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 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

Cotterstock again, in reverse

With Eddie and Maureen. Thursday 11 October. 7 miles.

Always slightly more tricky following instructions in reverse, so we spent more time walking through the plantation near the river than we should have done. Interesting, if a little tricky underfoot on occasions!

This time we began the walk near the converted corn mill, with the church in view as we left the village. The sky was noticeably cloudier than the previous day.

The path leaves to the left of the mill grounds

Close to Oundle

A heron which was not bothered by us as we walked fairly close by.

A walk from Cotterstock

Wednesday 10 October 2018.  With Marta. Just over 7 miles.

I found this route in the magazine Market Harborough Living, Autumn 2018, p 40-41.  It follows the Nene as it loops round close to Oundle.  We began the walk at Cotterstock, rather than in Oundle, at point 5/6 in the article, taking a footpath labelled Riverside Walk which leaves the main street between a hedge and a fence about 50 yards or so east of the village hall and the red phone box, on the opposite side of the road.

Leaving Cotterstock

Early coffee stop.

A heron flying away

Coming in to Oundle

a fine weathervane

One of several boats we saw on the river

Converted corn mill as we return to Cotterstock

Cotterstock church

Cotterstock Green

A wander from Oundle to Stoke Doyle

With Marta, about 6.5 miles and one extra 0.5 mile to go for lunch. There is one section which is not a proper right of way, as the sign when we emerged from the bridleway, told us there was no way through. 

After a pause-café in Waitrose cafe we parked nar the old Drill Hall on the A427, and walked out past the Golf Club House, and soon turned left through the golf course, following the public footpath.

 The path turns right, crosses a field and then follows the edge of some woodland.

Too early for another coffee!

 Plenty of bluebells.

Acres of rapeseed

A gall on an oak tree

Monarch of all she surveys?

and another monarch?

A small herd of deer paused to watch us

before heading for the horizon

Coffee in comfort

Selfie time

Alpacas at Stoke Doyle

Guinea fowl

Cattle opposite Stoke Doyle chirch

This monument and one next to it bear witness to the extent of infant mortality, and deaths in childbirth.

In the visitors' book visitors from Austria have written the Lord's Prayer in old German of some kind.

St Rombald's church

Wych elm again?

We returned to Oundle along the minor road, which was quite busy. Luckily after half a mile or so there is a footpath alongside the road.

 And for something different, the upstairs room of the café in Oundle displays photographs of film stars from the 1950s. We identified several, with help from a couple of customers, but it seems that the café's definitive list has been mislaid.

Jean Gabin and Brigitte Bardot in "En Cas de Malheur"

Marta in the café