Winwick - Elkington - Welford - Sibbertoft
11 miles. With Marta. Fine, sunny, very warm. Dry conditions.
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| Winwick church - photograph taken at end of the walk! See time. |
From the pond at Winwick we walked past the gateway to Winwick Hall, then turned left, through a field gate to the bridleway.
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| The gates and Winwick Hall. |
The route was clearly marked until we had to turn off to the left towards Honey Hill. This sign was a little harder to find:
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| Hunt the way markers |
The path to Honey Hill skirts the hillsides to begin with, through some fields - at one point there is a way marker near a wooden bridge - don't even bother trying to cross the bridge, the path continues round the field and on, alongside a golf course, which you eventually cross over.
The climb starts here and after crossing a field or two, you join a wide surfaced track past Honey Hill Farm and a field with horses - lovely views if you look back.
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| The third horse was just relaxing - above Honey Hill Farm. |
The road flattens out, and you pass another large house before reaching the road between Welford and Cold Ashby. Turn left for a very short stretch, and the footpath leads off to the left, taking you down Honey Hill towards Elkington.
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| From the path down Honey Hill |
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| The path was opened here in 1994 |
In Elkington, you turn right along the road, and follow it to the junction. On the noticeboard, this notice caught my eye - memories of times past, not I hope portents of times to come:
Keep to the left hand road (signposted to Yelverton) and after a short distance, you cross a canal bridge. Turn right here and follow the canal for about a mile, along and under the A14. Continue to bridge 31.
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| I haven't yet worked out what these 'living milestones' are for |
At bridge 31 you leave the canal, cross the bridge and take the footpath on the left. At this time of year, the sign is half hidden in the hedge, but the path is clear.
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| Uphill to Hemplow Hills. On the following walk we saw a hare ahead of us on this path. |
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| Part of West Hill Farm |
The path through the woods is clear - a bit steep at the start. Once you emerge, go along beside a field where young trees are growing, and along a track past West Hill Farm, and these lodge buildings. Then it's over a stile by a remote controlled gate and along Hemplow Drive, past Hemplow Lodge Farm and childcare nursery. Continue along the drive until you reach the crossroads. Cross over and West End is the road leading into Welford village.
At this point we went to the pub at the Wharf, rather than following the official JW path, rejoining it on the Naseby Road, just past the fishermen's car park.
We walked along the path next to the reservoir, then across the causeway.
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| A less daunting causeway in summer time! |
the path cuts across fields, through the bumps and hollows of the deserted mediaeval village of Old Sulby, through a field of cows, past some farms to a track where we turned right and followed the path through several fields - it is well marked.
Soon we arrived at Sibbertoft, where we followed the route round to the churchyard before returning to the car.
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Sibbertoft church, photo taken before driving to Winwick - see time on clock!
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Map and details
