The Market Harborough Round (4) Arthingworth & Braybrooke

 

Back on the 'Market Harborough' Round but a little closer to home today. We are starting off in the Northamptonshire village of Arthingworth, and will be calling in to the village of Braybrooke too. I did a similar walk back in June 2021, a much warmer day than today I might add! If anyone is interested the link for that walk is below.

http://peterja-storytellersnight.blogspot.com/2021/06/arthingworth-great-oxendon-tunnel-and.html

We are walking in a clockwise direction towards the old railway line which is now the 'Brampton Valley Way'. This part runs parallel to the A508 MH Road. We pass a large barn full of very healthy looking cattle. A few young calves seem to have escaped and are enjoying a freedom frolic in the field. The strange looking device pictured below can only be described as a home-made cow wash. No wonder then that they all look so healthy.

We have to pass through the Oxendon Tunnel, one of two tunnels  on the old Northampton to Market Harborough railway line. This one is shorter than the Kelmarsh tunnel. There has been talk recently (again..) of the line re-opening. Not a good idea in my opinion and I can't ever see it happening. It would be remiss of me not to post up another photo. You can just see the light at the other end. Half way through is an Air Shaft which always makes for a good photo. 

It's a bit tricky without a torch, but not too bad. Some splashing about in puddles kept us on our toes, literally. I don't think that I've posted up a picture of the full Market Harborough Round before? So here it is (pictured left), all 71.05 miles. The fastest recorded time for completion is 15 hours, 14 minutes and 30 seconds.   

Leaving the Brampton Valley way we take the footpath in the direction of Braybrooke. The fields are extremely muddy though and the walking boots are soon about an inch higher than when starting. This is what it must have been like being a Glam Rocker in the 70's! Well some at least..

Braybrooke is an interesting little village. All Saints Church has a superb Spire, built in the 14/15th century. There is also a Castle! Before you get too excited I should point out that is just an area of earthworks these days. Or, if you prefer any empty field with nothing to see here signs posted.Even at it's peak it was little more than a fortified Manor House, I guess a Castle sounds much grander.     

Who would have known that Northamptonshire had It's own River Jordan? Possibly not quite as impressive as the one that runs along the border between the Palestinian West Bank, Israel and South West Syria I grant you. But nevertheless impressive enough in it's own right. Perhaps people make pilgrimages here to be baptised in the holy waters too? The Braybrooke Bridge has crossed the River Jordan since 1400.built by Thomas Latimer, whose descendants – the Barons Braybrooke – lived in, you guessed it, the extensive castle nearby. Braybrooke indeed has hidden depths. Which you need of course if being baptised in what is no more a stream really than a river.

Leaving behind the excitement of Braybrooke we climb a very muddy slope back towards Arthingworth. Someone has very kindly taken the trouble to dispose of a number of old tyres too. Don't get me started on that subject again. My blood pressure has only just returned to normal levels. The muddy climb is worth it though as some excellent views unfold.

A little earlier we passed the point where the Jurassic Way and the Macmillan way join up.

I always enjoy seeing a 'Trig Point'. Or to give the correct name 'Triangulation Pillar'. This one at Arthingworth is 'TP0130' (147m) A fixed survey point that indicates that you are at the highest point of a mountain or hill. There are around 5,500 still standing in the UK. There is a site for 'Bagging' Trig Points on the internet. You can tick them off as you spot them. 

Not the most spectacular of walks, but always something interesting to find. The total distance covered in this walk was 8.39 muddy miles!
 

Northampton and Moulton Wombles Litter Pick (Boughton Lane)

 

In my last blog write up I mentioned the blot on the landscape that is litter pollution, and fly tipping. That was on a stretch of the 'Shakespeare's Avon Way close to the Vale of Evesham. As a result I decided to do something positive to contribute, a little closer to home.    

I have followed the excellent work of 'Northampton Wombles' on Facebook for quite a while. I hadn't realised that there was also a 'Moulton Wombles in existence too. I noticed a lady out on Boughton Lane last weekend litter picking on her own. A 'call to arms' against the litter was issued.This was the opportunity for me to get involved. Thankfully the weather had calmed, and most of the snow had thawed as we gathered on Moulton Park Industrial Estate.There has been a blizzard blowing the last couple of mornings leaving a white carpet. I'm taking no chances despite the forecast being decent. The sun has even put in an appearance, the signs are good so far. 

Layers and layers of buried of Wood

Things started off nice and sedately. I was given a very fetching orange 'Moulton Wombles Tabard. I just about managed to squeeze it on over the many layers I was wearing. Gradually fellow Wombles, old and new began to arrive on the scene. Armed with my grabber and a purple bin liner I set about picking up various small items. These mostly consisted of cans, bottles , crisp wrappers and fast food outlets packaging. It was quite pleasant and I met a few people I knew already.   Venturing deeper into the undergrowth the picture changed quite dramatically........

The amount of larger items dump was really quite staggering. These included; mattresses, sofas, chairs, doors, office furniture, tyres and all sorts of other rubbish you could think of. All soaking wet, and totally filthy after laying dormant for so long. It became apparent that there had been some heavy duty 'Fly tipping' on a grand scale. Much of which was wood, layer after layer of off cuts. I can only imagine a flat bed truck has reversed up to the edge and emptied it's contents at some stage. It has all got embedded in the mud over time and a nightmare to release. The large items all had to be rolled up a steep and slippy bank to get to the collection point. Myself, and a chap called 'Vijay' undertook this energy sapping task.  

We must have had around 16-18 volunteers and the bags were beginning to mount up very quickly. The purple bags signify that it is an organised litter pick. The council will have been notified and will collect and then dispose of accordingly. From what I can tell there seem to be three types of litter offenders.The first being the lazy types who throw cans, fast food packaging from their cars. I would also include the people on foot who don't bother with bins and dump cans , wrappers and bottles into this category. The second category is the sort of person with a rubbish bag, or a large item they wish to dispose of without going to a council refuge depot. The third culprit is the van owner, maybe work waste? Who then dumps rubbish on an industrial scale. Some of this will be for financial reasons of course. There are costs involved in disposing of rubbish. Skip hire has shot up dramatically over the last few years due to landfill tax rises. This problem isn't going to go away anytime soon sadly. Despite feeling anger towards the 'tippers' I also feel sorry for them in a sense. Particularly those who fall into in the first category. That they should have so little self awareness. No sense of pride in themselves or understanding of the environment. It is not unfair to draw a comparison to how they are in other aspects of life.The 'not my problem' type, leave it for somebody else to deal with. Speaks volumes as to a persons attitude in my opinion. 

The bags and larger items are starting to mount  are also starting to mount up on the lay-by near the road too. Some verge clearing is also taking place. Picking up the litter is something that you can really throw yourself into. Almost literally at times!! The benefits are great, therapeutic and numerous.

It keeps you active, It keeps you present, It makes a positive difference in the community. You are outside in the fresh air. A chance to meet people and make new friends. Contributing to a cleaner environment and helping wildlife is a good feeling. If that's not a boost for Mental Health then I don't know what is! I read somewhere that 2 million pieces of litter are dropped in the UK every single day.... Thankfully more and more people seem to be getting involved in helping which is a great thing. Even if you don't want to be involved in a Group, going out on your own is equally valuable.

Heavy Duty  Door

 

Myself and Vijay

Things are looking a lot clearer now.

It has been hard going at times but a very enjoyable few hours. I'm not sure what the answer is to stop litter dumping? Surely it has to start with education, teaching people from an early age that dropping litter isn't acceptable. A change of mindset is needed for sure. You see it everywhere in all walks of life. Challenging someone is difficult, not to say potentially dangerous. In the meantime we will keep on picking it up and Wombling our way through There is still a chance to pick up some more on my walk home..I've actually walked close to 15,000 steps in the process! Many thanks to Sue Almond for organising and to everyone who made the effort to support. A fantastic effort by all concerned!

The Shakespeare's Avon Way - Marlcliff & Offenham (17)

 

The first Shakespeare's Avon Way walk of 2023. We are starting from the pretty Hamlet of Marlcliff, a mile south of Bidford-on-Avon. Parking is a little tricky, we park further up the lane where it is a little wider. Clearly a popular spot for walkers being so close to the river Avon.Considering we finished the previous leg of the walk here , It doesn't look very familiar?  Bit of a false start too, as we climb the steep steps away from the River up the bank. Realising the error we soon came back down again. Maybe all will become clearer on the return part of the walk?  

Thankfully It's a dry day if not a bright one. Lots of early signs of Spring with masses of Snowdrops and Crocuses in bloom. We are walking towards Marlcliff Lock.

This part of the river is referred to as the Stratford Avon to distinguish it from other navigable river Avons such as the Bristol Avon. The Upper Avon (Evesham to Stratford) fell foul of the railways and fell into disuse after 1875. It was finally restored and reopened by HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1974.

Surprisingly enough there are very few people around? Not quite sure where they have all disappeared to? Anyway it's a peaceful and picturesque scene. Sadly though that is all about to change......

It started with some panes of broken glass, and soon escalated to abandoned cars, trailers and all sorts of other types of rubbish. An absolute blight on a beautiful landscape. I couldn't actually bring myself to photograph the majority of it in all honesty. A painful reminder of how some people have now appreciation of the environment in which they live. I find it hard to understand the mentality,but unfortunately as I cyclist I see similar acts of rubbish dumping all to frequently. There is a close by 'Travellers' Park that may or may not have anything to do with it?  

 

Thankfully things improve as we head towards Offenham. 

We are now in the famed 'Vale of Evesham'. For centuries regarded as the fruit and vegetable basket of England. This is a huge area of the River Avon flood plain given over to market gardening. 

It's a bit early for the world famous 'Asparagus' grown here. Picking usually starts in April, the end of the harvest in June or July. Other crops such as;carrots, peas, parsnips, leeks and cabbages are all grown in the area. There are literally acres of glass houses to protect the precious crops. 

Offenham village is noted for its 64 ft Maypole,the tallest of only six permanent maypoles remaining in England. I could see it standing proud in the distance but we turned off beforehand.The tradition of Maypole dancing dates back to medieval times. The St Mary and St Milburgh Church was first built in 1538.

Offenham was founded as a monastic grange and medieval deer park by the Benedictine Abbots of Evesham Abbey in the 13th Century. 

The British Legion appears to be the place where it is all going on these days. The posters on the glass door advertise upcoming events including an Oompah Band (bring your own tea for the interval). There is also a Psychic reading and afternoon tea event. Presumably the Psychic will be reading the leaves once the tea has been drunk I presume? I would be tempted to combine the two events and make a real night of it.   

We make our way out of Offenham down the interestingly named 'Three Cocks Lane'. Passing 'Three Cocks Cottages in the process.  

It's a bit of a climb to get to the top of  Windmill Hill Nature Reserve. The excellent views of the Avon Valley more than compensate. One of the best remaining limestone grasslands in the county, a haven for wildflowers and butterflies. A great area for the lime loving plants such as; cowslip, fairy flax, field scabious, common knapweed, and common and spiny restharrow. The Malvern Hills in the distance provide a stunning backdrop.

My knee has been fine too, an absolute blessing. The recent steroid injection seems to have been a huge success!It makes such a difference.On some of the walks before Christmas I was literally dragging myself along towards the end. 

We drop back down to river level again as we head back towards Marlcliff. It isn't long before we find another dumped vehicle. Ominously perched on the riverbank as though taking a drink. A version of a cautious Zebra sipping at an African Waterhole. My companion disappears for reasons best not disclosed on here. A comfortable seat is found on a gate that has been bumped and dented a few times. Normal service is quickly resumed , relief is felt all around.    

There are some nice views looking back towards the Vale of Evesham. Arriving back to  where we left the car I noticed several other vehicles have notes left on the windscreen. A quick glance reveals a friendly invitation to 'park better next time'. The distributor actually congratulated us on our thoughtful parking, which was nice.In summary I would say this walk has been 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' for fairly obvious reasons. In total a distance of 10.7 miles covered. A friend of mine sent me a 'Thought for the Day'. It seems quite fitting for the walk today.

'No man ever steps in the same river twice. 

For it's not the same river , and he's not the same man' - Heraclitus. 

Maybe we should be more like water and be formless?

  

Broughton and Pytchley Triangular Walk

 

 

A hastily marked out route to occupy a couple of hours on Saturday morning. Not quite followed to the letter, but then that's half the fun sometimes. Starting point for this shortish walk is the Church of St Andrew at Broughton.  The village is around 2 miles (3.2 km) south-west of Kettering, and bypassed by the A43.  The broad spired church is mostly early 14th century. I always like to park near a church for two reasons. There is generally somewhere to park without upsetting anybody. Secondly it provides a bearing or reference point on the landscape and map. My intention was to take the path to Kettering and 'Broughton Grange' However things don't always go according to plan. My eyes lit up at the first Bridleway sign and off I went. What I should have done of course was continue past the Village Hall, past the cemetery and through the gates to the track... It didn't matter too much I would just do the walk in reverse.    

By now I have worked out that I am on the way to Pytchley. Not to Broughton Grange as originally planned. The sun has also broken through which is good. There are lots of signs of Badgers digging, the setts look active too. There are some lovely views across to Kettering and looking back towards Broughton.There is as always the obligatory Red Kite circling overhead. A bit of cunning map work is  required upon reaching Pytchley. A bit of road walking is required to get me back on track. 

 

 

 

Leaving the road and It's a downhill course all the way towards the A14.  It's quite nice cutting across two fields with the busy road ahead. A sort of 'Ying and Yang' effect. It is then literally a case of walking around the back of the Service Station, and Coffee Shop. It's not very pretty I must admit... Cars are then literally racing past within about 5 yards of the path that has the driving range at Kettering Golf Course on the other side.

Over a stile and then it is a bit of an upward hike on the road that leads to Broughton Grange. There are a few buildings which you have to cut trough to pick up the path. A good spot for a photo! As I walked a bit further I decided to take another. After some frantic searching of multiple pockets, it became clear that the phone and myself had become detached. I retraced my steps in some haste and thankfully found the phone unscathed on the verge. On the verge of what I'm not quite sure?

The path back to Broughton is not a right of way but is recognised locally as a path to Kettering. It has been suggested that this was once a right of way and I believe there was an attempt to have its right of way status (re)established. However, it is not currently an official right of way.

The path ends at the gates close to Broughton. I continue on past the playing fields and the cemetery. A short cut back to the starting point through the Church of St Andrew is taken. 
In terms of wildlife spotting it has been a bit disappointing. Always seems to be the case when I remember to take the binoculars. Nevertheless an enjoyable enough walk. A total distance of just over five and a half miles.