the large gate at the end, heading towards the A605 Oundle to Peterborough road. It is possible to cross this road with care as there is an island central reservation.

St Mary's church, Tansor

 We took the minor road directly opposite and walked along it for about half a mile, until we came to a small crossroads, where a bridleway turned right, heading southwest towards Ashton. After about half a mile we passed a bridleway turning right (ignore this path). Next we passed a rifle range, and the grassy surface changed to a road. Before long we arrived at Ashton. This village was rebuilt in 1900 by the Rothschild family for estate workers. For many years from the 1960s to the early 21st century the village hosted the World Conker Championship. This event is now held at nearby Southwick.

The village is the birthplace of Dame Miriam Rothschild a noted natural scientist and author. The local pub is called the Chequered Skipper, after a butterfly which has recently been reintroduced locally.

After around two and a half miles we were unable to resist the sunlit tables on the village green, and had a break.

 We left the village along the  small road with a "No through road" sign. 

The wall was shaped to accommodate the tree, though Eddie is hiding the bulge.

In spite of the cows lying down, we had no rain today

This is the route of the Nene Way, and soon we reached a footbridge over the river. We turned right and followed the river round and under the A605 coming out at Oundle North Bridge.

Footbridge over the Nene

We crossed the road at the North Bridge,  and took the second footpath, not the Nene Way. The footpath goes between a fence and the boundaries of houses.  At first it was fine, but as we walked further along it was overgrown with nettles brambles and other shrubby plants. We eventually took to walking inside a tree nursery, where there is a clear path.
(Note to self, write to NCC about this one!)

Some footpath!

 Next there was half a mile or so of road walking,  passing a bridleway sign on the right, and the road to Cotterstock on the left, before we took a footpath leading diagonally across a field on our right. At the stile this path turned slightly to the left, to head directly for the houses in Tansor. There were a couple of slightly awkward stiles but we were soon back at the start point. We had noticed that the church was open, so we had a look round.

A large pond and the river Nene behind the church

Nene Way 8 - Barnwell to Wansford

With Marta.  Weather fine, not sunny but warm.  14.44 miles, including short detour to Fotheringhay Church and shop in Nassington.


We started from Barnwell Country Park, crossed the old road opposite Oundle Mill and followed the Nene Way, which is pretty well marked, along past the marina, and locks, through some wide meadows, and over a footbridge into Ashton. The first part of the walk overlaps with this walk from Thursday, Aug 18, 2011

Through the village and after a while we turned left at the 'Entrance Lodge' to follow the road which turned into a track, past a Rifle Range, past Tansor Lodge on an old Roman road and into Warmington.  Coffee break (from a flask), part way along here. 
When we reached Warmington village we turned right, then left coming out at the church, which is a big one. 

and on to Eaglethorpe with its 17th century limestone dovecote

After this we made our way under the A605, through a decorated underpass

and over the fields to Fotheringhay. We climbed up the castle mound

Two boats below Fotheringhay Castle mound

The pub does a good lunch, then we wandered around the church - there's an impressive historical exhibition in there, and it's much lighter than many churches.

The prospect of another six miles was a little concerning, but we've done over 12 recently.  We left Fotheringhay on the Apethorpe road.  The turning to the right is just before the speed limit sign, but easily missed. A track leads to Walcot Lodge, where we turned right again.  About two thirds of a mile later, we were almost tempted to keep following the wider track which veers to the left, instead of going straight ahead. There is a Nene Way sign, but it's not immediately obvious.  There's a short turn to the left, then right a little later, but once all this has been negotiated, the route leads down towards Nassington. We needed something to drink, so detoured to the local shop.

Back to the route proper, and onward to Yarwell Mill, with its boats and caravan site. These millstones are on the road leading out of the Mill.

We should have taken a path across a field at this point. Instead we continued to the road, and turned right towards Yarwell. Not much difference in the distance. From here it's about a mile across fields - lots of horses grazing,

 and Wansford Bridge soon comes into view.

Phew, Wansford Bridge - that's the Northants Nene Way done and dusted.






Map and details