Gretton to Harringworth Lodge circular

Just four of us - Gordon, Tommy, Norma and me, met at Gretton village hall at 9.30 am.  It was a drizzly morning, but there was no real downpour until we'd finished  walking.  Some of the grass and crops in the fields where the paths had not been made good were quite wet enough for us to get soaked from the knees down.

My boots were wetter than they have been in months. 
No photos. 
The walk was the same route as one we walked on 29th December 2014. About five miles, taking two hours.

Thrapston, Denford, Woodford, Willy Watt and back.

uFri, 2015 Jul 10 9:51 AM BST

With Marta. Covered a lot of the same ground as Monday's walk. I know the mileage on this machine is incorrect. (Maybe it's the thick walls problem in church and cafe!) I'd say 7 to 8 max! Very warm and sunny.

We followed the Nene Way from opposite the Woolpack in Islip, by the fishing lake,  under the old viaduct and on under the uglier A14 bridge.

Soon after meeting the railway path we turned left along the official Nene Way footpath towards Denford Lock, and diverted over the bridge, through the cows in the meadow, into the village.

One cow thinks the grass is greener . . . or is thirsty.

There's a green with benches by the river. An early coffee was certainly in order on a fine day like today. The washed out effect in the first pic below makes me think American West!

 











Back to the footpath, across the railway at Woodford lock, and along the low level path to Woodford itself, with the thatched cottage decorated with animals, as seen on Monday, and some lovely gardens, including this one with lavender full of tortoiseshell butterflies and bees.

A brief call into Woodford church which was full of lively people, including some small children, decorating it for the weekend's flower festival. We asked someone about the mummified heart, and were shown the pillar niche and text about it.

No diversions into fields with no exit today, but back on the right track, along the road and then paths through tall weeds, including nettles - finally emerging at the sign for Woodford Mill Tea shop, at Willy Watt Marina. It's open on  a Thursday. Lunch beckons.

The water wheel, motionless now, though another one still functions. For the History of Woodford Mill click on the name. Seems Willy Watt comes from "Willow Ait" or Willow Island.

We took the easy way back along the railway path, hot with little shade.We are not sure what the tree below is.

We strode on, passing this opportunity for another break in the shade - yes, another break. It was hot.

Eventually we paused for a last coffee under the old viaduct, which was pleasant enough, in spite of the roar from the A14.  All in all something over seven miles, or maybe eight.

Map and details

July 2015 By the Nene - Ringstead, Stanwick Lakes,Irthlingborough, Little Addington

Thu, 2015 Jul 9 9:32 AM BST

With Maureen and Gordon. Warm and sunny, mostly flat. Coffee at Stanwick Lakes Visitor Centre, later pause by river for a scone. Lots of birds and insect life. Between 8 and 9 miles.

We parked near the disused railway path and fishing lakes, not far from Ringstead village, then followed the road back to the junction and continued almost to Ringstead. A couple of hundred yards before the village sign, a footpath leads gently uphill and south. Today this crossed a field of blue flax flowers, sprinkled with a few red poppies.

 The path crosses the field diagonally, then another field. After this it was diverted slightly because of quarry workings, but was easy to follow between two fences. In fact we had to walk along the two sides of a right angled triangle instead of the hypotenuse. At Top Lodge, a deserted building, the path continued. Originally it held the southerly direction the whole way, bu once again we had to walk two sides of the triangle. Once we'd rejoined the main route, it was clear, crossing a footbridge and heading for the A45. It turns right slightly before the main road and after a hundred yards or so, we turned right again, almost doubling back on ourselves along the bridleway marked Hog Dyke on the OS map. This passes another small lake then crosses some open land before joining the disused railway path from Stanwick Lakes Centre. we turned left to follow this.

Modern ancient hut

 The Visitor Centre has a well supplied cafe and shop, and was an excellent place for a mid-morning break. By now we had walked around four miles.

Art installation marking the railway route

 We continued along the railway path with bridges over the river, and views of swans and a couple of herons, as well as ducks and gulls, and some swallows.

 Just before the A6 there's a turn to the right, over the bridge, along the old road. This leads to the now disused Kettering football ground, or Diamonds ground, and then on to the Nene Way footpath.

 The path was clearly labelled and easy to follow until it left the riverside, when there was a mile or so which didn't correspond to the map (more sides of triangles rather than diagonal field crossings), and there were few footpath signs until we reached the road near Little Addington. I think it's been like that for some time, judging from the map record from last time I was here in 2011.

 We walked through this very pretty village, which the road bypasses conveniently.

 The path from the other side of the village, downhill to the Nene was much clearer and took us gently back to the car.

Are we there yet? Nearly!

 On the way are a few bridges, and locks and fishing lakes.

Some pretty pink water lilies too.

Lots of insects out today, especially small tortoiseshell and other butterflies, and lots of dragonflies and damselflies.

Map and details

Thrapston - Nene Way - Woodford - Ringstead- back via disused railwaypath

With Maureen and Gordon. Between 8 and 9 miles. Our route out crisscrossed the return path three times. Along Nene Way, return via disused railway. Lots of fields were edged by grasses full of seeds. Return very simple. Flat. Warm and sunny, with cloud later.

We set off near the Woolpack Inn, on the road into Islip. Over the road into Thrapston from the A6116, and hidden in the hedge a sign for the Nene Way footpath. We head along the track, through a gate and over a bund, where cars are not to be parked.  There's a fishing lake on our right behind the trees. We make our way south towards the railway bridge and road viaduct carrying the A14.  Not scenic but very useful. There's a boat moored almost underneath the road. 
We follow the path and when it becomes a wider track we turn to our left and walk along field edges. It's not clearly marked here on the ground, and we have to retrace our steps slightly to get back on track. 
Near the weir and footbridge to Denford we turn sharply right and head west to cross the old railway path near Woodford Lock.  

Lots of these poppies flowering at the moment. Garden escapes or just a different variety?

 There's a choice of paths into Woodford, and we take the lower one, rather than follow Nene Way signs. It comes out at a thatched cottage, with more thatched animals than I have seen in one place before.

Foxes chasing a rabbit, and a pheasant

A thatched stag

an owl

 We have a look inside the church, which is large and airy, then I make the mistake of thinking that a stile could mean a path to somewhere. It led only to a field with cows, and no exit at the other side.

The stile which fooled me.

 From now on I resolve to follow the route and the map, rather than my faulty instinct. It is straightforward and marked pretty well.  We soon arrive at another crossing of the railway path, and a sign to Woodford Mill, where the café is not open on a Monday. Good job I'd not mentioned this to my friends in advance. 

These good-looking goats turned their backs on us

 Instead of a cafe we had our break on the grass near Willy Watt lock.

 About half a mile of road walking came next, on a raised footway at first, then turning right into Station Road, which leads only to the marina and fishing area below Great Addington.
Here we met the railway path again, and this time followed its very straightforward course back to Thrapston.

A branch of the Nene, fringed with water lilies

We saw a fair number of butterflies, damselflies etc. A swan with cygnets, various ducks, a few swallows.

Swan and cygnets - photo taken with phone. Just for the record . . .

Map and details

Fotheringhay, Elton, Nassington circular

Thu, 2015 Jul 2 9:43 AM BST

With Gordon. Weather cloudy, very warm - though nothing like yesterday's high temperature. Good underfoot. Something over 8 miles.

This is adapted from a walk written up by Christopher Somerville. 
We started from Fotheringhay, not Elton, and had to divert just after Elton because the footbridge over the Nene has been declared unsafe, since June 25th. 

Our original plan was to drive through Fotheringhay to begin at Elton, but we'd chosen one of the three days when the road through the village was being resurfaced. Quick change of plan.

We walked through Fotheringhay, past the church and the Falcon pub, and a plaque to Richard III, who was born in the Castle in 1452.  

The Nene Way footpath took us past the Castle Mound,

and its memorial plaque to Richard,

 and to Mary Stuart who was executed here. 

We had a quick look at these and the river before continuing along the Nene Way. 

The path is easy to follow over fields and a dismantled railway, a footbridge over a lock, another footbridge, and past Elton Boat Club moorings, near Eaglethorpe Mill.  

Our route took us under the A605, ignoring the bridleway on our left. Next time, I will probably choose the bridleway, though Eaglethorpe is an attractive village.  In Eaglethorpe we met the road and turned to the left. Just after a right hand bend we found the footpath
sign indicating our path to the left. At this point we should have turned right after the kissing gate, and over a stile, then left between the fence and the polytunnels. We arrived there by an unofficial and more tricky route. After a few hundred meters there's a left turn through a kissing gate, leading down to the A605, which has to be crossed. . .patience . . .

On the other side we turned right then through two kissing gates - there is a warning about heavy plant - no, not Triffids. The path took us across Elton Park, from where we caught a glimpse of Elton Hall, and crossed a field of curious cows.

This is definitely not Rutland.

Over a stream and on through Elton Park lands to the road in Elton (Chapel Lane). At the end we turned left to the village green, where a handy bench provided a good stopping place.

Snack stop

We walked along Duck Street, past the Crown Inn

and Duck Cottage, followed by Waddle End - not sure if that's a duck skeleton in the window though.

Before we left Elton we passed these sheep - at first glance I was taken in.

When the road bent to the left we took the track signed to Yarwell Mill and Silson, and then a footpath left after 200 meters. Luckily there were people around who informed us that the bridge we were intending to cross was closed, and suggested an alternative route.

We returned to the road, and turned right, away from Elton, and over Elton Bridge. Shortly after the bridge, on our left was a gap and a rather overgrown path down towards the river.
There was soon a turn to the left, which went under the bridge, alongside the Nene. It joined a towpath/footpath along the river, past various moorings and boats. We rejoined our planned path at the bridge, which has been declared unsafe.

We continued along the edge of the river, then turned off to our left, crossing the field diagonally, and then the dismantled railway, and the next field.  This one had a good crop of rape, which was tough going today.

At the end of this field we went through a gap in a hedge and turned right along the field edge. Another gap in the hedge and the path followed the right hand edges of two fields. 
We could see Nassington church spire which helped confirm the direction. We came out on the edge of Nassington, and turned left to take the Nene Way footpath past the cricket ground and pre-school.  
We followed the Nene Way (at some distance from the river) past Park Spinney, then crossed a bridge over the Willow Brook. Plenty of fish swimming in it.

At Walcot Lodge and Model Cottages the track joins a minor road, turning left and leading us back toward Fotheringhay and the car.

A fair amount of insect life today, particularly butterflies, mostly of the darkish brown variety, though saw a few red admirals too. Lots of damselflies. An excellent view of a red kite helping itself to roadkill as we were driving back.
Map and details