Burghley Park, Stamford to Pilsgate circular

I've done this walk three times recently, and both clockwise and anti-clockwise! 
This is the route, anti-clockwise, with no inadvertent divergence from the route. almost 6.5 miles.

Walk 1 
Monday 4 June, with Kate.
Four or five stiles, but not like the Marston Trussell walk!
We parked in the main Burghley Park car park, then walked back down the drive to the Barnack Road, and turned right to follow the footpath alongside the road, but separated by a hedge. This extends for about a mile and emerges very close to Pilsgate.  We crossed the road and continued with it on our right, past the bus stop and out of the small village. We took the first road on the right and followed it to the end, passing Windmill Farm on our left.
At the next junction a public footpath goes into the corner of a field on the right. 
This took us diagonally across a field, probably of wheat, and in the next field the path continued close to the hedge on our right.
It then goes through a short stretch of woodland, before crossing some hay meadows - lots of flowering grasses, and a few nettles. The yellow posts mark the route clearly, particularly in this direction, taking us over a footbridge and eventually to the golf course. 
We walked through, looking for a suitable place to perch for a break, and eventually decided on this luxury tree stump not far from the road. It was actually quite comfortable, with a mat!

From the golf course we simply followed the road as far as another entrance to Burghley Park,

Sweet chestnut - castanea sativa

and made our way to the car park, and the Garden Cafe, for lunch. 

The aliens landed a while ago, I think!

Walk 2
With Marta, Thursday 7 June.
We started quite late - 10.45, and this time walked anti-clockwise, along the drive past the big house, turning off to the right to pass the cricket ground on our left, coming out on to Burghley Lane, through a small wooden gate, and walking past this sign, before joining the London Road.

The Lady Anne's House - Tradesmen's Entrance

We crossed London Road and took the Kettering Road for a short distance as far as the point where a footpath goes off to the right, through a kissing gate.  You should make for the opposite corner of the field, and not be tempted to go straight ahead. A rather overgrown section, quite well marked at the gates led us up the gentle slope and out in Wothorpe. A convenient bench - not to be resisted after our late start - and we hit the caffeine! There's a grand view of Stamford from this point.

We walked to the London Road, crossed it and turned right, walking slightly uphill to the entrance to the Golf Course. Just after one of the old entrances to Burghley Park we climbed a stile and made our way past one of the jumps used during the horse trials.

We walked across this fine Avenue - Queen Anne's Avenue on the map, which must lead up to Burghley House .

 On across the grassy fields, and the overgrown footbridge. It's a bit rough underfoot too. A few small brown butterflies and iridescent blue damselflies, but not as many as I expected.

The wild roses are blooming.

 We emerged from the fields on to the road, and passed Barnack windmill on our right this time.

When we reached Pudding Bag Lane in Pilsgate, we succumbed to the urge for another small coffee.

We took the path alongside the road and back to Burghley Park and the Garden Cafe once more.

Walk 3
Monday 11 June.
With Kate, Norma, Marion and Eddie.  Anti-clockwise - route as for Walk 2.

We thought the semi-semaphore would work - we were tramping after all.

The jolly crew having a breather at Wothorpe. After that we went on as far as Pudding Bag Lane before a break. The Garden Cafe wasn't serving food, so we headed back to Gretton and Lydia's cafe.

Lyvenden Way - from Wadenhoe to Lyveden New Bield - circular

With Norma, Marion and Steph. Grey, but brightened up as we walked.  A little over seven miles in all, with a coffee/tea stop after almost five miles at Lyveden, and lunch at the Old Barn, Wadenhoe.

We took the path past the church and walked in a clockwise direction.  The route is well trodden and well signposted. 

From Wadenhoe church we followed the path over a couple of cattle grids to the road to Aldwincle, turned left along the road, then right on a path which took us to another small road. Here we turned left through a metal gate and walked along a wide grassy track, which used to be part of the road from Thrapston to Oundle.

Just over half a mile down this track, a footpath goes to the right, heading for the woods. Walk along the edge of the field and take the path along the edge of the woods.

After another half-mile or so the path becomes wider, and joins a track.  Follow this to the right almost through the woods. The sign for the next turn-off is slightly hidden, but if you come out of the woods on to the big track, you'll need to retrace your steps for a hundred yards or so. The small track cuts through to the right, and emerges at the edge of a field. 

Turn right towards Lyveden New Bield. The marker posts are clear and the path goes behind the New Bield, with its car park and you should be able to get a drink and snack at the tea shop, even without making an official visit.

For more details about the New Bield - see this post.

From the New Bield the path goes across a field and directly through Lilford Wood.  At the other end of the wood, we crossed a small grassy field, then a footbridge, walked uphill through another field, until we reached a metalled track. This took us  for a couple of miles or so back to the small road we crossed much earlier in the walk. Here we turned right, then left soon afterwards, taking a footpath alongside a hedge. We had to persuade the cows to move - they were taking shelter just in the gateway, but were no problem.

The path is well signed and leads into `Wadenhoe village, coming out between two houses and on to the main street.

Lots of butterflies around, mainly meadow brown and ringlets, though we saw one comma and tortoiseshells as well.

Time for tea

In the teashop garden

Ridlington - Belton circular

With Maureen and Marion. 6.4 miles. A grey day, damp underfoot, but no real rain while we were out. The same route as recent walks.

Belton church, halfway through the walk

On the last lap, just coming into Ridlington

Stamford, Stamford Canal, Uffington

Monday 10 April 2017.  With Norma and Eddie. 6.5 miles, mainly flat. Weather fine and dry, but not as warm as the weekend.

Exactly the same route as last Tuesday, with fewer photographs . . . I give the details on that post.

Uffington Bridge

A mystery tree

Coffee break outside Uffington church.

Norma and I finished with lunch in Morrisons cafe, and a mini shopping expedition.

Wakerley, Laxton Hall, Barrowden

Monday 27 March. led by Tommy, with Norma, Maureen, Ken and me. 
6.5 miles, in decent weather.

Unfortunately I switched the GPS on part way round!

We set off from the car park in Wakerley Woods, and walked through following the Jurassic Way signs until we reached the next barrier after the edge of the woods, when we  turned right to take the path behind Laxton Hall.

After that we followed the newly made path which replaces the right of way through the land which is being quarried, then used for landfill. The new path is clear and generally good, but I suspect the walk will be dusty and noisy once work starts in earnest.

The seagulls follow the tractor . . .

We took the road between Harringworth and Wakerley, walking for about a quarter of a mile, then turning left along the footpath, keeping to the edge of the recently ploughed field and walking alongside the dip left by old workings, with the lime kilns in the background.

We took the Jurassic Way again from Wakerley to Barrowden, crossing the Welland.

We took the footpath on the west o Barrowden which emerges near where the road crosses the Welland, a the old station building.  t the junction we picked up the Jurassic Way footpath near the house which used to be the pub. It goes behind the church and comes out on the road. At present they are building an access road to the quarry near the corner.
We followed the road and picked up the Jurassic Way footpath back to the car park.

We're almost back

 Lunch at Barrowden Community shop.

Great Easton, Neville Holt, Drayton, Bringhurst.

Monday 13 March 2017. With Norma, Maureen, Tommy and Ken.  Just under six miles. Great sunny weather, with a little mud underfoot on occasions.

Nevill Holt from the path

Similar route to last Saturday, and also this walk from March 2014.  we began from the green, near the pub, and walked along Brook Street and Deepdale to pick up the footpath towards Nevill Holt.

 We took the path which  leads very close to the buildings of Nevill Holt, with the statue of the opera singer, Bryn Terfel . . .

 and this horse's head.

 The path takes us out on to the road to Drayton, and we walk downhill for some distance, watching a few cyclists making their way upwards.

 Break time at the bench with a view.

 Down into Drayton, past a garden gate decorated with a metalwork spider - there are smaller versions near the wall behind it.

 Then straight through the village and the tiny church building on the green. We take the path towards Bringhurst, and turn to climb the hill to the village.

At the road junction we turn right, and soon take the footpath on our left, labelled "Great Easton".

Lunch at Cottingham community cafe.

Brixworth and Brampton Valley Way

Just over 6 miles. With Norma and Ken. Although the weather was grey and showers threatened we stayed dry, apart from a few fat raindrops just as we stopped for a break.

We set off from the Country Park car park, walking towards the causeway clockwise for a few hanundred yards before taking the footpath to our left and up towards the A508. We crossed the road, and then took the right hand fork of the footpath through the houses, (the Ashway and Iron Pikes) and along Holcot Road, Harborough Road, High Street and Church Street, eventually to Brixworth church. We walked through the churchyard and turned left through a gate down Station Road. When we reached Church Street we turned right along Saneco Lane and found our foortpath through the fields and down hill towards the Spratton Crossing on the Brampton Valley Way. 

We followed the old railway path south for about a mile and half, as far as Merry Tom Crossing, then took the bridleway past Merry Tom Farm and back up to the outskirts of Brixworth.  We turned right at Northampton Road , and followed the cycle route signs to the main A508 roundabout back to the car park.

Wadenhoe, Aldwincle, Pilton, Achurch

Monday 13 February 2017, 9.45. Maureen, Steph, Norma, Tommy and me. Fine sunny morning after the wet weekend. Same route as last Thursday, though we took the road from Lilford bridge to Achurch instead of the Nene Way through the woods.  Not too muddy underfoot.

Swan on the Nene near Wadenhoe

Is this alder??

Aldwincle church

The track from Cross Street

The bridleway was probably the worst section for walking

Another buzzard, too distant to get a decent photo

Pilton church

A break in the sun!

Snowdrops

Back down to Wadenhoe

The mill with blue sky.

Ignore anything after the 7 mile point!