Walking Close to Northampton Guidebook

by: Clive Brown
One of a range of 'no frills' local walking guide booklets which admirably achieve their objective of getting you out in the countryside amongst beautiful scenery on carefully chosen routes full of interest. The directions are clear and precise and the pencil drawn sketch maps are particularly attractive as well as practical.

This guide describes ten varied and interesting circular walks in the countryside around Northampton which explore parts of the River Nene. The Nene was an important source of power before the steam age and several of the water mills still survive after all this time, although converted to other uses, such as residential, retail or industrial. A couple of the walks pass these mills.

The Eleanor Cross at Hardingstone is one of twelve original crosses built by Edward I at the resting places of the coffin of his wife Eleanor on its journey from Harby where she died to her burial in Westminster Abbey. Hardingstone Dyke is part of the Nene flood defences; the reservoir holds 500 million gallons of flood water to alleviate flooding lower down the river.

The walk locations are:
Mears Ashby and Sywell Wood - 6.25 miles
Duston Mill and River Nene - 6 miles
Harpole, Kislingbury and three watermills - 6.75 miles
Church Brampton and Harlestone Heath - 7.5 miles
Roade, Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne - 9 miles
Little Houghton, Clifford Hill and Brafield-on-the-Green - 6 miles
Little Houghton and Hardingstone Dyke - 7 miles
Earl's Barton and Commander's Spinney - 5 miles
Blisworth Junction, Milton Malsor and Collingtree - 7.25 miles
Harpole and Nobottle Wood - 5.75 miles

ISBN 9781907669149 Pages 24 (2010 reprinted 2020) 148mm x 210mm