The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 9.25 miles (14.9km)
Time to walk: Roughly 4.15 hours
Difficulty: A mixture of surfaces, quiet lanes & some steep hills, including the wonderful Honey Hill towards the end
Parking: The World Peace Cafe, Nagarjuna Kadampa Meditation Centre, Thornby Hall, NN6 8SW or the Red Lion, Thornby NN6 8SJ
Public toilets: The World Peace Cafe or the Red Lion
Map of the route:
Many people in Northamptonshire may not even have heard of the small village of Thornby, let alone The World Peace Cafe at historic Thornby Hall
Laying roughly 11 miles north-west of Northampton, the village is bisected by the A5199 (formerly A50) between Northampton & Leicester
The village’s name means ‘farm/settlement with thorn trees’ & is one of the highest in Northamptonshire. It’s unusual as its streams flow into either the Avon, which heads west, or the Nene which goes east
In an area known for horses & hunting, the village once had in excess of 30 grooms , shops, two pubs & a blacksmith’s forge. Today it’s much smaller although there’s been new developments in recent years
Thornby Hall, a magnificent Jacobean Hall lies to the east of the village & has several 19th & 20th century additions. The house & grounds were used as a school for young people with severe emotional & behavioural problems, as a result of attachment difficulties which may have been rooted in early life trauma
In 2017, it became home to Nagarjuna Kadampa Meditation Centre, a Kadampa Buddhist community & public meditation centre. The wonderful Peace Cafe is open to all (please check re dogs in muddy conditions)
It’s worth noting that the traditional 400 year old Red Lion does welcome your four legged friends (muddy or not)
The Hall is also one of many places that Oliver Cromwell is said to have slept the night before the Battle of Naseby in 1645
Let’s Walk!
1. We’ve started this walk at Thornby Hall, although it could easily be done from the Red Lion…
So…with the gates of the Hall behind you make your way up the road to arrive at the Red Lion pub…
…& turn left, crossing the road & follow the signs to Cold Ashby whose name means ‘cold place where the ash trees grow.’
It certainly lives up to its name as after the snow has gone from other parts of the County it can normally be seen here a couple of weeks later. Indeed one of Cold Ashby Golf Club’s holes has doubled up as a ski slope
2. At the island in the picture below bear left towards Guilsborough…
…& remain on the single-track road until it comes to a junction….
Leave the road & cross the cattle grid in front of us to join a track which winds through the countryside
3. This is some amazing Northamptonshire walking so ignore all of the tracks going off to the right & keep straight ahead
Follow the track up the hill with the barn on your left…
4. On reaching the gate on the left in the picture below go through it & follow the byway…
At the end of bush-lined lane continue to follow the same track as it heads right towards the farm buildings…
5. On reaching the road cross carefully & head diagonally left towards farm buildings…
Cross the stile & then the next one hidden in the corner
6. Walk down to the gate & pass through it, continuing down the hill passing through a couple more gates, keeping to the farmers track at all times as you head through the open fields…
Finally the track arrives at the outskirts of the village of Winwick which can be visited on Walks 64 & 190. It would be hard to find a village more rural in Northamptonshire…it has no shop, no pub, no village hall, no school, no public rooms or post office. The Hall & Manor House are truly worth seeing & the Polo Tea Room is well worth a visit in the summer months
7. For now though, at the junction bear right up the hard track…
…& continue through the gate
8. At the junction follow the track to the left…
…&, as the round bends to the right, pass though the gate on the left, as in the picture below
9. Go through a further gate & continue with the hedge on your right…
Pass through the next one…
…onto the hard road & continue down the hill towards the farmhouse & the hamlet of Elkington
10. The name ‘Elkington’ means ‘Elta’s hill’ or perhaps, less likely, ‘Swan hill’. The village was said in 1377 as having 30 taxpayers over the age of 14. However, in 1412 the village is described as ‘destitute of inhabitants save the seven who were servitors at Pipewell Abbey due to a pestilence believed to be the plague’
Follow the road round to the right past the houses…
…& then the footpath signpost showing the Jurassic Way
11. And now it’s time to climb, following the track heading towards Honey Hill. Just follow the way markers & the well-trodden path, passing through the gate in the picture below
Continue in the same direction through another gate
12. Shortly you’ll arrive at a monolith which commemorates the Jurassic Way…
If you now wish to make a short diversion to climb to the summit of Honey Hill (& why wouldn’t you) bear right. The 4th highest hill in Northamptonshire is simply spectacular with, on a clear day, amazing views 57 miles away to the Malvern Hills. You can see 5 counties
It’s also home to the first ever Trig Point
13. To continue walk back off the summit & continue along the previous path through another gate to eventually arrive at a road
Turn left along the road down the hill. On reaching the island turn right
14. At the next junction turn right towards Elkington lodge…
Keep on the track as it goes past all the farm buildings
15. Right down past the barns…
…& go left at the courtyard
16. Keep left, following the track as it descends the hill…
At the bottom, just before the fence in the picture below, is a small gap in the trees on the left which leads to a bridge
17. Cross the bridge & keep the hedge on your right as you follow the field edge…
Cross over the next bridge…
…& again continue keeping the hedge on your right
18. On reaching the gap go through it & continue in the same direction…
Cross the next bridge & turn right along the track ignoring any gaps on the left or right
19. On reaching the main road you’re now in Cold Ashby. Turn left & head into the village passing the old phone box…
On reaching the junction in the picture below turn right
20. Pass the church in front of you & head left along the lane. The church of St Deny is mainly early English with several Norman decorations. It also has one of the oldest bells in the country dating back to 1317. The clock was given by Thomas Francis Hazelhurst, squire of Cold Ashby
Now it’s time to follow this lane back to Thornby
21. As you reach the village continue along the road…
…& on reaching the island head left to the main road where the pub & the World Peace Cafe are left at the junction
So that’s it…simply another stunning Northamptonshire Walk along quite a few hard surfaced tracks, plus a few ones we’ve trodden before
And there’s refreshments at the end!
What’s not to love so…
Go Walk!