Fotheringhay, Elton, Warmington Mill

With Marta. Route the same as this one

Met Marta in Weldon and drove with her to Fotheringhay. Did the 6 mile walk via Elton and Warmington Mill. 

Lots of boats on the Nene







Elton chapel

Elton Mill







We picked a few blackberries and then lunched at Bosworth's, Elton Hall.

Fotheringhay, Elton and the River Nene

With Maureen, Norma, Kate and Eddie. The same walk as last Thursday, with no false turns this time! Around 6 miles.

Walking past Elton Park

A glimpse of Elton Hall

Brightening skies as we return to Fotheringhay.

Elton circular

Friday 14 September - another almost 7 miles. With Marta.

As we approached Elton we noticed a garden centre close to Elton Hall. We're usually quite ready to be distracted by a cuppa and a snack before a walk, so we investigated. We shared a large slice of rather good banana and chocolate cake, to accompany our drinks.

The people in the café were quite happy for us to leave the car in their car park while we walked.

 The walk into Elton village is getting on for a mile, past trees

a slightly threadbare thatched duck and ducklings

 some picturesque tiles

 a war memorial with a difference

 the church

 a crab apple tree

a couple of pubs and a village shop

Near to the chapel we found the gate and public footpath which leads past the old mill to the lock gates, where we crossed the River Nene.

looking back to Elton Mill

Just after the lock we turned right, and crossed a footbridge. Then the path turned left across fields, then alongside a hedge and over the dismantled railway line. between Wansford and Oundle. 

We ignored th path which goes off diagonally to the left, and continued along the track with a blackberry-laden hedgerow on our right.

We crossed the minor road and went over the stile on the opposite side, across the field and through the farmyard of Park Lodge. We had to walk over the two recently ploughed fields, but they were not wet or sticky. At the other side, through the trees of Park Spinney, we joined the Nene Way. We turned right and continued to the point where four paths cross. Here we turned slightly to our right, as the Nene Way headed off straight ahead.

Before long we met another road, at a junction.  Large tree trunks provided a good place to sit and indulge in another short break.

We crossed over and took the small road leading directly east.  It runs south and then east again and after a mile or so reaches Elton Bridge.

Autumn berries

autumn leaves

and us, looking slightly bemused.

We followed the road back into Elton and on to the garden centre, though we could have taken a footpath by the river.

Soup and bread at the garden centre café made a very satisfying end to the walk.  

Fotheringhay, Elton and the Nene.

With Maureen.  This is a walk we found in Market Harborough Living magazine. Advertised as 5 miles, but my measuring apps put it nearer 6.

A very pleasant walk, almost entirely flat, with very few stiles. Fotheringhay is the birthplace of Richard III, and the site of Mary Queen of Scots execution.

We parked in Fotheringhay, and walked away from the church, past the pub to a footpath just before a red phone box. The path goes to the Willow Brook.

 At this bridge you turn left and follow the brook until you reach the Nene Way.

Turn right along the Nene Way, ignore the footpath to the left, and take a path to the right shortly afterwards, through some trees and across a field. Aim for the right hand edge of the coppice ahead.  There is a small pond, though it was dry when we walked the route. Head towards Park Lodge farm, across a smaller field, and go through the farm yard.

Go past an overgrown orchard, and over a stile into a field. The farm drive turns slightly to the right at this point.  At the other side of the field go over the stile and cross the road.
Follow the track on the other side of the road - this continues to the River Nene.
Cross the bridge with the locks.
At this point we had a break, on the steps by the river.

There were a few boats around, one waiting to go through the lock.

We went past the disused Elton Mill, and through a gate into the village. We turned right and then right down Chapel Lane, past the Methodist Chapel.

In Elton we saw a fair number of martins wheeling around. I guess their bags are packed and they're checking in for the flight south.

We ignored the first footpath on Chapel Lane, continuing along the bridleway, with Elton Park on the left.

After a mile or so, you approach the A605. We saw this little creature on the blackberries . . .

The path continues on this side, and goes past Warmington Gravel Pit, and on to Warmington Mill. 

Turn right just before the mill building, then left and rejoin the Nene Way. This takes you all the way back to Fotheringhay, over a footbridge and Warmington Lock.

Fotheringhay Church in the distance, with the Castle Mound to the left

After the lock aim for the gap in the hedge to the left of the church. On the way into the village you pass the Castle Mound.

We had lunch at Barnwell Country Park, near Oundle.

Fotheringhay, Elton, Nassington circular

Thu, 2015 Jul 2 9:43 AM BST

With Gordon. Weather cloudy, very warm - though nothing like yesterday's high temperature. Good underfoot. Something over 8 miles.

This is adapted from a walk written up by Christopher Somerville. 
We started from Fotheringhay, not Elton, and had to divert just after Elton because the footbridge over the Nene has been declared unsafe, since June 25th. 

Our original plan was to drive through Fotheringhay to begin at Elton, but we'd chosen one of the three days when the road through the village was being resurfaced. Quick change of plan.

We walked through Fotheringhay, past the church and the Falcon pub, and a plaque to Richard III, who was born in the Castle in 1452.  

The Nene Way footpath took us past the Castle Mound,

and its memorial plaque to Richard,

 and to Mary Stuart who was executed here. 

We had a quick look at these and the river before continuing along the Nene Way. 

The path is easy to follow over fields and a dismantled railway, a footbridge over a lock, another footbridge, and past Elton Boat Club moorings, near Eaglethorpe Mill.  

Our route took us under the A605, ignoring the bridleway on our left. Next time, I will probably choose the bridleway, though Eaglethorpe is an attractive village.  In Eaglethorpe we met the road and turned to the left. Just after a right hand bend we found the footpath
sign indicating our path to the left. At this point we should have turned right after the kissing gate, and over a stile, then left between the fence and the polytunnels. We arrived there by an unofficial and more tricky route. After a few hundred meters there's a left turn through a kissing gate, leading down to the A605, which has to be crossed. . .patience . . .

On the other side we turned right then through two kissing gates - there is a warning about heavy plant - no, not Triffids. The path took us across Elton Park, from where we caught a glimpse of Elton Hall, and crossed a field of curious cows.

This is definitely not Rutland.

Over a stream and on through Elton Park lands to the road in Elton (Chapel Lane). At the end we turned left to the village green, where a handy bench provided a good stopping place.

Snack stop

We walked along Duck Street, past the Crown Inn

and Duck Cottage, followed by Waddle End - not sure if that's a duck skeleton in the window though.

Before we left Elton we passed these sheep - at first glance I was taken in.

When the road bent to the left we took the track signed to Yarwell Mill and Silson, and then a footpath left after 200 meters. Luckily there were people around who informed us that the bridge we were intending to cross was closed, and suggested an alternative route.

We returned to the road, and turned right, away from Elton, and over Elton Bridge. Shortly after the bridge, on our left was a gap and a rather overgrown path down towards the river.
There was soon a turn to the left, which went under the bridge, alongside the Nene. It joined a towpath/footpath along the river, past various moorings and boats. We rejoined our planned path at the bridge, which has been declared unsafe.

We continued along the edge of the river, then turned off to our left, crossing the field diagonally, and then the dismantled railway, and the next field.  This one had a good crop of rape, which was tough going today.

At the end of this field we went through a gap in a hedge and turned right along the field edge. Another gap in the hedge and the path followed the right hand edges of two fields. 
We could see Nassington church spire which helped confirm the direction. We came out on the edge of Nassington, and turned left to take the Nene Way footpath past the cricket ground and pre-school.  
We followed the Nene Way (at some distance from the river) past Park Spinney, then crossed a bridge over the Willow Brook. Plenty of fish swimming in it.

At Walcot Lodge and Model Cottages the track joins a minor road, turning left and leading us back toward Fotheringhay and the car.

A fair amount of insect life today, particularly butterflies, mostly of the darkish brown variety, though saw a few red admirals too. Lots of damselflies. An excellent view of a red kite helping itself to roadkill as we were driving back.
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