Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire been dubbed the county of 'Spires and Squires' and although you might not bump into many squires on your walks nowadays you won't go far without seeing evidence of the many graceful spires. Driving through the county on the M1 you might be forgiven for not wanting to stop, as industrial areas and the adjacent scenery do not make you want to reach for your walking boots. But head for the Nene Valley in the north of the county and you are soon in rich pastureland sprinkled with woodland remnants of the once vast Rockingham Forest. Here you will find some enjoyable walking such as at Woodnewton, Duddington and Gretton described in the guide below.

Much of Northamptonshire lies on the great Jurassic ridge, the limestone belt than runs from Dorset to the Humber. The attractive historic villages tucked away in many parts of the county are built with this silver grey stone, often tinged with iron ore to give a warm brown appearance. These peaceful places provide the best locations for countryside walks in the central and southern parts of the county, and particularly attractive villages include Welford, Cottesbrooke, Eydon, Grafton Regis, Marston St. Lawrence and King's Sutton. Walks based on these villages and a number of others surrounded by quiet, peaceful countryside are included in the guides below.

	Guide Book: [For further information or to purchase]
	Pub Walks in Northamptonshire by: Charles Whynne-Hammond. 30 routes from 2 to 6.5 miles each is described in detail with its own accompanying sketch map. There are walks along riverbanks, lakesides and towpaths; through woods and valleys, over hills and watermeadows. The walk locations are: Aynho; Chipping Warden; Sulgrave; Moreton Pinkney; Hellidon; Badby; Farthingstone; Weedon Bec; Eastcote; Potterspuby; Stoke Bruerne; Little Brington; Harlestone; Crick; Welford; Guilsborough; Brixworth; Lamport; Harrington; Great Cransley; Little Harrowden; Castle Ashby; Rushton; Brigstock; Woodford; Wadenhoe; Barnwell; Harringworth; Kings Cliffe; Yarwell.
	Pub Strolls in Northamptonshire by: Judy Smith. There are 30 walks all under 4 miles in this all-colour guide. The book offers a wealth of local places to explore: The full walk location list is: Easton-on-the-Hill; Yarwell; Apethorpe; Ashton; Wadenhoe; Twywell; Ringstead; Great Doddington; Mears Ashby; Yardley Hastings; Stoke Bruerne; Cosgrove; Eastcote; Abthorpe; Weston; Aynho; Chacombe; Upper Boddington; Hellidon; Badby; Braunston; Bugbrooke; Great Brington; Chapel Brampton; West Haddon; Lamport; Marston Trussell; Arthingworth; Stoke Albany; Wakerley.
	Waterside Walks in Northamptonshire by: Judy Smith. The twenty circular routes in this book are all between 2 and 11 miles in length. They take the walker part of the way along the banks of the county's waterways and through some of the most beautiful scenery in Northamptonshire. Each walk is carefully described and also includes other information on how to get to the start, where to park, and where to go for refreshments locally. The walk locations are: Harringworth; Welford; Guilsborough; Braunston; Welton; Badby; Nether Heyford; The Boddingtons; Chipping Warden; Whitfield; Cosgrove; Milton Malsor; Billing Mill; Holcot; Ringstead; Islip and Titchmarsh Nature Reserve; Wadenhoe; Ashton; Nassington; Blatherwycke Lake.
	Walks in Mysterious Northamptonshire by: Marian Pipe and Mia Butler. 26, mostly circular walks which vary from 3 to 12 miles, with some of the longer walks having shorter options. The walk starting and finishing locations are: East Carlton; Norton to Dodford; Lyveden Way; Rothwell; Gretton to Kirby Hall; Old; Whiston; Litchborough; Boughton; Sulgrave to Eydon; King's Cliffe; Little Harrowden; Silverstone to Abthorpe; Southwick; Charwelton to Fawsley; Wicken to Puxley; Easton-on-the-Hill; Titchmarsh; Ashby St Ledgers; Fotheringhay; Geddington; Salcey to Piddington; Oundle to Cotterstock; Braybrooke; Woodford; Marston Trussell to East Farndon. Ron Wilson,
	Northamptonshire Walks with Children by: Judy Smith. If you've ever wondered where to walk, or what to see, while walking in Northamptonshire with children, this is the book for you. Go on the walks and you'll find giant rabbit warrens; baby pelicans; a golden cockerel; wattle and daub walls; apricot trees; a house from 'The Wind in The Willows' and much more. The 20 short walks are each presented in the form of a treasure hunt. The walk locations are: Oundle; Brigstock; Great Addington; Castle Ashby; Stoke Bruerne; Pattishall; Silverstone; Aynho; Middleton Cheney; Boddington; Fawsley; Flore; Brixworth; West Haddon; Barby; Welford; Arthingworth; East Carlton; Wakerley; Yarwell.
	Village Walks in Northamptonshire by: Judy Smith. Within, or close to Northamptonshire's villages lies a rich heritage of old manor houses, thatched cottages, village greens, parish churches, rivers, canals and footpaths. The twenty circular routes in this book introduce the walker to some of the most picturesque villages in the county such as Everdon, Duddington, Ashley, Eydon and Cottesbrooke. They vary in length from 2.5 to 8.5 miles, some with longer or shorter alternatives. In addition there are seperate sections on places of interest to visit nearby like the National Trust properties of Canons Ashby and Stowe Landscape Gardens; the site of the Civil War Battle of Naseby; Billing Aquadrome; and the Nene Valley Railway.
	Walking Close to Oundle by: Clive Brown: A local walking booklet which takes you into the countryside amongst beautiful scenery on carefully chosen routes full of interest. Directions are clear and precise and include pencil drawn sketch maps. This guide focuses on the Nene at Oundle with nine varied and interesting circular walks, mainly about 6 miles in length. The walk locations are: Watermeadows at Oundle; Ashton Mill, Oundle; Fotheringhay; Colsters and Southwick; Bull Nose Coppice, Polebrook and Barnwell; Willow Brook, Fotheringhay and Woodnewton; Clopton Bridge and Thurning; Barnwell Park, Oundle; Broadway Corner, Polebrook and Hemington.
	Walking Close to Kettering by: Clive Brown: A local walking booklet which takes you into the countryside amongst beautiful scenery on carefully chosen routes full of interest. Directions are clear and precise and include pencil drawn sketch maps. This guide focuses on the River Ise near Kettering with 9 circular walks, mainly about 6 miles in length. The walk locations are: Cransley Reservoir and Great Cransley; Ise Triangle - Rothwell, Rushton and Pipewell; Burton Wold, Burton Latimer and Cranford St Andrew; Round House, Great Addington and Little Addington; Clay Dick, Geddington and Brigstock; Furnace Lane, Pytchley and Little Harrowden; Lime tree Avenue, Warkton and Grafton Underwood; Twywell Hills and Dales; Badsaddle Wood, Broughton and Pytchley.
	Walking Close to Thrapston by: Clive Brown: A local walking booklet which takes you into the countryside amongst beautiful scenery on carefully chosen routes full of interest. Directions are clear and precise and include pencil drawn sketch maps. This guide focuses on the Nene near Thrapston with nine varied and interesting circular walks, mainly about 6 miles in length. The walk locations are: Ridge Road and Titchmarsh; Brancey Brook, Titchmarsh Nature Reserve and Thorpe Waterville; Three Hills, Kinewell Nature Reserve and Great Addington; Kinewell Lake, Woodford and Denford; Woodford Shrubbery and Thrapston; The Linches and Wadenhoe; Bullicks Wood and Lowick; Skulking Dudley Copse and Clopton; Titchmarsh Lake Reserve; Mallows Cotton, Kinewell Nature Reserve and Ringstead.
	Walking Close to Northampton by: Clive Brown: A local walking booklet which takes you into the countryside amongst beautiful scenery on carefully chosen routes full of interest. Directions are clear and precise and include pencil drawn sketch maps. This guide focuses on the Nene near Northampton with 9 walks of about 6 miles. The walk locations are: Sywell Wood and Mears Ashby; Duston Mill, Northampton; Three Watermills, Harpole and Kislingbury; Harlestone Heath and Chapel Brampton; Roade, Stoke Bruerne and Blisworth; Clifford Hill and Brafield-on-the-Green; Hardingstone Dyke and Great Houghton; Commander's Spinney and Earls Barton; Blisworth Junction.
	Walking Close to Wellingborough by: Clive Brown: A local walking booklet which takes you into the countryside amongst beautiful scenery on carefully chosen routes full of interest. Directions are clear and precise and include pencil drawn sketch maps. This guide focuses on the Nene near Wellingborough, with nine walks averaging about 6 miles in length. The walk locations are: Nene Navigation, Irthlingborough; Victoria Mills, Wellingborough; Dungee corner, Bozeat and Wollaston; Grendon Quarter Pond; Irchester Country Park; Rushden Boundary and Little Wymington; Forty Foot Lane, Wymington and Podington; Hardwater Crossing and great Doddington; Appleby Gate and Little Harrowden.