July 2024
Tuesday 16th
We took a circular walk around the village of Odell and took lunch at The Bell.
Very pleasant walk despite some showers and mud underfoot.
Brixworth is an attractive village most famous perhaps for its church of All Saints which is believed to be the largest surviving Anglo Saxon church in the country. It is dated 680AD.
Wednesday 17th
We started from the very attractive village of Ashby St Ledgers.
The Manor House here, now a private residence, was used as a planning HQ by Robert Catesby, a lead conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot (Guy Fawkes got the fame but Catesby was the leader).
We followed a clockwise circular route through Welton then along the tow path to Braunston. John and Duncan had previously taken their boat, nbPatience along this part of the Grand Union Canal but had never walked the towpath.
Somewhere along here we lost the route, as someone has closed the towpath and given no redirections, which was irritating.
At Braunston, lunch was at The Admiral Nelson, alongside a lock and in warm sunshine, before heading north through Braunston and north-east on the Jurassic Way (part of a long distance footpath connecting Banbury and Stamford, following an ancient limestone ridgeway.) It probably continued further at each end though much is lost. And so we continued back to Ashby St Ledgers, about 7 miles in all.
In the evening we ate at The Griffin at Pitsford, a comfortable and spacious traditional pub plus restaurant.
Thursday 18th
To Great Brington, yet another attractive ironstone village, and an estate village, obviously under the influence of Althorp House nearby. It is the ancestral home of the Spencer family and Diana, Princess of Wales, is buried on an island in the grounds.
 |
| The Spencer Tombs cat Great Brington |
The 5 mile walk took us over undulating fields from Great to Little Brington, with so many varied tracks and paths that we reflected that we could have planned a dozen different routes in the area, all pleasant field walks.
The Althorp Coaching Inn, also known as The Fox and Hounds, dates back to the 16th century. It is very spacious, with extensive outside space, and we had lunch in the courtyard.
We contemplated visiting Althorp House but demurred at £27 per head and instead returned to base at Brixworth to view the remarkably preserved All Saints Church, Anglo Saxon in origin and returned to its early glory with minimal Victorian interference.
The weather continued warm and sunny, which enhanced our walk and encouraged us to extend our afternoon rest hour to 3 hours.
Our evening meal was at The White Horse at Old. It was very busy and a booking error meant we had to move. Food OK but the only ale was off and the outside music was irritatingly loud.
Northamptonshire has shown itself to be a very attractive rural idyll; quiet villages, some prosperity and lots of history, while always accessible to major roads.
Friday 19th
This was a short circular walk around Carlton (Walking World 6258, abbreviated, going from point 4 to point 8). Described as a gentle and undulating walk on grass or metalled surfaces with very few stretches becoming muddy (hurray!).
The walk can be started from, or passed by, Emmaus Village, a charity that accommodates and trains homeless people to recycle furniture, bikes, electrical goods etc. It's really worthwhile and has another outpost just north of Cambridge. Do drop in and browse their goods!
And so we returned to The Fox at Carlton for our final lunch and headed homer in good time to tend to our gardens, running rampant after both rain and sunshine. Our walks caught lots of sun and very little rain. Another success!