29th April 2024 -Cottingham and Middleton

 A four-mile meander,

with Maureen and Norma from East Carlton to Middleton and Cottingham, with a stop at Cottingham’s cafe for coffee and teacakes.

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.

Corby Kingswood to Wilbarston, return via East Carlton and Middleton.

 Thursday 12th August 2021 with Harry and Maureen - a whisker over ten miles and 230 feet of climbing on a fine sunny morning.

We crossed the A6003 close to the path near Brunswick gardens on Viking Way, and followed the path - over a stile and through fields, alongside Swinawe Wood. On occasions the path is a little indistinct and overgrown at this time of year. It emerges on the road between Pipewell and Wilbarston, where we turned right and followed the road going left at the junction to Wilbarston. The view begins to open out as the road descends to the A427.

It’s not bad crossing here, as there is a small island in the centre of the road. 

In Wilbarston we called at the Milking Parlour Café for coffee and scones, and a wee rest. Then we walked up to the village hall and took the path along the ridge towards East Carlton.  Along the way we saw lots of butterflies, including one painted lady, and noticed the haws are ripening too.

the haws are turning red

Flax/ linseed

Probably the best bit of the walk with good views over the Welland valley to the north west. 

We walked along the fenced footpath below East Carlton Park, turning right in Middleton, then left up School Hill, and soon right just before a gate. Through a field and across the old road to Harborough.  

The next section has grown luscious and vicious nettles and brambles since I was last here in June, and was quite tough walking. 

Over the A427 again, and along the bridleway. Just after it bends to the right there is a left turn. After this it was a little tricky to negotiate the next bit as the path on the ground doesn’t quite correspond to the path on the map.

The path comes out opposite Danesholme Road - another crossing of the A6003…through Kingswood Nature Reserve

and then back to the start.

Corby to East Carlton and back

 Monday 26 October 2020 - almost 8 miles

Not our favourite terrain.

Gretton to East Carlton

With Marta - part of our exploration of the river Welland.

This was an alternative route to the one in the Around Corby book. somewhere about 8 - 9 miles, on a beautiful autumn day, mainly warm and sunny, with a chill breeze.

Gretton church was resplendent and golden against the morning's blue sky as we left the village.

We made our way down to the Welland, and walked along the valley footpath past the weir and on for a long mile to Caldecott.

Too much breeze for sharp reflections at this point.  We walked into Caldecott, then turned left on the A6003, over the bridge, and turned right to walk along the road to Great Easton.  The pumpkins below are still growing - nearly three weeks until Halloween.

At Great Easton we turn left at the village green, just past the pub.

Past the old corset factory, and to the end of the houses, then we take the footpath to the left, through a field of cows and one with four horses. We're still on the Jurassic Way, and signs are good. Eventually the path  we're following takes us to a road where we turn right and walk uphill to Bringhurst.

The church has a much bigger churchyard than I'd expect.

The inside is very simple, and contains a tomb cover dating back to the ninth century, which was discovered in thick ivy during renovations not long ago.

We walk past the church and take the Jurassic Way footpath downhill across fields - easy, dry walking today!

Drayton and Neville Holt can be seen in the distance.

We cross two fields, then a disused railway line.  There's a new gate and a footbridge, taking us to a path where we turn left. The path soon becomes a wider track and crosses the Welland.

The maize is much taller than we are.

Just before we meet the road there is a footpath sign leading us along the edge of fields and across the playing field behind Cottingham school. When we come on to the road we walk into the village and past the Spread Eagle, turn right to the church and take the high level footpath past the old school, with views over the valley. Then it's  down School Hill, past the Red Lion. We cross the road and take the footpath between houses - still the Jurassic Way. 

This takes us along the edge of East Carlton Park. The cows are in the field to our right, the parkland on our left.   Part way along we turn left and walk through the park to the café, where we have lunch.

All day the weather has been fine!

East Carlton - Nevill Holt - East Carlton

Led by Barry - with Gordon and me. 10 miles approx. Sunny, very warm, still some mud.

We set off from East Carlton Park at about 9 am.  We turned right out of the park gates and walked along the road downhill, as far as the Ashley Road - a long section, but we met only one car.  We turned left round a bend in the road towards Ashley.  Shortly after the bend we took a footpath going due west on the right.  We soon turned right to go north, across the Welland and a dismantled railway line and then crossed the minor road to Medbourne.

Upper Leighs Farm

A fair pull uphill to Stoke's Buildings

Wide views all around from the top.  They are restoring the buildings at the moment.  We carried on slightly east of north to reach the road from Drayton to Nevill Holt.   It's a magnificent place - once owned by the Cunards, birthplace of Nancy Astor,  then a prep school from 1928 - 1998, and now owned by David Ross,  formerly of Carphone Warehouse.  They stage a festival of opera here in the summer. 

A punning motto - wish nothing ill

The horse's head seems to face a different way from different angles











From Nevill Holt the path goes downhill to the east through fields and past a pheasant rearing area, where we saw a basic scarecrow and a pair of unscared red kites.

There is also a pleasantly shaded strip of woodland, where we took a break.

After a few more fields we arrived at Great Easton, and walked along Deepdale, Butchers Lane and Brook Lane, before turning right along Barnsdale ( the road to Bringhurst and Drayton).

Great Easton

After a hundred yards or so there is a footpath to the left, which crosses a few fields and skirts the hill, emerging just below Bringhurst.  We turned left and downhill, instead of going into the village.  We turned right along the dismantled railway and continued until we met the Jurassic Way.  
Hey, a new kissing gate! 

We turned left and followed the Jurassic Way along 'Occupation Road' over the Welland until we met the road between Middleton and Ashley.  We walked along the road into Middleton, and turned left opposite the Red Lion - another closed pub!

The path took us along the bottom edge of East Carlton Park, and we turned left, and up to the café and car park.

Through the portal

Map and details