Geddington to Brigstock via Clay Dick

 Tuesday 14th June

I drove to Marta’s for 9.30, then we walked over to Brigstock. Not many insects - a few bees and butterflies. 

Weather pleasantly sunny, becoming very warm, even hot. as the day advanced. 

Coffee under a tree looking out over fields, 

with the result that we were not ready to eat anything in Brigstock.

We walked around, looking at the Saxon church and the village.

9.5 miles.

Geddington to Brigstock and back via Clay Dick track

Thursday 02 September 2021 r

Walk from Geddington to Brigstock, 7.4 miles approx. With Marta. Through Geddington Chase, via Community Garden.

On Clay Dick track we met several dog walkers on the way - it’s a very clear route, if a little uneven in places.  

In Brigstock we took the footpath through farm fields and cricket ground, past a vineyard. We talked to a girl about the lambs, living on a farm, the vines etc. She even takes one of the lambs for a walk on Dusthill Road… She recommended “Bake & Brew” cafe in Brigstock. We bought coffee and shared a fruit and almond tart. 

Photos of the flowers for Esther.

Message from Esther that Eve Berridge had spotted me this morning walking through Geddington. 

Then a woman came through to offer us a lift back - her husband had seen us walking earlier. Time to change any plans I had for a career as a spy!! 

A splendid gentle walk and we returned to Geddington.

Brigstock, Bocase farm

Another short walk from Brigstock. Just over 5 miles. With Gordon, Maureen, Tommy, Norma. Eddie and me.

A damp day, not really wet, and quite warm. Some of the route near the Bocase stone was pretty muddy, but otherwise easy walking on field paths.

We saw a few red kites, but no sign of Robin Hood's ghost. There are rumours he hid hid bow in the original Bocase tree. Bow - cache? But as a Nottinghamshire-born person, i can't accept that!

No sign of the rumoured black panther of Brigstock/ Rutland/ Northants either.

We had lunch at the Skylark cafe in Brigstock Country Park.

Brigstock and Bocase Stone

Thursday 03 November 2016. With Gordon. Just under 6 miles, Flat, a little muddy along Harry's Park Wood.

We walked from Brigstock, starting in the main square. Just past the Green Dragon, we walked up Stable Hill, and turned left near the top along a footpath across fields to the A6116 . Not a bad place to cross, as you can see for a fair way in both directions. 

After climbing the grass bank on the other side, and the stile, we continued north east to Mounterley Wood and along the edge of Samby Sykes. Then it's a left turn to head north to the Benefield Road  at Lodge Cottages near Fermyn Hall. 

We didn't divert to look this time, but turned right and walked laong the road for about 100 yards, then turned  left along bridleway leading to Blackthorn Lodge.

A short distance before the end of the field, the route of the path cuts diagonally to the corner of Cockendale Wood, then continues along field edges, until we reach our path which turns left and continues just inside Harry's Park Wood. This section can be muddy, but there is a slightly longer route, if needed.  

Time for a rest?

In this place grew Bocase tree - probably a boundary marker between Brigstock and Benefield
see below.

Knight in armour

We continued for a mile or so to reach the Bocase Stone and Bocase Farm, then slightly downhill along the quiet road past Bushy Lawn Lodge and on to cross the A6116 once more. Again it's not a difficult place to cross. Then we follow a track slightly on the left on the other side of the road, taking us into Brigstock past the old boot factory. A few hundred yards and we were back at the main square.

Lots of red kites in evidence today - I always wonder if they're waiting for unsuspecting walkers to drop dead so that they can eat well.

Brigstock Woods Trail and info

Bocase Tree and Stone
BOCASE STONE AT NGR TL 9504 8775 (THAT PART IN BENEFIELD CIVIL PARISH)
BOCASE STONE AT NGR TL 9504 8775 (THAT PART IN BRIGSTOCK CIVIL PARISH)
Monument. Date indeterminate, probably C18. Limestone ashlar. Rectangular slab. Inscription at bottom of slab, "Here Stood Bocase Tree", and inscription at top of slab, "In This Place Grew Bocase Tree". Probably a forest boundary marker. (Markham, C.A., Stone Crosses of Northamptonshire, p.30).

Robin Hood in Corby?

In Corby can be found the magnificent Rockingham Castle - where records show a man called Robyn Hode was imprisoned in 1354. Robin Hood is not normally associated with this part of England, but there is a reference in Dryden’s Memorials Of Old Northamptonshire (1903) to a boundary stone near Brigstock called the Bocase Stone – so called, intriguingly, because Robin himself is said to have hidden his bow and arrows in a tree that once stood at the spot after slaying Sir Hugh de Hanville.

Back home . . .

Catch up time.  Very brief summaries!

Monday September 19th

Duddington to Fineshade and back with Gordon.  Somewhere between 4 and 6 miles. Dull weather but dry.

Thursday 22 September

Brigstock circular via Fermyn Hall and the woods. Parallel to the Bocase Stone, but not past it.  About 7 miles.

A

Brigstock - Deene - Kirby Hall - Gretton

Sat, 2015 May 30 9:52 AM BST

Part of Corby walking festival. An alternative part of Around Corby walk. Ten of us, led by Tommy Rodger. Several from Kettering Ramblers. Sunny and dry. Nine miles.

A motley crew

We gathered in Gretton and were transported to Brigstock to start the walk from the village hall. Back to the High Street, and then turning right up Old Dry Lane, which took us to the A6116. We crossed this and continued on old Dry Lane which becomes a bridleway through woodland, and eventually goes past Bocase Farm - the owner has provided the seat in the photo below, but it was too early in the walk for us today.

The Bocase boundary stone, and a seat provided for walkers

 From here we walked with Harry's Park Wood on our left, heading more or less north. We carried on at the corner of the wood, running right when we met a path junction, and very soon left to resume the northerly direction. The path took us to the A427 at Yoke Hill, and we crossed the road. 
Now we followed a path along the parish boundary, turning left and leaving the track on to the old airfield then following the path right and keeping the woodland of Weldon Park on our left. 

An unfortunate deer

This path led us past Lodge Farm and to the A43. We crossed this and walked along the drive to Priors Hall Golf Course for a shirt distance before taking a footpath off to the right through trees, over a field and through a small wood. Then it was across open fields towards Deene Hall magnificent in the distance.

Heading towards Deene Hall from the old airfield

Then it was time for a lunch break. It almost felt like summer.

We kept on the same path past the lakes as far as Home Farm, Deene, where we turned left and slightly uphill.

close to Deene Hall

At the point we turned left at Deene

We went past the woodland called the rookery, and through a slightly overgrown area, and a deer proof gate. Then across a large open field, and a smaller one, before turning to our right towards Kirby Lane, opposite the entrance to Kirby Hall. We walked down to the Hall, and took advantage of the open shop which sells tea and coffee.

It has to be Kirby Hall

From there we followed the public footpath through the gate by the shop, up the  hill to the gate and over the field diagonally downhill to the right to the cluster of four stiles. Then it was uphill to the gate leading on to the dusty track, and back to Gretton village hall.

Thanks to Tommy for a good leg-stretch!

Map and details

Brigstock-Stanion-Geddington-Brigstock

Thu, 2014 Aug 28 9:15 AM BST

With Maureen, Eddie and Gordon. Drizzly before start but then dry and warm. Some mud early on - ploughed field. About 8.5 miles.

We walk from Brigstock Village Hall, across the bridge and round the cricket field to the kissing gate, and followed the path. Just after crossing the brook and walking through some trees we have a choice of paths. Ours leads to the left straight uphill across the field, Then we go over more fields where the crop has been harvested. Eventually we reach a huge ploughed field, and decide to follow the line of the path this time, rather than detour round the edge. 

At the other side we go into a wood, emerging via a bridge into grassland. Another bridge and another small pasture brings us to the path into Stanion. We turn left and walk along the road until we reach the pocket park sign. Another left turn, and a walk through the park brings us to a small road where we turn left again. We cross a bridge on this road and soon afterwards find a footpath sign into trees.  The path is pleasantly mud-free, but lead out to a recently ploughed field. We follow the rather muddy track round the edge and uphill. At the top our sign leads to the left of the hedge, and we take this direction until we reach the wooded Geddington Chase.

We can see Chase Lodge almost half a mile ahead and walk towards it. The path goes behind the dog kennels, and round past the garden. The sunflower below caught my eye.

 We take the path keeping the garden on our left, and head gently southwest and downhill to the old brickyard, which is being converted to a community garden.

Directly after this we turn sharply to the left along the byway, known as Clay Dick Lane.  We follow this for around two miles until we reach Chase Farm, and Windrush Farm and the track becomes Dusthill Road.  Just before reaching the village we take a footpath to our left, which leads past a field full of vines. 

From here we reach the back of the cricket pavilion and make our way back to the village hall.

Map and details

Geddington to Weldon - Around Corby

Fri, 2014 Aug 22 9:34 AM BST

With Marta. Part of Around Corby route. Mostly fine with odd shower. About 12 miles. Some problems with route-finding. Ploughed fields etc.

Geddington ford

We pass the ford and narrow road bridge, and the Eleanor Cross on our way to Wood Street, which leads up to Geddington Chase. We take the footpath to the left of the old brickworks, ignoring the clearer bridleway to our right.

Old brickworks, soon to be a community garden

The path takes us uphill into the woodland, to Chase Lodge. We keep straight ahead to the right of the dog kennels. At the end of the trees we should have taken the path next to the hedge slightly angled to our right. The path runs along with the hedge on the right. You can see on my map where we had to retrace our steps - concentrate on the task in hand!  

Eventually the path turns left, down a slope and on to a track leading under two rows of electricity pylons. Keep straight ahead and meet a minor road. Turn left into Stanion. We paused for a coffee break in the pocket park, where we met a local volunteer doing some much-needed weed clearing.

Then we followed the road to a junction, where we turned right. After the road bent slightly left we almost missed the footpath sign to the right - it's slightly set back from the pavement!

sunflowers going to seed

The section between Stanion and Brigstock was a bit tricky, as parts of the path were poorly marked and overgrown, and one very large field had recently been ploughed. 

Hard to find waymarks

We eventually arrived at the path alongside Brigstock cricket pitch, and made our way to the Green Dragon for a sandwich.

From here we walked back past the tall old clothing factory, past Back Lane, Old Dry Lane and New Town, before taking a path to our right at an opening past some houses. At this point we were consulting Mel Jarvis's book , Around Corby, closely (p 17)!  The path tooks us north over a couple of fields, then across the A 6116. The path still heads north and enters the wood ahead about a quarter of the way along the edge from the right. We soon met a wider track where we turned left and followed this for about a mile. Then there is a rough track which leads on to the A427 between Weldon and Oundle.

We turned right, and walked downhill into Weldon, turning left into Church lane, with Willow brook running alongside until we almost reached Weldon Church with its lantern for forest travellers.

Weldon church

More info on this church here .

Here we turned right along a footpath and made our way back to the car.

Map and details

Geddington - Brigstock via Clay Dick, and back

With Marta, along Clay Dick lane to Brigstock. Firm underfoot because frozen. Sunny, blue sky. About 9 miles, surprisingly.


Through Geddington village to the road towards the Chase. When you get to the end, there's a small fenced-off yard. Turn right along the bridleway, Clay Dick,  which takes you all the way to a surfaced road - Dusthill Road, which leads to Brigstock, past Chase Farm, which was very muddy - lots of building work going on. Then Windrush Farm, where the first of   two footpaths goes off to the right. Ignore these, but take a footpath to the left, through a field with chickens - the path is clearly marked and there are gates.  You turn left round the cricket pavilion, and follow the path out of the cricket field to Bridge Street. The Bridge crosses Harpers Brook. We went along, turned right on High Street, and went to buy sandwiches from the Co-op.

Brigstock in the sun

A fine pair

Red kite

birch bark in winter

Map and details