The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 3.6 miles (5.8km)
Time to walk: Roughly an hour & three quarters
Difficulty: Mostly flat walking on a mixture of hard village & field paths
Parking: Outside Long Buckby Rugby Club or at the Train Station car park
Public toilets: The Rugby Club at weekends, public toilets in the market square, plus pubs & cafes etc
Map of the route:
For some reason this long laid out village has always intrigued me & I’m not sure why. I have one walk from Whilton that touches this village, but thought it was about time we had a walk on my website that does it the justice it deserves
So….I thought I’d better send 003.5 out on his latest mission. He was armed with the route & strict instructions to stay out of the micro pub
Let’s walk!
1. We’ve started this walk Long Buckby Rugby Football Club that has plenty of free parking with a bar & coffee shop inside. (Weekend opening only).
Facing the club, we head left along the street in the direction of the town itself
Turn left into Grasscroft & head down to the bottom of the road
2. Just beside number 41 take the alleyway down the hill…
…& turn left at the bottom of the steps..
3. At the White House bear right down the path with the houses on your left…
Eventually you’ll arrive at the crossroads. Turn right passing some bungalows…
4. Head on up to the top of the hill to the top and another White House…
At the top of the road turn left & now continue using the footpath down the steep hill…
5. As the footpath ends, cross over & our next footpath is just on the left…
Now head up towards the farm
6. There’s some easy to follow signs in Long Buckby. Just after the gate head right through the woodland area…
On arriving at the stile there’s another very clear sign. Cross the stile & continue in the same direction towards the church
7. Pass through the double gate & follow the fence line up the hill…
Now go through the gate on the right & walk towards the churchyard (if the big gate is closed then use the smaller gate a couple of paces further up)
8. Go into the churchyard & take the left path to the metal gate on the opposite side if the church
This is St Lawrence’s Church, the main structure of which is medieval, with restoration in 1862 & 1883–87. It contains a memorial to Eliza Gardner, whose “death was instantaneous, arising from fright occasioned by a violent attack made on the house door by three or four men in a state of intoxication with a view to disturb the peaceable inmates in the dead of the night”
Have a look at the graves along the bank against the church where you’ll find that of one of Long Buckby’s most famous residents…Stanley Unwin
9. Exit through the metal gate on the other side of the church. Turn left & pass the Sunday School rooms…
Left down the Banks & then immediately right after the first house on the right-hand side of the road
10. Our footpath is the alley next to the bungalow in the picture below & follow this to the main road…
The footpath continues straight ahead. Follow this until you reach the houses & stop at No.5
11. Now turn right up the steps…
At the road turn left down to Towns End & follow the footpath sign towards the open fields…
12. Look for the alleyway beside the garage to enter the fields…
Head up the hill & enjoy some amazing views keeping the tree line on your right
13. Look for a stile on the right & cross this…
Carry on up the path towards the houses
14. Cross the double stile …
…& then go through the gate opposite & up the path with the paddocks on your right
15. On reaching the road, turn left, passing the post box…
The next footpath is over the road, as shown by the sign by the lamp post
16. At the fenced area head right down the path & into the fields once more…
Continue down the edge of the fields with the gardens on your right-hand side
Cross the stile & continue in the same direction
17. Pass through the gate & through the next to the left into a further field, to then continue in the same direction…
On your right now is Long Buckby Duck Pond
18. On arriving at the stile, the footpath sign shows the route continuing straight ahead through the big gate opposite
Head straight through the middle of this field to the wooden gate
19. Pass through the wooden kissing gate & also through the cute little metal kissing gate opposite…
Head to the very top left corner of the field
20. Go through the gate & turn immediately right towards the houses…
Leave this final section of field walking by the gate & continue to the road…
21. At the road, turn right & follow it as it bends left…
…& at the T Junction bear right & continue on the roadside path
22. Just beside No.34 the route continues down the alley…
At the farm buildings turn left up the track
23. The track arrives at a road. Turn left & follow the roadside path…
This is a nice path to follow back into the village
24. On arriving at the United Reformed Church, which is thought to date back to 1707, head right keeping to the roadside path…
At the fish & chip shop, turn left onto the Market Place
25. Pass the local institution that’s Roger’s family butcher
The marketplace offers a couple of choices for a drink & it’s worth taking the time to look around
Also don’t forget the unique ‘Badger’s Arms’ in the High Street, a great micro pub
26. Facing the library, turn left down Station Road & head back down to the rugby club, where we started this walk
So that’s the end of our look at Long Buckby & what impression did it leave on 003.5?
“Well, a walk that had a little bit of everything is over, wasn’t sure when I saw this walk on the map, but it was really nice & varied”
Go Walk!