Yarwell Mill - Old Sulehay - Wansford - Yarwell Mill

Monday 08 October. With Norma, Maureen and Eddie. 6 miles and a whisker. A rather dull day, with occasional sunshine.

The same walk as last Thursday, but in reverse and with a little extra wander near Yarwell Lock.

We took the Nene Way footpath from Yarwell Mill Country Park, and walked north, past the fields of horses and alpaca, as far as the road. We crossed the road and took the footpath behind some fairly new houses, past the playground , the allotments and orchard, until we reached the road towards Nassington.

A left turn and short distance along the footpath beside the road brought us to where the bridleway goes off to the right, heading towards Nassington. About fifty yards before the bridge carrying the dismantled railway crosses this we missed our almost hidden turn to the right, but found it easily when we returned. (Too much talking, guys!)

The path crosses several fields in a northwesterly direction, and continues between two fences for a short distance before reaching the Old Sulehay Road. We crossed the road and took the footpath which leads into the old quarry. We made our way to the far northwest corner of the quarry, and turned right along the bridleway east and into Old Sulehay Forest.

The path through the forest turns right and meets the Wansford Road just before Forest Lodge. We followed the footpath alongside the road into Wansford, and at the church turned right towards the bridge, where repairs are being carried out.

Another view of St Mary's church, but the skies are still grey.

Just before the bridge we turned right along the Nene Way southwards. At the end of the third field we turned left, towards the river and Wansford Lock. We walked round the little island before taking the path back round to the Nene Way and Yarwell. 

Through the short section between walls, then turned right along the road before turning right on to the path past the alpaca and horse and so back to Yarwell Mill, and another sandwich at the cafe.

Yarwell - Wansford and Old Sulehay Forest

Walk with Maureen from Yarwell Mill. Started at 1007. Grey skies to begin with, but the sun appeared around midday.  About five and a half miles.

We walked along the Nene Way north, past the fields with alpaca, and turned right along the road. We took the Nene Way footpath to the right at the bend in the road.

We followed the Nene Way as far as Wansford Bridge. We turned left away from the bridge, then left again at the church on to the road to Nassington.

We walked out of Wansford, past the Surgery complex. Just after Forest Lodge a footpath leaves the road on the right hand side. In a field were Hebridean sheep, grazing to improve the area for wildlife.

 This heads northwest for a short distance, then turns to the left. A straight path leads through Old Sulehay Forest. 

We followed the main path for almost a mile. Part way along we found a bench ideally placed for a break.

The path follows the northern edge of the quarry/nature reserve. When the path met the road we turned right and cut across the reserve following the footpath diagonally (southeast). 

We crossed the road and took the footpath between two fences, then continued southeast over several fields, until we reached the bridleway from Nassington. Here we turned left and walked northeast for about half a mile. We reached the Wansford to Nassington Road, crossed over to the footway along the verge, and walked a few hundred yards towards Yarwell. A footpath turns off to the right, and goes directly east behind a farm, an orchard and allotments, and eventually into the village. It reaches the road just opposite the Nene Way sign, and the path past the alpacas.

 It reaches the road just opposit the Nene Way sign, and the path past the alpacas.  We followed this back to Yarwell Mill, and once again had a sandwich at the little café kiosk.

Yarwell Mill - Wansford- Sutton- circular

Walk from Yarwell Mill 01 October 2018. Around 7 miles.

With Maureen, Norma, Eddie and Kate.

Bright, but chilly!

We followed the Nene Way footpath from Yarwell Mill country park. It leaves the road just before the car parking area, and heads north along the edge of a field, past enclosures with horses and alpaca. 

It then goes left up to the road in Yarwell village, where we turned right. The footpath goes off again to the right at a bend in the road. We followed the path as far as the bridge at Wansford. We turned left along the roadside, then right towards the A!. Just before the road we turned right again to walk under the A1, with the river Nene visible on our right. The path took us past a picnic spot, and then continued along the road way, past more construction work. We passed near a lot of litter and there was a lot of traffic noise. They are making the A 47 into dual carriageway, so the path can be a little awkward  to follow, especially just after picnic area. Take the road until you see the footpath sign, then head towards the river. All of this may become very unpleasant as the work proceeds.

Eddie walks round the pitch under the morning moon

This bus, labelled "Nene Valley People Rising" was on its way to the public meeting in Wansford
https://highwaysengland.co.uk/projects/a47-wansford-to-sutton-dualling/

We followed the Nene Way to Sutton , and turned left then right past the church.

Irresistible autumn colours

We walked along Lovers Lane, and then took the Nene Way  footpath to the right across fields and over the railway bridge to Wansford Station.

There were crowds waiting for the arrival of the Flying Scotsman, but we decided to continue walking.

We turned right at the station and very soon took a grassy footpath on the right, next to, but not across a ploughed field into Sibbington. once there, we walked along the road to the left, which brought us back to the road to Wansford Station. A little longer but a pleasant detour.  We turned right, the very soon left to the bridge over the A1. All of this road walking had either a proper footway, or a very wide verge.  We followed this road west until it joined the B671. A left turn here and before long we saw the bridleway sign on the right.

We took the bridleway slightly downhill and clearly marked, with a fishing area and lake on our right. At the junction, there are large boulders and to the right the entrance to the fishing lake. However, the bridleway continues ahead. Ignore the fishing lake gate.

Soon after this the bridleway as a "No entry" sign. This is for vehicles. The bridleway sign is nestled secretively on a post to the left!  It continues behind Yarwell Junction and on to rejoin the Nene Way, just after a bridge.   Here we turned right to return to Yarwell Mill.

We stopped there for a decent and reasonably priced sandwich and drink before going home. 

The first crossing of the A1 is an underpass, the second a bridge.

Nassington-Yarwell-Wansford- Sutton

No route descriptions here - it needs working on.
With Maureen - 8.5 miles.

So a fine day, and a few photographs!

River Nene

Near Yarwell Mill

An early coffee break - too tempting

alpaca

Wansford Bridge

This notice has been here a while

I had just said - pity there aren't more seats!

St Michael and all Angels, Sutton

We've been here before

Sky divers

Convenient seat again!

Nassington, Glenn Miller monument and Sulehay

Monday 24 September. With Maureen, Norma and Eddie. Just over 7 miles.

Covering much of the same ground as last Thursday. 

From Nassington church we walked north along Church Street. At the junction with Apethorpe Road we continued straight ahead along Northfield Lane.

Soon after passing Eastfields Crescent, and a house called Frog Hall, we turned left into what looks like an area of private housing. There is a footpath waymarker just after the turn, and another one on a fence inside. 

We followed the left hand side of this yard, past some stables and through a gate into a path between hedge and fence - quite a narrow one.

At the end of the fenced section the  path heads across a small field and through another gate. Then we turned slightly right to follow the obviously worn path to a gap between trees. As we walked on we saw another way marker and followed the route as far as a stile, then a gate onto a bridge over the dismantled railway. The path continued to the Wildlife Trust Field Centre. We went through the gate and across the track. 

The path is marked through the gate. At present it is waterlogged for a short distance, but it is possible to avoid most of it, and unless your boots leak there shouldn't be a problem. Another  blue butterfly glimpsed today.  After a short distance we reached a gate with a warning about shooting, and not straying from the path! The path is just about obvious, though a couple more marker posts would help.  Across a wide field, then through a couple of gates brought us to a wider track through the woods, where a right turn led to another bridge over the dismantled railway. This track heads north, and soon after reaching the wide green space of Jack's Green we turned left along a permissive path to the Glenn Miller memorial. 

We briefly paid homage to the man, then took the path across the grass to join the main track north and past the old clay pits. We saw a couple of (fallow) deer running across the fields here.  Before long we arrived at Kings Cliffe industrial estate. Ha? Deb's Café is advertised!  Weekdays until 2pm!  But we had to ask before we found it tucked away. Although it was a bit hidden there were at least a dozen other walkers there, as well as a few workers from the industrial estate. 

Like giants refreshed, we crossed the Roman Road between Wansford and Kings Cliffe, and followed the track through more small industrial buildings. Just after a gate we took a footpath to the right, and followed it through Cocker Wood, parallel to the road. More deer crossed the path ahead of us.  When we reached the track at the end we turned right and back to the Roman Road.

Not at all sure how a vehicle would get through!!

We crossed the road and walked south down Sulehay Road. Just after Old Sulehay Lodge gates we turned right into the old quarry, now a nature reserve.  We saw a green woodpecker here. And some fine fungi.

Our path runs diagonally through the reserve heading southeast. A minor hiccup when our path met the perimeter track - the path we wanted was a very short distance away on our right. It soon led us out and we picked the path up again across the minor road.

For some distance the path is enclosed between two fences, then heads south east over fields. It's worth checking the route against field boundaries here, or you could end up in Yarwell.

Once we could see the spire of  Nassington church orientation was easier. We joined the byway and caught sight of a red admiral fluttering about. A right turn took us under a railway bridge and into Nassington again.

Nassington, Sulehay and the Glenn Miller monument

Wednesday 19 September 2018. With Marta. 7.75 miles. windy but warm.
We started near the shop in Nassington, and made our way via the Jitty and a footpath to Church Street. We turned away from the church, and took the Apethorpe road as far as a left-hand bend, where we carried straight on, along Northfield Lane. The footpath turns off to the left, just after a house called Frog Hall, but the signage is not obvious. it goes through a complex of cottages, then a gate.  Soon after this the path follows a narrow space between hedges before coming out into fields.  We saw a few swallows flying over the fields.

The path here is clearly marked and easy to follow,  crossing a bridge over the dismantled railway and passing an info board about Old Sulehay Nature Reserve.  Part of the forest area is an SSSI.  We heard what was probably a yaffle/ green woodpecker.

The bridge over . . .

...the dismantled railway

 We followed the path as far as the Wildlife Trust Field Station. The path opposite this, on the other side of the byway looked like a stream today, so we turned right along the byway to look for another path a little further on. We missed it, and so continued past Ring Haw woodland, and decided it was time for a break. After this we followed the small road ahead past Old Sulehay Lodge, as far as the junction with the Roman Road between Wansford and Kings Cliffe. Across the road, at the junction is a path/track forbidden to cars, though they'd have to be rather small to get on it. We took the first track left which led through Cocker Wood parallel to the road. Another left turn, marked with a footpath waymarker took us through some farm buildings and back to the road.  

Lovely industrial estate

 Across the road, and we followed the bridleway alongside Kings Cliffe Industrial Estate.  The path heads south.

The clay pits, marked on the map.

Accidental photograph - consulting the map I guess.

 Not much further and we passed Jack's Green and turned to the right to the small pillar

 which has the inscription:

Here

Major Glenn Miller

conducted his Orchestra

for its last airfield hangar concert

Kings Cliffe USAF Station 367

3rd October 1944

DONATED BY K.S.R. INTERNATIONAL LTD

According to Wikipedia, while Miller was traveling to entertain U.S. troops in France in December 1944, his aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel.

Unfortunately we were not in a position to play Chattanooga Choo Choo as a tribute, but we think we did a passable mime of conducting.

 in spite of the wind . . .

 We continued south along the track, and found the footpath on our left just after crossing a bridge over the dismantled railway. We saw some deer running across a field in the distance.

 The path rejoined our route - at the flooded section - not very deep, but not avoidable, and I was walking in trainers. Soggy, but i did spot a couple of blue butterflies. We followed the byway as far as the road at New Sulehay, then turned left along the road and walked back into Nassington.