Jurassic Way 9, Honey Hill to Welford. Just under 8 miles.

What a lovely day! We met at the back of The Wharf Inn in Welford from where we explored the village, deciding which houses, or cars, we would, or wouldn't, like to live in or buy. A new thatched house? An old cottage? a larger Georgian house? Plenty of variety and hillier than most of us expected. Interest was added by an ongoing timed cycle trial, with many participants. The route coincided with ours in several places, including during our routes to the starting point. From a 1960s' close we emerged into the field where a fence had been erected in preparation for a new estate.

On the pre-walk the route from now on had been extremely difficult with brambles and nettles totally obliterating the signs and stiles. Once bashed back we then had to scramble across a field of oil seed rape, then repeat the jungle experience to get out of the field on the other side - watched by a herd of bullocks.

Spot the sign - I knew it was there, somewhere!

Looking back at the hidden stile once we had got through the overgrowth.

However, I had reported the difficulties to the local Ramblers and although no-one had got back to me, the path had been really well cleared. Thank you - whoever the person was. (I had gone prepared though with emergency secateurs and gloves!)

A short road section soon led us to the A14 - the noise was cleverly obscured by the surrounding embankment until we were on top of it - on a bridge, thankfully. The footpath to the right soon appeared and we made ourselves comfortable for a repeat picnic, this time right on the ridge, on Honey Hill, the point where the Long Distance path was officially opened. Was this the mid-point we wondered? Had it really taken us a year to do half the walk?

This is an interesting viewpoint with many landmarks - not all picturesque. Could we see three or four different counties, we wondered. There was the A14 bordering Leicestershire and  Northamptonshire, the cement works at Rugby in Warwickshire and several wind-farms around the M1. Could we see over to West Midlands too?






A nice downhill walk over the other side of the hill then a short climb up to the hidden tiny hamlet of Elkington. Fantastic crop of apples in the orchard that looked very tempting. Around the corner we climbed down the bank to the Oxford Canal which was devoid of any wildlife as far as I could see, this time, and only one boat passed by, as we went under the A14 this time.

A walk across a field and a short drink stop before we climbed up through the wooded HemploW Hills. Some walkers dared to complain that there only seemed to be one hill! A confusing map showed a path deviation which seemed to be to skirt round a new property, but we were soon on HemploE Drive. Does anyone know why the W changed to E, or vice-versa? A straight walk ahead from here took us back into Welford.

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Jurassic Way 8. West Haddon onwardsI

Well, finally I felt fit enough, after annoyingly having a slipped disc, to venture out again. I definitely felt the lack of proper walks - we managed about 8.6 miles and that was quite enough for me. It was great to see some new faces today and lovely to have our delightful four-footed "member," Angel along. The Pytchley Inn, named after the local hunt, at West Haddon, was our starting point - where sun cream was applied and coats left in the cars. We found a small lane at the back of the church and headed out behind a new estate to go under the re-routed A428.

We soon reached the charming, hidden hamlet of Winwick where the cottage that I saw being re-thatched on my pre-walk was looking very splendid. Winwick Hall has an interesting wall around it as it bends its way around the edge of the estate.

Winwick

A working pumo with dog bowl.

Angel tries it out.

Stile with boot washing bowl - or a man trap for those who don't look where they are stepping!

From here we were straight into fields and heading up to Honey Hill, following the signs and chatting. The chatting took over and I managed to miss the sign discretely hidden in the overgrown hedgerow - although I did wonder why someone had tied a small scarf to a post! If only I had realised that this marked the turning of the Jurassic Way from the byway, which we inadvertently continued to follow. I had pre-walked but back in March and was too confident of the route ! Sorry!! 

Look VERY carefully and you can see the Jurassic Way sign!

 

                                                      

                                                          I did wonder what the scarf was about!

So, the route was changed, with a much longer road section than originally planned.

 We still reached our lunchtime destination of Honey Hill, sitting on a bank by the stone marking the official opening of the trail. the views from here were interesting - mostly countryside but interspersed with the A14 and several wind farms.

Retirement present from Headlands parents, staff and children - swanky carbon poles.

 We retraced our steps to pick up the other end of the section of path that we should have walked along earlier. Annoying as I intended to complete the official route all in the same direction! I now need to adapt the next ones to include the section from our lunch stop!

Once back at the scarf post we returned along the same paths through Winwick and back to West Haddon.

Winwick Hall

Sleeping lion.

Jurassic Way 7 Ashby St Ledgers to West Haddon, 12 miles

A beautiful Spring day with delightful sights of daffodils, primroses, lambs, ducklings and listening to the birds chirping away. We even saw our first swallow of the year.

A small, but elite, group today due to other events clashing such as archery and various family visits but a very sociable group. The first part was full of history starting with the gatehouse where the Gunpowder Plot was plotted and the church with ancient wall paintings at Ashby St Ledgers. There is absolutely nothing to tell you of any of these things if you didn't happen to know already or be told by someone else. We reluctantly left this enchanting village to wander over fields to an unusual railway bridge. Thanks to Fergus we found out that the landowner at the time was no impressed at having an embankment across his land spoiling the view so ordered an ornate pulpit style bridge to be built and to be decorated with the family monogram. The bridge is also known as Bridge 69!

Through the bridge and we are greeted with a footpath closure - but reading the small print showed that it was actually open - if only someone had cleared a path through the rather large oilseed rape that was already in flower - sorry to the hay-fever sufferers in our party! A few more fields and a quick history of English transport systems although annoyingly not in chronological order. First we had the railway (we went under), then the first Roman Road, Watling Street or the A5 as it is now (we walked over it), then the Grand Union Canal at Watford, (we walked over a lockgate) and finally the M1 (which thankfully had a tunnel.)

After the business of Watford Gap and all these crossings the village of Watford was a very pleasant, peaceful surprise.

Several fields later, with the added challenge of no signs or indications where the route might be and many hedges missing we finally emerged at the back of the village school in West Haddon. A school with the most wonderful views of the English countryside - largely denied to children and staff alike by the siting of modern storage sheds and large play equipment.

Lunch was enjoyed in the sunshine sitting near the war memorial in the churchyard. How pretty were all the spring flowers lining the entrance to the church.

As we had already walked 7 miles we took a shorter route back that wasn't so pleasant initially - along the road to Watford with cars clearly not expecting walkers. Two miles quickly covered then we back amongst the cattle and sheep in Watford and happily re-traced our steps.

Thank you to everyone who joined me today - I am sorry that I was not up to my usual level of fitness but we all got back in one piece!

Jurassic Way, Part 6. Braunston to Ashby St Ledgers.

A long stretch of about 11 miles with rather more hilly bits than usual. We started from the busy canalside marina of Braunston where we admired the many narrowboats and managed to pass by the one selling bacon butties.

We soon climbed up from the canal to cross over to find the deserted village of Wolfhamcote where only the church and a farm remain. turning left back to join the Jurassic way where we left it we found the "Beyonce" dancing tree!

WE headed back to the canal and found an early lunchtime stop at the Admiral Nelson, a canalside pub that had suddenly changed since I last visited it on another Spice walk several years ago.

 Back along the canal, post the little shop, then up the hill through Brauston village.

 Venturing out of Braunston the lengthy byway to Ashby St Ledgers had a hidden cache - the second geo-cache we have found, We dutifully left a small gift and signed the slip in side before returning it to its hiding place in the crook of a tree.

 Just a quick taster then of Ashby St Ledgers, where the infamous Gunpowder Plot was plotted in the gatehouse and a mental note of where the next leg starts from.

Jurassic Way, Part 5 - A Valentine's Day Walk from Hellidon to Staverton.

A special day in more ways than one - 6 years today since I led my first walk for Spice East Midlands. That walk was through snow and slush and had only four of us. Today the sun shone, and it rained, but only briefly, and there were 14 of us, with a special guest of a lovely Angel!

We met again at the Red Lion, Hellidon and walked through the delightful village past the old well.

 From there we walked along the gated road to Lower Catesby - choosing not to take the lane to Napton that declared itself "Unfit for Motors." 

From Lower Catesby we found a few fields to wend our way over to Staverton admiring the Catesby viaduct on the way.

Catesby is wrapped up in history and throughout the walk we tried to remember the facts - Robert Catesby was one of the plotters of the Gunpowder Plot, although apparently it was actually plotted in the gatehouse at neighbouring Ashby St Ledgers. The current Catesby House is a much later addition - I wonder what happened to the Catesby family house at the time of disgrace?

 Angel, Tina and Mike's beautiful Golden Retriever, had a few difficulties with the stiles - especially when there were double ones and they were surrounded with barbed wire, but ingenuity worked - using willing backs as stepping stones and with a helpful lift or two. She managed to work out some of them by herself, looking for a point where she could squeeze underneath, although not once did we come across a doggy gate in the stiles.

Eventually we emerged into the village of Staverton where the main road seemed such an intrusion. No-one wanted to stop for liquid refreshments, as we are such hardened walkers in Northants! so we ventured into the really attractive section of the village complete with ironstone cottages and village green - and somewhere hidden away was the next section of the Jurassic Way. A few explorations and help from a local or tow and we were off on our way again. This section was to venture to our turning point, somewhere in the middle of a field, where the next section will meet up. A bench with a view provided a suitable lunch stop and after some discussion about whether to take an obvious, dry track across the previous field, or to wander on to our joining point - we carried on, with the intention of not leaving a gap between the next leg. Probably not the best decision made - we found the mud! Clearly, i had to examine it very closely but luckily, as far as I am aware, there is no photographic evidence. (Photos in this blog are all from the pre-walk!)

Back into Staverton, we took the road to Upper Catesby which helped us to make up for time lost in the muddy section. Legs were aching as we found a sign telling us only two miles to go - however that was by road and we were heading for pastureland.

Soon we were on familiar territory and break into several smaller groups as we headed straight back to the pub for a well earned drink in front of the open fire.

An ideal way to spend Valentine's Day!

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