Fineshade, Kings Cliffe, Blatherwycke

Monday 25 March 2019, with Norma, Marion, Kate, Maureen and Eddie. Six and a half miles. Glorious weather, though the wind still had an edge to it.

From Fineshade Top Lodge to Kings Cliffe, past the allotments.  

We continued following the Willow Brook, on past Alders Farm and to Blatherwycke Lake.

This stile is too high! 

Looong legs needed, or climbing ability!

Cowslips

Violets

Blatherwycke Lake

 A pause for snacks at Blatherwycke church with its lovely spring flowers.

Then back to the track, turn right at the road and walk over the bridge, and past the houses   as far as the second road to the left. Take the path from the junction across one field, then keep the hedge on the left - good view of the lake to the right. 

At the next field turn slight left, heading almost due north, through a gate. Aim for the corner of Lynn Wood and drop down to the junction of paths. We join the Jurassic Way here. Keep straight ahead aiming for the big house. There's a statue of a stag over to the left, which you can see as you gain height. The path climbs up and there's a stile before the path is enclosed between fences for a while. 
A short stretch of open field then another stile and into the woods, climbing gradually. As you come out of the woods there's a large field which dips down then climbs again to join the roadway up to Top Lodge.

Dog's mercury in the woods (poisonous)

Lunch at the cafe, sitting outside in the sun!

Harringworth - Seaton - Morcott - Barrowden - Harringworth

 Thursday 21 March 2019, with Eddie. Around 9 miles. Fine and quite warm, with a small amount of mud.  Fine views of the viaduct, twice with a train crossing. Coffee and teacakes at Barrowden Community Shop.
We set out from Harringworth, close to the cross. We took the Wakerley Road for a few yards, walking down past the stables, and through the churchyard, resplendent with blossom this morning.

At the road we turned left for a few yards then took the footpath alongside the houses, to the right. We followed the path turning right rather than left to the village Hall. It goes along to the viaduct, but is a bit tricky to find in places. At the viaduct we turned left and went through a gate, then across the field making for a footbridge over the Welland. Across a couple of fields, the second one quite sticky. We were wiming for a footbridge to the right of the large farmhouse.
The footpath takes you round this house and on to the drive and the road. We crossed the road and took the steps up and over the dismantled railway, then onward to Seaton.

Looking back to the viaduct

A flock of sheep and lambs appeared to think we were good shepherds,  and followed us enthusiastically across one of the fields - alas they were disappointed.

Sorry, folks, no food for you!

We passed houses and the church in Seaton, turning right at the next road. We walked past the pub and took the road signposted to Morcott and Barrowden.

The viaduct again

Just before a bridge we took the footpath down into the valley, leaving the gate to the railway on the left. We came to the bridge under another dismantled railway.

Eddie working out where the railway lines went...

We kept the railway track on our right, and made our way along field edges (avoiding more ploughed land) up to the A47, not far from the motel, petrol station and cafe. We crossed - it's busy - then took the footpath northeast from the road junction near the motel etc. and into Morcott. We turned right along the road to the junction with the A6121 from Stamford, and crossed it to the footpath heading eastish. We skirted the field to avoid more mud, went through a short stretch of woodland and came out at the A47 close to the junction with the Barrowden Road. 

Barrowden windmill

After this it was simply a matter of walking downhill to the village and finding the Community shop and cafe for a welcome coffee and teacake. We probably stopped for half an hour or so, before making our way back out of the village, past the pub, the village green and the duckpond, along Seaton Road for a few yards, then turning left and finding the stile to join the Jurassic Way, which we followed across a couple of fields, then close to a dismantled railway. We turned left and downhill to Turtle Bridge and the Welland.

Borderlands - the sign over the bridge says "Rutland"

We turned right to follow the river as far as the field with horses, which we crossed to reach the road where we had parked.

And once again ...

I can't resist posting the charts for pace - mostly just over three miles per hour - and the elvation profile, which makes it look as though we have scaled mighty peaks!,

Brampton Valley Way, Arthingworth, Waterloo Farm.

A warm day, with little wind. Ideal for walking the same route as on Monday 11th March, but with Marta this time. once again, about 8 miles...though I managed to stop my mile counter in Great Oxenden Tunnel, while trying to access the torch on my phone. Had forgotten to pack the head torch this time! Ho hum.

A short early coffee pause in Arthingworth, which has a few public benches, then up to the trig point.

Tee-shirt weather even

Well, almost...

A harmless piece of rural graffiti

Then on past Waterloo Lodge Farm, where they are doing some work on improving the footpath. We had a short chat with (I guess) the owner and his dog.  Waterloo Farm for another hot drink and a sandwich, eaten outside today!  Yes, I admit we put our outer layers on.

The last stretch was the two and a half miles south along the old railway track, the Brampton Valley Way, through Great Oxenden Tunnel.  (418 metres long).

The light at the end is just visible

Looking up the air shaft

Marta in the spotlight

and we're out.

Irthlingborough, Rushden Lakes, Higham Ferrers

Monday 18 March 2019, with Norma, Kate and Eddie. A pleasant day with less wind than of late. 7.8 miles in all.  The day we went to Higham by way of Ebbw Vale! (Apologies to GK Chesterton.)

More urban than our usual walks, but using the Greenway, a path and cycle track currently running between Rushden and Irthlingborough, but planned to run all the way to Peterbrough.

We parked in Irthlingborough near St Peter's Church, and walked through the churchyard, where the view down to the Nene valley was clear today, through the bare trees.

We turned left along St Peter's Way to join the Greenway path near the junction with Meadow Way. We followed the path downhill until we reached a signpost to Ebbw Vale (!) - the name of part of the town. Here we turned right along a grassy path. After almost a mile we reached a junction with the disused railway track, and decided to turn right again towards the new shopping development at Rushden Lakes, where there is also a WT Centre (Wildlife Trusts). 
We weren't tempted into the shops, but there are public toilets and coffee shops. We almost went for the coffee, then decided to leave that for Higham Ferrers.
The next section hadn't been preplanned... we crossed the huge white pedestrian bridge then walked through a newish business estate area. As we were unsure whether there was a pedestrian route, we asked people. They showed us the Greenway route, which took us which took us to the south of Higham for almost two miles, along a pleasant mostly traffic free route. We had a little road walking, past the Transport Museum.

Almost sunny!

When we reached the Ferrers School, we turned left and into the High Street. By now coffee was definitely needed, and as it was close to lunchtime we had sandwiches as well. The Griffin Inn was a congenial spot for a break.

From the pub we took Hind Stile and the High Street again as far as Cemetery Lane. We turned left then right along Saffron Road, which eventually becomes the Greenway once more. This took us over the A45 on a footbridge, and we followed this path directly back to Irthlingborough, rejoining our original route at the Ebbw Vale signpost.

Round the woods in Corby

Thursday 14 March 2019. With Maureen. just over 2 miles.

A sudden vicious shower, wind, rain and hail, the likes of which I have rarely seen, made me change my mind about driving any distance before walking.  OK, it lasted about five minutes, but with strong wind and clouds building up, the prospects were not good.

So ... a quick visit to the Lakeside Cafe at Corby Boating Lake, then a brisk (ish) wander round Corby's woodland blew a few cobwebs awau before we returned for - yet another coffee.

Brampton Valley Way and Arthingworth (2)

Monday 11th March 2019. With Maureen, Norma and Kate. A bit more than 8 miles.

We started from the same point as last week, the car park between Arthingworth and Kelmarsh. This time we began by walking south, and Before entering the Kelmarsh tunnel we took a path to our right, which took us through a pleasantly wooded picnic area, went to our right (west) for a short distance before turning south, parallel to the railway track.
We walked uphill and came out of the woodland at the minor road between Kelmarsh and Harrington.

At the road we turned left, and left again towards Arthingworth at the junction. We followed this small road for about a mile and a half into the village, turning left just before the church, and walking past this elaborate piece of hedging.

At the end of the village there are two footpath signs. We took the one on the right, and headed north, retracing our steps of last week, up the slope and along the fields, back to the trig point.

Another mini-work-out completed.

The trig point at the huge height of 146 meters above sea level! Nearly 500 feet.

Along the muddy track, turn left, head downhill and up to Waterloo Lodge, (the tearoom that wasn't).
Here we found our path, behind a farm building. We knew we had to turn right and  head north, but we could easily have missed the signs. The path continued, passing caravans on our right and soon joining the Brampton Valley Way. We turned left to find the path to the tearoom. Mission accomplished. Time for coffee and an early lunch, before walking the final two miles and a bit, south and back to the car park.

A slightly sinister figure preparing to face the elements.

Today's route.

Brampton Valley Way and Arthingworth (1)

Monday 04 March 2019
Walk 1. With Eddie, Maureen, Norma and Kate.  Just over 8 miles. We started from the car park between Arthingworth and Kelmarsh, and headed north towards Market Harborough. We followed the dismantled railway track for about two miles, walking through the Great Oxenden tunnel, helped by my head torch, and phone torches. 

Just after the tunnel we found a path heading steeply upwards to join the Jurassic Way/Macmillan Way footpath above the tunnel. A bit muddy and slippery... but conquered with elegance and good grace.

We turned left, heading east, then north east, following footpath markers mostly, though there was a short section which was not clear. We passed Waterloo Lodge Farm - I had mistakenly thought this was a place with a tearoom, but it clearly was nothing of the sort, so we continued, unrefreshed. The path headed downhill and then up, heading east again.
When it came out there was a choice of left or right. Our route led south, to the right, between hedges, and muddy in places.
We crossed a minor road, close to a trig point (146 m above sea level), and continued south, with a turn to the left at the top of a slope, leaving a small spinney, Coldmeadow Spinney to our right. At the bottom of the slop we should have stayed on this side of the hedge, keeping it on our left. It looked more sheltered on the other side, but this was not a good choice - at one point we would have had to cross a very wet ditch. 
A local dog-walker let us know that we were on private property, and the combination of obstacles decided us to turn back. and follow the correct route.
When we arrived in Arthingworth the pub was closed, but its outside tables were tempting. Scone break! The landlord arrived soon afterwards, and was happy to serve us coffees. Luckily there was a loo, too!

We followed the road signposted Harrington - a very quiet road, with a few ups and downs. At the road junction we turned right and immediately left through a nature reserve, and then briefly alongside the A14.

Not the most scenic footpath

We rejoined the Brampton Valley Way, and soon reached the entrance to Kelmarsh Tunnel. At this point we split up.  Two of us looked for the detour,which we eventually found, via an unorthodox route.

The other three braved the darkness.

We all met up at the car park, and headed for the real Waterloo Farm Tearoom for lunch.