Distance: 6.7 miles (10.89 km)
Time to walk: Roughly 3 hours at a steady pace & rests on the hills to admire the views.
Difficulty: Mainly across fields & a small bit of road walking. Be in no doubt…this is a hilly walk & may be muddy at times. There are also numerous stiles, some of which are not in the best condition & also there are lots with no gaps for dogs, so you’ll need to lift! Also, expect livestock, mainly sheep, but there may a few cows
Parking: Carefully on the road in Everdon. Please DO NOT park around The Green. Park away from it & walk to the start of the walk
Public toilets: The Plough Inn at the start & end in Everdon
Map of the route:
Today’s walk has some of the most stunning scenery Northamptonshire has to offer & some of it’s biggest hills. Indeed the County’s highest point, Arbury Hill is close by
It begins in the beautiful village of Everdon, before climbing Everdon Hill for magnificent views & where you can pretty much see all of the route. Walking along a ridge, the path then descends into Fawsley Estate with it’s magnificent Hall. From there we continue across more hilly fields to beautiful Preston Capes. Lastly there’s more hills, before a final, magnificent descent back to our starting point
Everdon lies some 3 miles south of Daventry & has seen evidence of both Saxon & Roman occupation during its history. It’s thought the Saxons buried their dead on the edge of Everdon Stubbs, the protected ancient woodland just east of the village
We don’t visit Everdon Stubbs on this walk, but it’s well worth a separate visit. The Stubbs is a deciduous woodland covering an area of approximately 100 acres & was once a famous hunting covert. The land now covered by the woods was originally grazing land for Wild Boar, from which Everdon gets its name, from Old English “eofer-dūn,” meaning ‘boars hill’. In the spring the area is covered with its famous carpet of bluebells, extremely well known throughout the county
Everdon village lay on a route on the way to the important Royal Saxon Estate at Fawsley, which we’ll visit on this walk. The village once had 5 public houses, a butchers, a bakers, a Co-op & several other small shops, spreading across many thatched properties
Like many other places Everdon had its Great Fire which started at 2pm on 13th April 1786. It quickly spread & took over 20 houses, outhouses & workshops
I guarantee it will not disappoint!
Let’s Walk!
1. On the way to The Green pass St Mary’s Church which is massive & it’s thought the wealthy local people combined with the Monks from Bernay to build it from local ironstone. The South Aisle is said to be reserved for the parishioners of Snorscombe which we’ll pass through towards the end of this walk
Walking around the village there are signs of the thriving place it once was. Just look at the names of the houses & you can imagine what life here was like many years ago
Continue & pass The Green & the Village School which became a Field Study Centre in 1974 & is still going strong today
2. Continue straight up the hill, passing large properties on your left to see a wonderful row of cottages on your right…
3. At the junction take the left fork towards Fawsley
The road starts to climb & then begins to bear left. Opposite the impressive Boarshill Farm look for a half-hidden footpath sign & gap in the hedge on the right…
4. This is the first of many stiles to be negotiated on this walk…
Once safely across, bear immediately left & follow the hedge line up the hill…
5. Whenever we walk, one of our sayings is always “Don’t forget to stop & look behind you!” You’re only 5 minutes into this walk, but this is one of the things to do at this point as the view is quite magnificent…
6. The path to Fawsley is really easy to follow as it’s dead straight so no deviations please! Still with the hedge on your left cross the stile out of this first field…
…& there the path is straight across the next one. If the field has been ploughed, you’re looking towards the first large tree from the hedge on the right (as below)
When I walked this field in May 2026 it had been sown with red clover
7. On reaching the hedge pass through the gap through to the next field…
…& once again it’s a dead straight route
8. You’re now standing on Everdon Hill which is 610 feet tall &, in hill-terms, known as a “tump”. Look across the stunning hills & dales to your left, where you can just make out Preston Capes church, part of this route…
It also gives you an idea of some of the hills you’ll be walking up & down!
9. On reaching the hedge please be careful. There’s a gate but the fence is also electrified…
The path remains straight along the ridge – this really is glorious walking & in May 2026 was full of wild flowers
10. At the next hedge cross another stile…
…& now walk straight across the next field. This is the last part of the ridge you’ll walk upon before beginning the descent towards Fawsley…
To the left’s an old farm building…
11. On reaching the gap…Stop!
Just stop & take in the view that spreads out before you. This is Northamptonshire in all its glory. Straight ahead you can see Fawsley Hall & Church &, to the left is Preston Capes
How good does this make you feel & also proud of our wonderful County…
12. Continue towards the tower on the horizon…
…crossing another stile as you start to descend the hill
13. Pass the farm on the right…
…& finally exit the field through a gate onto the lane
14. Cross straight over the lane & through the gate into another sheep-filled field. This is the last hill you’ll climb before arriving in Fawsley. Keep straight ahead as before, noting the grand oak tree…
The gate should be open so enter the next field & now, across to the left you’ll see the lakes of the Fawsley Estate, known as “The Canal” & “Big Water”. You’ll pass close to these shortly
15. Continue down the hill & exit the field onto the road – the trees were just starting to put on their autumn display…
Welcome to the Fawsley Estate! Fawsley is a very small hamlet & the population in 2011 census the population was less than 100
The Knightley family of Fawsley Hall developed the sheep farming at the expense of their peasant tenants, who were all evicted by the turn of the 15th century. The Hall & the Church are now all that remain of Fawsley
16. And there around the corner of the road, ahead of you is Fawsley Church…
Pass through the gate towards the Church. For the next few miles you’re going to be following the Knightley Way, Northamptonshire’s first County Path. It’s a 12 mile route which passes through attractive countryside formerly owned by the Knightley family of Fawsley Hall. The walk starts at the village of Badby & finishes at Greens Norton near to Towcester
17. Standing isolated on a grassy knoll & surrounded by a ha-ha, St Mary’s Church contains the Knightley family tombs including effigies of the 16th century Sir Richard Knightley & his wife Jane. Dating to the early 13th century, the church has many fine features such as carved poppy heads
What many visitors come to see is the stained glass window containing the shields of the Washington family
The Washington shields are originals & were previously installed in Sulgrave Manor, Northamptonshire, the home of George Washington’s ancestors. It’s said that the coat of arms of The Washington family provided the inspiration for the Stars & Stripes of the American flag
18. Across to the right stands the glorious Fawsley Hall
Fawsley Hall & landscape park was created by the Knightley family. Richard Knightley, a well-to-do Staffordshire lawyer, bought the manor of Fawsley in 1416. His grandson Richard, knighted by Henry VII built the first wing of the present house
Sir Richard’s son, Sir Edmund Knightley, was a commissioner concerned with the confiscation of monastic lands after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. King Henry VIII granted the manors of Badby & Newnham in 1542 to Sir Edmund Knightley & his wife Ursula & their heirs in exchange for Alderton & Stoke. Sir Edmund ordered the building of the Elizabethan hall, which was visited by Elizabeth I in 1575, after it had passed to Edmund’s nephew, Richard Knightley, a prominent Puritan. He ran a secret printing press at the house on which were printed Puritan pamphlets & for which he was briefly imprisoned
The estate descended in the wider Knightley family, many of them Members of Parliament, to Lucy Knightley, who inherited in 1754 & built the Georgian wing of Fawsley Hall. When Sir Charles Valentine, 5th Baronet died in 1932 & his brother, Sir Henry Francis, 6th & last Baronet, died in 1938, the estate passed to the Gage family of Firle Place, Sussex, by virtue of an earlier marriage of Sir Rainald’s sister, Sophia, to Viscount Gage. The Gage family still own the former Knightley lands
Fawsley Hall is now a country house hotel & spa
19. Follow the track round to the left of the Church, passing a footpath marker & the lake, to a gate & stile at the bottom of the hill…
Look for the white posts & follow their line…
20. Bear diagonally down towards the hedge & ditch on the left…
Go through the gate, over the bridge and through the next gate…
21. When I walked this in May 2026 the gate up te hill was locked so turn right & follow the field edge round & left up the hill past the old barn…
22. On reaching the top right corner of the field pass through the kissing gate…
…& then a bridge & another gate into the next field
23. The climb up this field is quite steep, so have a rest halfway up the hill & turn round to see another magnificent view of the Fawsley Estate & Hall…
But it’s nothing compared to the view ahead at the top of the hill towards Preston Capes Church
24. Walk down the hill across the bridge & through the next field…
Go through the kissing gate & that’s the end of the muddy fields for now
Until now you’ve been walking straight at the church, but now head for the far left corner of the field. There are often both sheep & cows in this field…
25. Exit across the stile in the corner. Now turn right & carefully walk on the road up the hill to arrive in Preston Capes which has now been designated a conservation area…
If you wish to see the village continue up the hill
The Village website tells us that…”According to the Domesday Survey the land at Preston held from the King was divided into several estates. One of these, an unnamed manor, but believed to be at Preston was held by Hugh from Walter the Fleming. Here there was land for 4 ploughs with 2 acres of spinney, worked by 13 men which was worth 40 shillings
Soon after the Norman conquest, Hugh de Leycester built a castle on the summit of a spur of land to the north-east of the village & in 1090 founded a cluniac priory next to his castle. You’ll see the site of this shortly. However the priory was moved to Daventry in 1108
After Hugh de Capes acquired the manor or Great Preston he obtained permission from the Prior to build a manorial chapel there provided that the rights of the church were safeguarded. The manors subsequently descended through the families of the de Lyons & the Earls of Warwick until in 1558 they were all owned by William Butler, son of Thomas Butler of Bewsey in Lancashire
The descendants of William Butler sold the estate to Edward Knightley in whose family it remained until the death of Sir Charles Knightly in 1932, after which the lands & cottages were sold to individual owners in sales which took place in 1932 and 1937″
The church is well worth a visit to sit on one of the best benches in Northamptonshire so turn right along Church Way
At the end enter the churchyard
Walk round to the left through the graveyard & just sit & admire the view
26. To continue walk back along Church Way & cross up the driveway to Castle Hill
Turn right through the large metal gate on the right had side of the drive into the pasture & carry on, keeping the fence & hedge on your left
27. Here’s a stile with a view & you can see for miles…
To your left is where the motte & bailey, mentioned earlier, once stood
28. Walk down the paddock & cross the stile into the next field…you need to lift the top bar
Walk straight down the pasture towards the gap in the hedge
29. Walk straight ahead across the next field to reach the small road…
…& turn left. The next part of this walk follows the road all the way to Mantles Wood
The hill in the picture above is steep so take your time – you’re still walking on the Knightley Way
30. At the top of the hill walk past the barn & look for two footpath signs on the left. It’s time now to say goodbye to the Knightley Way which heads off to the right
Your route is the path to the left which goes down the hill back to Everdon. But just stop at the gate for a moment & take in the view once more…
31. Walk through the gate & the path is straight ahead all the way down to the farm. However…what lots of people do here is this, & you have to as well & post your videos!
32. I would suggest you stop rolling by the time you reach the first gate…it appears though that the sheep have seen it all before…
33. Continue across the next pastures & through the gate to arrive at Snorscombe Farm…
The hamlet of Snorscombe was once a thriving community. The medieval residents would have worked for the local Lord under the manorial system & cultivated the surrounding land. The Manor at Snorscombe was held by a Philip Lovell at the time of King John. By 1534 it had passed to the Knightley family
The Manor House was a farmhouse by the early 18th century & all that was left of the village was this farm, a watermill & a cottage
34. Continue on the track past the farm…
…as it bends round & exits through a gate
35. Now follow the lane past the impressive converted mill I mentioned earlier…
Eventually the lane arrives at two metal gates. The path is through the one on the left
36. Cross the small stream & turn right at the footpath sign towards the wooden bridge in the hedge…
37. Again it’s now a straight line back to Everdon so continue across 3 more small paddocks & bridges to arrive at the cricket ground with a fine view of the Church…
The exit from the cricket ground lies in the right hand corner by the tree…
38. Walk across the bridge to arrive at the lake in the grounds of Everdon Manor House
Follow the lake edge to the right. Don’t pass through the gate, but turn right down the narrow alley to the gate at the bottom…
Once through the gate, turn left up the lane to arrive back in Everdon
39. Turn left & enjoy a walk through beautiful Everdon, looking out for those house names to get a feel of how the village may have looked all those years ago…
So that’s it…the end of a stunning, hilly walk that shows a different side to Northamptonshire.
Aren’t we lucky to live in such a beautiful County
Go Walk…you won’t be disappointed!