Walk from Deerleap car park, New Forest

Sunday 26 June 2011, almost five and a half miles.


A hot day, and fierce sun. I needed to stretch the legs, but had to seek shade.  This walk starts from the car park and follows the track downhill towards the railway line.  I crossed the bridge, but then retraced my footsteps to go into the wooded area where I followed a woodland track which pretty well skirted the area.


On the way back two pony carriages were coming over the bridge, and I saw and heard several trains.  It was one of those walks where taking photos became as much fun as walking.  Foxgloves en masse, mainly pink but a few white ones and the light through the ferns. 

 Then I caught sight of a white admiral on the bramble flowers, and some orange butterflies I hadn't noticed anywhere before, but later identified as silver-washed fritillaries. 

The butterflies are very obvious in flight, but my skill is not developed enough to capture that.

Deerleap, for details and map click link:   26 June 2011

Whitwell - Sykes Lane - Empingham - Horn Mill - Fort Henry - Exton - Whitwell

Mel, Norma, Ian P, Barry O, Gordon, Maureen, Jill, and me.   8.6 miles (ish) Sunny, warm, dry underfoot. 


From Whitwell - Sykes Lane - footpath across side of dam to Empingham - through village, past pub, turn left - take second footpath (with seat!)
over fields to Horn Mill trout hatchery - alongside spinney etc to Fort Henry Lake - turn left follow road alongside Tunneley Wood, turn left along Viking Way, take footpath before cemetery, into Exton via Dairy Lane, turn left along Stamford Rd. Cross road at T-junction and follow signed footpath through several fields, emerge at Noel Arms, Whitwell.    There we found this magnificent commemorative plaque:

We braved the main road crossing and walked along Church Lane etc to car park.
Lunch at Harbour Cafe Whitwell.

Link to map etc

Badby to Nether Heyford along Nene Way

The journey begins

Friday 17 June 2011.  With Marta.  Approx 8 - 9 miles.  Slightly humid and showery, but pleasant underfoot.

We took the (metaphorical) bull by the horns of our dilemma, and decided to attack the Nene Way from the South-West, starting at Badby.  Not quite the source, it seems, so that is for another day - we intend to track that down when we've completed the whole route.  That could take some time, since the next available date is at least a fortnight away.


We didn't set off until about 12.30, and for future expeditions we must do better. 
The start is clearly marked from the Green in Badby, past some cottages, then through fields by a small stream.

The infant Nene?

The path leads to the road into Newnham, climbing the hill

Alfred Angas Scott was a famous motorcycle manufacturer and he stayed at the New Inn in 1908.  The Newnham hill climb was a regular motorcycle event before World War 2. It was held on Good Fridays. On Thursday 20 July 2000, a similar race was held.

The path goes through the churchyard and downhill past a large monument, overgrown with vegetation - the path leads through to a cottage with a well outside, then down hill, along the streets.  Some of the signs are not exactly obvious, but all went well until we came to a gate into a field where an obvious concrete track led down to another gate on our right, towards trees by a river... eventually we realised there was no way out, and returned. A local farmer set us right, saying that we really should have noted the way the arrow before the gate was pointing - up to the left past a telegraph pole and through various gates with a white disc waymarker. 


This section was hillier than we expected, and the more scenic as a result.  We came out at Little Everdon Hall, set in parkland, with a Countryside Stewardship sign on the gate.  Very attractive hamlet.  After the last house there is a sign to the left - as we walked we passed one or two places where there are turns to the left from the path, and a few confusing signs.  

Every WHICH way?

Marta has a well-earned coffee. There was no bull today.

Through fields of barley, and rapeseed with poppies, we passed a gate where swallows were perching. They let us get pretty close to them before flying off.

Swallows

We arrived at the road to Weedon Bec.   We called in to the first pub for a drink, and were amused by a small child with a remarkably placid puppy in a room which looked more like a living room than a bar.  In the local mini-supermarket we bought a sandwich 'meal deal' and took this along to eat where the Nene Way follows the Grand Union Canal towpath briefly, past Weedon Wharf to Bridge 25.  We lost track of the actual path in Weedon, but found it near the cemetery under the Canal Aqueduct. We managed to orientate ourselves by the position of the Canal and the very busy West Coast Mainline railway beyond.

At Bridge 25 we left the canal towpath, and made our way towards the A5. Not the most scenic part of the walk, but not quite as tricky to cross as we thought.  We went slightly to the right of the footpath to get a better view of the traffic!

At this point be careful to go straight ahead, avoiding the clear path diagonally to the right.  The Nene Way and the Macmillan Way follow the same route here for a short distance. You go over a footbridge and across a wide field towards Flore church.

All Saints Church, Flore

You walk through the churchyard, and go to the right past the school, along Nether Lane and Kings Lane.  At this point we just missed seeing a fox and cubs playing in a field, according to a couple who had been watching them.


The Nene Way leaves Flore between two thatched walls

The path continues across fields east, then south-east, then south into Nether Heyford, crossing the slightly wider river.

The Nene near Nether Heyford

Skeffington - Billesdon - Tilton - Skeffington

Monday 13 June 2011.  With Barry and Eddie. 8 miles.  3 hours and a bit. Fine weather after unpromising start. Mud on boots weather after yesterday's rain.   Humid. Undulating.
Wildlife - several hares. A yellowhammer.

This hare came towards us on the path, then scarpered. I took this with normal lens, and then enlarged, so  I am amazed you can make out the hare.

One for pedants' corner.  What's with the wedding obsession? Second notice I've seen in  in four days.

What bushes are these? We didn't walk near enough to find out.

Another over-enlarged picture - you can just about make out the yellowhammer.

(to be completed) 
For map and details click this link

Gumley - Smeeton Westerby - Kibworth Beauchamp - Foxton - Gumley

Thursday 9 June 2011. Barry and Eddie. Just over 8 miles.  About 3 and a half hours. One of the more hilly walks in the area, and some good views.  Not much arable field walking.

The Tower House Gumley - it used to be the stable block for the Hall.

St Helen's Church, Gumley.

Up above Gumley. Saddington reservoir is somewhere in the valley.

Fine views and splendid colours - the poppies have been magnificent this month.

The intrepid explorers (explorers are always intrepid)

As we walked downhill we noticed a raised ridge, clearly artificial, carrying water. At first it could almost have been a moat, although it didn't surround the hill, but continued flowing very slowly. So we had to investigate, and follow its course uphill and to the right of our official path. Eventually we found the spot where it joined the Grand Union Canal. 

A little nearer to our route was the outlet for excess water, into a stream flowing through this culvert.

and where any excess water drains off.

For map etc

Wistow - Kilby - Foston - Wistow

Wednesday 8 June 2011, with Marta - between 7 and 8 miles. Weather showery, but mainly fine. 
Walk taken from the October 1997 issue of Country Walking magazine.

Wistow Hall from the road

We were so keen to look through the bridge that we missed the footpath by the church and had to turn back to it.  Then we failed to take the left turn we should have taken just across a footbridge, and continued to the Grand Union Canal at bridge 78 (I think).

Lock keepers Cottage

Tenth Century church at Foston

Foston has been a deserted village for about 400 years, but St Bartholomew's church, dating from the tenth century is still in use.  People had arrived to prepare for the Flower Festival when we got there.

Keep on the strai(gh)t and narrow!

A pleasant walk - a good lunch at the Dog and Gun in Kilby, but a little too much arable field walking, at low level with no real views, in the middle part of the walk - between Kilby and Foston,  and a tad too much road walking - narrow verges and more traffic than I expected.  The beginning third and the final third were better.
tbc


For details and map click this link

It's been raining

and I'm taking a few people on the walk described on Friday 3 June, 2011... 

and today it was cloudy, but dry and warm

 and the whole walk is  a bit over 7 miles without the detours. 

All the same I ended up with muddy trousers, wet almost to the knee, from walking through a wheat field after last night's rain.
Possibly one or two more inclines than I recalled.


Map and details



With Sue, Kate, Barry and Eddie.