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A beautiful crisp and sunny Christmas morning for a walk around one of the most beautiful areas in the County. Walk number 132 on the Northamptonshire Walks website is the planned route for today. There has been a sharp frost overnight on top of all the recent rainfall. Hopefully it should make some of thye mud a little easier to walk on?
Leaving the car in the middle of the village we set off passing the Grade 1 listed All Saints Church on our right hand side. It is distinguished for its architecture and the box pews and three-Decker pulpit in the nave.One of the bells, dated 1317, is reputed to be the world’s oldest bell hung for change ringing.
Cottesbrooke Grange is another lovely building , particularly with the sun highlighting the stonework and a frost on the grass. These days it has been converted into luxury apartments.
We take the signpost towards Brixworth following the path and crossing over the bridge. As you would expect given all the recent rain the water is flowing and bubbling along like no tomorrow.
We arrive at some gates on our left which I know will take us towards Blueberry Lodge. We will now be on the Macmillan Way long distance footpath.
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| Cottesbrooke Grange |
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| Fast flowing water |
It's a great place to walk with views to the left over the Cottesbrooke Estate and House. Lots of open fields to the right.
I remember coming here a few years ago and seeing lots of Short Eared Owls. There is plenty of bird life around though as well. Small flocks of Starlings, Goldfinches and Chaffinches are on the ground. Fieldfares are in the bushes feasting on the remaining Sloe berries. There is also the occasional Redwing too. A pair of Green woodpeckers are on the ground after a worm or too perhaps?
It is pretty much a case of just following the path or track to Blueberry Lodge. This is easier said than done with the mud starting to thaw in the sun. Each footstep is something of a lottery much of the time. One wrong move and what looks solid ground becomes a bog....
We stop by the lake at Blueberry Lodge for a bit of a breather, a bite to eat and a cup of tea. We are going to need an energy boost as the next leg will be a steep climb up Haselbech Hill.
It is a long slog up the hill as expected , I'm surprised that I've never been up here before as the views are spectacular. Looking back there are great views of Hanging Houghton and Lamport.
At the top there is a seat and a very large stone memorial which I believe relates to the previous owners of the house at Blueberry Lodge.
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| Spectacular Views |
There is still a short climb to complete to reach the summit.
Turning right we follow the field edge following the elusive footpath signs. In the distance Haselbech Hall stands proud.
The house was gutted by fire in 1917 and re-modelled after that date. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County of Northamptonshire" that "Haselbech Hall was built just before 1678 for the Wyke family.
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| A pond in the field |
The skies are blue and the birds have started singing again, what a glorious day to be out in the countryside. A scene of tranquility and calm, It was all going so well .... Passing through a gate into a field the mud was particularly bad. A small group of people were coming towards us wit several dogs.One dog in particular came charging over and Mrs A took a bit of a tumble.
Thankfully she was able to see the funny side and no harm was done. Undaunted we continued our trek, one slightly muddier than the other.
After the field we reach a firmer track and a couple of nice properties. One of which looks deserted, which is a great shame as it has the potential to be something very special.
We continue on the track slightly uphill where a steady trickle of water is still flowing down. The local farmer has dug a small gully diverting the water into the field. There is a very small whole that is swallowing all the water like a plughole.
We emerge to a road junction , our route is to the left and it is road all the way back to where we started in Cottesbroke. I remember this particular hill very well from a bike ride during the Summer. It was one of the longest and steepest that I encountered.
Given the state of the fields there are no complaints about being on the hard surface. At least some of the mud on the boots is starting to fall off !
On the left hand side we have views of Cottesbrooke Hall. Looks nice with the lake and a horse in the foreground. In the field opposite is a memorial standing all on it's own. I haven't been able to find out too much about is so far. The Hall is a near-perfect example of Queen Anne architecture located in a large parkland setting with wide views across the local countryside. We are back in the village passing 'The Old Forge' and the Post Office, the end of a cracking walk!
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| Cottesbrooke Monument |
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