Local strolls to West Hill x 2 and Kirby Hall

June 10th 2025 Sunset over West Hill.

June 11th 2025 

We walked to Kirby Hall, starting about 5.45, and returning just before 8pm. Quick dinner and a walk round the village and to top of West Hill again.

June 9th 2025 - Seaton to Gretton linear.

Monday 09 June

Harry collected Maureen and drove us to Seaton. She presented us with scones and a ginger cake. He dropped us off near the pub. We walked through the village past a display of perennial sweet peas which outshone even ours at home.

At the end of the village we took Grange Road downhill and along the public footpath, through fields and past Prestley hill - one of the twins peaks, or paps of Lyddington.

Our route goes past the site of the ancient fish ponds behind the church and Bede House into Lyddington.

We refreshed ourselves with a leisurely (45 minute) coffee stop at the White Hart, before taking the quiet Thorpe Road, and the footpath on the other side of the slightly busier road at the end. 

We followed this across the fields, under the disused railway bridge to the footbridge over the Welland.

A few more fields, then it’s back uphill to Gretton, crossing the railway line, and along the short stretch of tree-covered path. 

A final uphill pull through the ridged and furrowed field to Church Gap brings us into Gretton. About 5.5 miles. 

May 19th - Gretton - Thorpe by Water, Lyddington

 Monday 19th May 2025, with Norma and Harry.

Contacted Norma and arranged to meet at her house. With Harry, we walked over to Thorpe by Water where we saw a few swifts.

Our next stretch was along the small road as far as the bench near Lyddington, where we had a longish break (and coffee) before returning along the same route, apart from the Thorpe by Water village section. No cuckoos. A few swifts on Gretton High Street. 5 and a half miles.

May 2025 - Short local strolls, Northamptonshire

 

Friday 16th May

In the afternoon we  walked down West Hill and along the track

to the Community Orchard with its new table.

an interesting beastie

A walk round the village after dinner  - we saw a few swifts today, and Harry heard a distant cuckoo.

Saturday 17th May

After lunch we decided to walk down behind Church Gap, in search of the cuckoo that Harry heard last night.

The sun came out and the temperature rose. We met our neighbour and her daughter returning from a walk with their two dogs, Henry and Hugo.   

No joy on the cuckoo front, but a lovely walk of around 3 miles as far as the bridge over the Welland just before Thorpe by Water. We returned to have tea in the garden.

Later walk to see swifts - no cuckoo heard.

Gretton to Rockingham via Jurassic Way

 Thursday 17th April . With Marta.

A six mile walk on a fine sunny morning, with very little wind. The route was there and back from Gretton to Rockingham along the Jurassic Way footpath.

Our route out was across the field to the top of West Hill, and down the steep slope to the path alongside the railway.

Mind your head!

It’s a lovely route now that it is dry, but one huge field halfway along is always a drag, and at the moment it’s planted with rape, not my favourite crop to walk through.

Rockingham village was looking splendid in its late spring clothing, though spoiled a little by the heavy traffic on the main road.

The Barn Tearoom provided us with good coffee and a tea cake each to sustain us for the return leg.

We varied the route back, by heading along the bridleway, which takes us into Gretton more gradually than the path directly up West Hill.

Map incomplete - 

Gretton, River Welland

 Sunday 6th April

Today I took a walk on the path behind the church

and down by the river.  The walk is only just over 2 miles and really dry at the moment. 

Meanderings around Corby

 Thursday 3rd April

Walk after breakfast round the village

Beautiful morning, slightly cold wind. 

After lunch stroll round recreation ground to photograph snake-head fritillaries.

Afternoon we walked through/round Corby from Asda. Ice cream at the boating lake cafe.

We walked about 6 miles on this route. Lots of spring flowers again, and birds in the woods.

Gretton - West Hill - bridleway

 Thursday 2nd April

After lunch I walked down West Hill, where there were a few sheep with quite large lambs.

I followed Jurassic Way path until the railway bridge and returned via the  bridleway - almost 2 miles.

Saw some small butterflies (?tortoiseshell?) also two male orange tips and a brimstone.

Blackthorn blossoms, celandines, dandelions, and also forsythia, daffodils, magnolias.