Badsaddle again

Thursday 27 July 2017

Ok, this is getting boring! But I had to know the correct route for future reference, and striking with a hot iron seemed the best way. Today it was much drier underfoot, and the distance was 7.05 miles in all. 

I won't describe in detail - I did that earlier, but Maureen and I tackled this one again.
A few photographs and a map.

Abandoned farm

Picnic spot

Onward . . .

Looking back

Pilots practising formation flying

Pytchley, Broughton and Badsaddle

Monday 24 July 2017. With Maureen, Norma and Eddie. About 8 miles, because of a missed turning! 
Walking gets trickier when the crops have been harvested, and some paths head straight over sticky ploughed fields. We were following the instructions from a walk I did 6 years ago, but a couple of moments of inattention led me slightly astray.Underfoot was quite wet - the top layer of soil stuck to our boots.  Our deviation also presented us with wet legs after we'd walked through some rather lush vegetation.

I went back the next day, and after another false trail, finally found the correct route. I'll walk it again to fix it in my head.

Revised instructions!

1. Park opposite the Overstone Arms, walk up to the crossroads, turn left along  the High Street. take the right fork to Top End, walk to the end of the End, and turn left through a farmyard.

Turn right after a black barn, and take a bridleway past farm buildings and then between fields.  Follow the bridleway between hedges as it swings left.  As this ends you come to a field where you bear right to cut across the corner, through a gap in the hedge, then follow the right hand edge of the field, keeping trees to your right.

2. The track goes down to Underwood's Hill  Spinney, then across a footbridge and up a slope to the right to join a bridleway. Turn left and follow the bridleway to a gate.  There is a gap in the hedge leading to a narrow overgrown path - follow this to the stile at the other end and turn right. (There are plenty of notices here telling you to keep to the footpath!)

Over another stile and along a narrow fenced-in path. Another stile, and the path continues between walls, through what looks like a private yard, and out through someone's garden, more or less.Broughton church is on our right

3.  Walk down the path to Church St, turn left and join High Street and then left on Northampton Road. Walk to the end of the houses - quite a way - as far as a garage, which is not visible until close up.  Opposite is a footpath sign through a gate.  Turn left and cross the field - you can see the paths cleared through the crops. Walk with the hedge to your left, But before the end there is a stile on the left. Go overthis and continue in the same direction, but with the hedge on your right.  You cross two footbridges - both over dry stream-beds this time.

4. Go through a gap in the hedge, and turn right, crossing the field diagonally to the left to a gate in the opposite corner. Cross the minor road and walk along the farm track, continuing past the farm (Pytchley Lodge) which you pass on the left.

5.  Continue for 400 yards, ignoring a wide track to the right,  until you reach a waymarker pointing right. Follow the path across the fields(Or along next field boundary if, as we found, the field is freshly ploughed). Eventually this rejoins the correct route and leads round to the left of abandoned Badsaddle Farm. Take the first green bridleway to the left, through the hedge and over the next field to join . . .

6. . . .  a farm track - grassy rather than metalled.   You cross a farm road, close to a pylon, and in the next field keep to the left, with trees on your left.

7. At the bottom of a slope, turn right for about 30 yards and cross a serious footbridge.  Continue in the original direction, keeping the trees on your left.  You walk along a bridleway between hedges ( a bit overgrown) until you reach a minor road (Orlingbury-Broughton). Cross the road.

8. Head slightly diagonally left to the opposite corner, where there is a small gap in the hedge. Avoid the wide gap slightly to the right. Carry on with the hedge on your right.  In the next field, move away from the right hand edge, following the path through a dip a solitary tree to a gate.  Or follow the field edge round. Carry on through field to a gap in the hedge, and across another field of flax.You reach a stile just past some farm buildings.

9.  Turn left through the small farmyard, and down a path between the house and a wall.  You emerge at the corner of Butcher's Lane. Follow this to High Street, passing the primary school with its raised veg beds and mini-pond.  Follow the High Street back to the Overstone Arms.

Between 5 and 6 it is possible to add some distance by heading up to the A43, and then taking the farm track.

Not many photos - the weather was rather dull.

Oh yes . . . in Broughton!

Broughton church just after the path close to a cottage window.

When I've done the whole walk properly, I'll post again.

Four spires - Broughton, Great Cransley, Loddington, Thorpe Malsor

Thu, 2014 Nov 6 8:58 AM GMT

With Gordon. The first frost of the winter soon melted and conditions were v good for walking. Little sun, but dry with a chilly breeze. Around 9 miles. Elevation details ok. Not sure how the max speed is less than average moving speed!

We have walked this way before, in the opposite direction in September 2012 and in August 2012. Time to revisit.

Start from Church Street, walking west past the church (Spire 1), and then along Gate Lane as far as High Street. *Cross over into Cox's Lane, and very soon take the narrow footway on the right,  just by the decorative gate made from garden tools. The path crosses Crane Close and comes to a grassy field which you cross to reach the A43. This has to be crossed. The path is directly opposite and takes you diagonally to your left to reach a gate and steps down to Broughton Hill which goes up into Great Cransley.

**This can be avoided by walking along Cox's Lane and turning right at the end on to Broughton Hill/Cransley Hill. This road goes under the A 43.**

A garden tool gate

 At the top of the hill, just before the Three Cranes pub, turn left along Church Lane, past Cransley Hall and several houses.

Skulking in the shade, two lions guard Cransley Hall

On the sunny side, there are two miniature Chinese-style lions

 The church (Spire 2) is off to the left, through a blue gate and downhill - easy to miss if you're not looking for it.

Church Lane is surfaced, and marked not a through road to Mawsley. Turn right at a bridleway sign on a left hand bend. Go through Cransley Wood. The footpath is clear. At the end of the wood, turn left along the edge, the  right along a field boundary to reach a dismantled railway line. Turn left along this and follow it for a while. You come out just before Mawsley Lodge Farm - an uninhabited building.

Mawsley Lodge Farm buildings

The path goes round this, always well marked. You should have the farm on your right hand side as you turn west, then after a couple of fields turn right when you  meet a cross path. You are now walking northeast.  The grass track becomes surfaced and you go through two or three gates.

Follow the track as it bends to the left and goes past a few rather secluded houses. Ignore the junction to the left and continue along the road, now called Mawsley Lane. It goes downhill, crosses a stream and then climbs up into Loddington, past the playground and cricket pitch.

Turn right at the crossroads along Harrington Road. The church (Spire 3)  is visible to the left. the next mile or so is along Harrington Road with its overgrown pavement for pedestrians, until the right hand turn into Thorpe Malsor.

The porch at the back of Thorpe Malsor church

 Go as far as the church (Spire 4) and green, and take the footpath to the right just before the churchyard.

Ivy-shrouded churchyard

Thorpe Malsor Church

 This bridleway gets quite muddy through the trees, then come out into a field. At the end of the first field turn left at the hedge and follow the path downhill to Cransley reservoir, which comes into view.

Cransley Reservoir

 Turn left at the water's edge, then right to walk along the dam. Turn right in front of the sailing club building, and follow the path as it goes through a gate then turns left uphill along the field edge to Northfield Road.

We leave it behind and climb to the road

 Turn right and follow the road past White Lodge Farm. Just before Great Cranlsey there is a path across a field on the left, which cuts off the corner and brings you out into the village. Turn left and walk past the Three Cranes, down Broughton Hill, up towards Broughton and under the A43.

Continue into the village and turn left at the Red Lion into Church Street.

As we went past the blacksmith's shop we could hear the clang of hammer on metal - I wonder if they made the gate in the first photo?

Map and details

Broughton - Gt Cransley - Thorpe Malsor - Loddington - Gt Cransley - Broughton

This walk was led by me, with Barry, Gordon, Eddie. Garmin has trace from last Friday in Oakham, so distance probably about 9 miles - to 9.5. Started around 9.30 am. Almost same as walk on 9 August 2012.  Lovely weather, dry fine, sunny.
With thanks to the Broughton Bystander.

We took almost the same route as on this walk on August 9 2012.  We began from the Red Lion pub, walked down Church Street to Broughton church, with its red clock face, and flower meadow.  Then we took the footpath opposite alongside some houses, and passed a children's playground.  At Cox's Lane we turned left, making for the road to Great Cransley which we followed underneath the A43, downhill then up into Great Cransley.

We walked through the village, ignoring the church this time, and taking the second footpath which leaves on the right hand side, between houses.  It goes over a stile, then across a field full of sheep to Northfield Road, at the opposite corner.  There's a certain amount of road walking, past White Hill Lodge and round a right hand bend. At this point Cransley Reservoir came into view, below us on the left.

Cransley reservoir jewel blue beyond the ploughed field.

At the end of a field on our left we had a choice of paths, and chose the clear second one to the left, diagonally across a field downhill to a patch of woodland.  Once in the woodland we turned left once more to reach the sailing cub and the walk along the reservoir dam.

After the water we turned left then right making our way up the hill until we reached a right turn as the path met a farm track which went past a wood and into Thorpe Malsor.  We were lucky to see the person who keeps the church keys, and were able to see the restored organ and splendid interior.

All Saints, Thorpe Malsor

We turned left along the street out of the village, then left at the Loddington Road. We walked about a mile along the narrow footpath beside this road - not a very busy one, until we reached Loddington. The village sign was erected in 2001, and is made of ironstone and steel representing local industries.

The sun rising over the third millenium, with St Leonards Church

Three of us

We saw the church on our left, but didn't visit. Instead we headed for the cricket field and took advantage of its benches to have a break in the warm sunshine.

From here we took Mawsley Lane, and followed this as the tarmac turns to grass, and the path hugs the field edges on our left.  Eventually, just before the ground rises we reached a double farm gate directly in front of us, and a wooden gate to the left. Here we turned to the left towards Mawsley Lodge.

The path goes west then northwest around Mawsley Lodge, then joins the route of a dismantled railway, through some woodland, and over a bridge, until it turns right towards Cransley Wood.  The path goes through the wood and meets a road on the far side, which leads into Great Cransley.  We walked along to the end of Church Lane, and turned right at Broughton Hill, following the route back to Broughton. 

And somewhere along the way we met a couple of llamas.  Here's one of them:

Map and details
Another garmin glitch here - the first part of this route is the mile I walked round Oakham last week, and a straight line from there to Broughton.

Broughton 4 spires

8 miles. With Maureen. Dry, warm sunny, but there was still some mud underfoot.

This walk was takne from a blog by The Broughton Bystander.  Unfortunately the link is no longer active.  it was very easy to follow - with a couple of checks of the map en route.

Varied - some woodland, Cransley reservoir, some village walking and just a couple of ploughed fields, which we could have avoided. 

The walk takes in the four spires of Broughton, Thorpe Malsor, Loddington and Great Cransley.  I can't improve on the description in the link above, but here are a few photos.

Cornflowers outside Broughton Church

Dandelion clock

some of several stone figures in Broughton

view of Cransley Reservoir from the road near White Hill Lodge

Thorpe Malsor church

A bit more of the church, and the green where we had a break

Loddington church

 We finished our outing with lunch in the beer garden of the Red Lion at Broughton.

Map and details

Pytchley - Broughton - Badsaddle Wood - Pytchley

Friday 3 June 2011.  With Marta.  Around 7 miles - almost 3 hours. Sussing the scene for a Monday walk.
Conditions, hot, sunny, bit of wind, very dry underfoot. 
Wildlife - another hare.

 The walk is adapted from the series Walking Close to - the River Ise near Kettering booklet, by Clive Brown, with the starting point at Pytchley.

Espaliered pear tree on a house in Pytchley.

1. Park opposite the Overstone Arms, walk up to the crossroads, turn left along  the High Street. take the right fork to Top End, walk to the end of the End, and turn left through a farmyard.

Turn right after a black barn, and take a bridleway past farm buildings and then between fields.  Follow the bridleway between hedges as it swings left.  As this ends you come to a field where you bear right to cut across the corner, through a gap in the hedge, then follow the right hand edge of the field, keeping trees to your right.

A well-earned rest - after - ooh - half a mile!  And only space for one of us.

2. The track goes down to Underwood's Hill  Spinney, then across a footbridge and up a slope to the right to join a bridleway. Turn left and follow the bridleway to a gate.  There is a gap in the hedge leading to a narrow overgrown path - follow this to the stile at the other end and turn right. (There are plenty of notices here telling you to keep to the footpath!)

Over another stile and along a narrow fenced-in path. Another stile, and the path continues between walls, through what looks like a private yard, and out through someone's garden, more or less.Broughton church is on our right.

The clock face is red. Lots of local ones are blue. 

3.  Walk down the path to Church St, and go left to join High Street and a little later the Northampton Road.

This sign shows the Broughton Tin Can Band in action, chasing away evil spirits - or it's rumoured it was once gypsies?

Is this one of the evil spirits?

 Walk a fair distance to the end of the houses and there is a garage. It can't be seen until you are pretty close.

The latest superpowered police car?

Opposite is a footpath sign through a gate.  Turn left and cross the field - you can see the paths cleared through the crops. Walk with the hedge to your left, and keep your eyes open for a stile part way along the field edge - you cross this to your left,  and continue in the same direction, but with the hedge on your right.  You cross two footbridges - both over dry stream-beds this time.

4. Go through a gap in the hedge, and turn right, crossing the field diagonally to the left to a gate in the opposite corner. Cross the minor road and walk along the farm track, continuing past the farm (Pytchley Lodge) which you pass on the left.

5.  Continue for 400 yards, ignoring a wide track to the right,  until you reach a waymarker pointing right. Follow the path across the fields. (if the field is sticky, after crops have been lifted and the field has been ploughed you can continue to the next field boundary and make  your way along with the hedge on your right until you join the original path). The path goes over a footbridge and round to the left of abandoned Badsaddle Farm. Follow the grass bridleway to the left, which takes you down the right-hand side of Badsaddle Wood.  Keep on through the welcome shade and you reach the A43 at a lay-by.

6. Go through the lay-by, turn left along the first wide track leading down the right hand-side of a large field. We couldn't see a sign post for this footpath.  At the end of the field there is a cross-paths.  You go ahead, turning slightly to the left, then joining a farm track - grassy rather than metalled.   You cross a farm road, close to a pylon, and in the next field keep to the left, with trees on your left.

7. At the bottom of a slope, turn right for about 30 yards and cross a serious footbridge.  Continue in the original direction, keeping the trees on your left.  You walk along a bridleway between hedges ( a bit overgrown) until you reach a minor road (Orlingbury-Broughton). Cross the road.

8. Head slightly diagonally left to the hedge corner. The gap is right in the corner - there is a large gap slightly to the right of it, but ignore it.  Carry on with the hedge on your left. In the next field, move away from the right hand edge, following the path through a dip and past a lone tree.  Carry on through field to a gap in the hedge, and across another field.

In a few days time, this may look like a lake from a distance .

You reach a stile just past some farm buildings.

9.  Turn left through the small farmyard, and down a path between the house and a wall.  You emerge at the corner of Butcher's Lane. Follow this to High Street, passing the primary school with its raised veg beds and mini-pond.  Follow the High Street back to the Overstone Arms.


Once more, with thanks to Clive Brown's booklet  Walking Close to the River Ise near Kettering.