The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 5.4 miles (8.7km)
Time to walk: Roughly two & a quarter hours, but that depends how long you spend in the garden
Difficulty: A mixture of surfaces & some stiles. There are some hills, but nothing too steep
Parking: In the Church car park postcode NN7 1BA
Public toilets: The Red Lion at the start & end, or The Red Lion in Denton (maybe this should be called ‘The Red Lion Walk’
Map of the route:
How could we almost get to 200 Northamptonshire Walks & not have included the most beautiful duck pond in the County?
It’s time to put that right, although you’ll have to wait until the end of this walk which starts in lovely Brafield on the Green. Situated about 4 miles south-east of Northampton, the name means “Open country by higher ground”
The area is probably best known for Brafield Stadium or Northampton International Raceway, which hosts Formula 1 Stock Cars
Shall we get going?
Let’s Walk!
1. Our walk starts outside St Laurence Church in Church Lane which has seen many alterations over the years, the oldest part being Norman. The churchyard contains the grave of fab actor Bryan Pringle
Head down the lane towards the village &, after a short while, enter the field on your right
2. Now pass through the kissing gate on your left, just before the house. Make your way down towards the stone wall at the bottom of the field…
Head to the right, staying in the field, unless you need the loo (at the pub)
3. At the end of the field carry on past the Old Forge & go down the hill…
On reaching the bottom turn left & walk up the hill towards the main road…
4. Carefully cross the main road & join the footpath opposite through the hedge & trees…
Follow the nice hard track, which is easy to keep to…
5. The track bears round to the left & up the side of a field. Keep the hedge on your right…
Pass through the gap in the picture below & continue in the same direction until reaching the far edge of the field
6. At the edge turn left & continue around the field on the clearly defined path…
When we did this walk in late September, it was perfect for foraging as there were blackberries everywhere
7. Keep going! This is a long, but very well maintained route, with really good signposting…
8. Now cross some stiles & keep going straight ahead, always keeping the hedges on your right, until you can go no further forward…
Upon finally reaching the top, keep following the hedge as it passes the Raceway…
…& exit carefully through the gate onto the roadside
9. Now turn left & carefully walk along the side of the road for approximately 150 meters. Look across to your right to see the footpath sign…
Enter the field & walk along the edge towards the farm buildings, crossing over the track
10. On your right’s the most spectacular pond which, when we did this walk, was full of wildlife. Take a seat & enjoy your sandwich, if you’ve brought one
11. Rest over, continue up the track, keeping the hedge on your left at all times & continuing in the same direction…
Eventually you’ll arrive at a gap on the left, in the picture below…
12. Pass through the gap & continue in the same direction, keeping the solar farm fencing on your left
As the fence bends to the left, keep straight on to the bridge in the corner & cross it
Carry on in the same direction keeping the hedge on your right. Pass under the large tree & head to the far right corner of the field
13. On reaching the corner you’ll find a stile. Cross this & keep going through the woodland path…
The path leads to the bridge in the picture below. Walk over it & follow the left side fence to the bottom corner
14. There’s a wider bridge to cross here so do that & then continue up towards the farm…
The footpath runs straight through the farmyard, so enter through the first gate & then exit via the one straight opposite
Hopefully you’ll get a chance to meet ‘Lily’!!
15. The footpath arrives at a road. You can see the footpath sign directly opposite, so carefully cross over & continue along it…
…to emerge in a housing estate. Now bear right along the road
16. Welcome to Denton, the name of which is thought to have come from ‘An estate associated with a man called Dodda’. There’s evidence of a settlement going back here to Iron Age & Roman times
At the t-junction turn right…
…& then bear left at the island
17. Pass the Church of St Margaret of Antioch. The tower is the oldest part dating back to 13th century, but the rest was rebuilt in the 1800s…
In 1975 the interior of the church was painted with biblical scenes. The work was completed over 3 years by local artist Henry Bird. Many residents appear in the murals, having sat as models & the whole thing took 17 years to complete
Now pass the most beautiful village green…
& not forgetting The Red Lion on the left
18. At the junction bear left up The Leys…
…before turning right into Leys Close. Make your way to the right corner of the close where you’ll find a footpath sign showing where you need to go
19. Follow the right side hedge round the field edge to the opposite side of the field. Now pass through the gap & continue straight ahead through the middle of the field…
…where you’ll come to a marker post
20. The path continues (as can be seen in the above picture) up the hill, heading to the point where the telegraph wires cross each other in different directions…
Cross over the stile…
21. Walk diagonally right past the telegraph pole in the above picture to the gate…
…& keep your diagonally right direction to the finger post at the top of the hill. On reaching the finger post you need to follow the left one signpost ‘Bridleway to Brafield’
22. On reaching the village pass through the gate & continue down the road, ignoring the footpath sign…
…to arrive at the village pond…have we saved the best until last? 003.5 agreed with me!
23. Sit for a while…
…but, when you’re ready, to continue you’ll see the footpath as in the picture below. Follow that, crossing a driveway to reach the road…
On reaching the road, turn right & follow this back up to the church
As Richard says (& I agree) “Now what a walk that was…straight into my favourite walks I have done!”
Well…can’t say better than that so….
Go Walk!