The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 5.3 miles (8.5km)
Time to walk: With stops to admire the scenery, roughly 2.5 hours
Difficulty: Lots of stiles & gates. A few hills, but nothing strenuous. Mostly field walking which may be muddy in winter. This is sheep country so dogs will need to be on their leads for a large part of the walk & you will need to lift them over the stiles as there are no gaps
Parking: Carefully on the street near the Green in Newnham
Public toilets: The Romer Arms, when open, at the beginning & end of the walk
Map of the route:
I’ve wanted to get a walk on my website that includes the wonderful Newnham Nuttery so it seemed appropriate to start & end the walk in this beautiful, friendly village. It also seemed a good one to start from the pub, The Romer Arms.
The outward journey has several stiles & the return one follows the Nene Way, also passing Everdon Hall. If you like sheep, peace, great views & solitude then this is a walk for you
Newnham means “the new homestead or enclosure” & lies around 2 miles south west of Daventry. The village nestles below a large hill in the Nene valley. The hill, called Newnham Hill, is topped by an ancient disused windmill. Also on the hill is a large aerial which is part of the air traffic control system of the British Isles
The village was the home of Thomas Randolph, a lesser-known 17th century poet. He was born, 15 June 1605, in Newnham at the brown stone gabled house in Poets Way. He was a poet & dramatist as well as a writer of English & Latin verse. It was recorded that Randolph was one of Ben Jonson’s cleverest disciples
Nigel Lawson, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer of Margaret Thatcher lived close to the village for some years
Let’s Walk!
1. Our walk starts near the Green outside The Romer Arms, which was originally called the Bakers Arms. It was bought by a man named Romer Williams, who was a hunting man & a lawyer by profession. He renamed it the Romer Arms & it’s his family coat of arms that is depicted on the sign. Translated, the Latin inscription on the coat of arms is, ‘To do & to suffer is the better way for the Roman’. This is also “Maria’s Kitchen” a Portuguese restaurant
2. With your back to the pub walk up School Hill…
Don’t miss the Hobbit House on the left
3. Continue up the hill. Newnham is a stunning village at this time of year…
At the top of the hill cross over to the War Memorial where there’s also a great view of the church. The parish church, called St Michael & all Angels, is a former chapel of a parent church at Badby
The chancel, the north aisle & the present nave were built in the early 14th century, on the site of a 12th century chapel. The western tower was built in the late 14th or early 15th century
4. Standing next to the war memorial turn right down the hill…
This is a stunning part of the village. Look at some of the brick work on the properties…
5. Carry on down the lane where, on the right, you’ll find the entrance to the amazing ‘Nuttery’…
As we’ve only just started this walk & will pass the Nuttery on the way back, why not let us explore it on the way back
6. So continue down the hill, passing the wonderfully named ‘Wet Lane’ on your left (you can see why it lives up to its name if you’re walking here in winter). Just around the corner you’ll find a gate with the first of the stiles you’ll encounter on the left…
Cross the stile & bear diagonally left up the hill past the bushes. As you climb higher, you’ll see a telegraph pole with a marker sign on it. Pass just to the left of it…
7. As you climb the hill take time to look at the views that are starting to emerge…
We’re now into sheep country so all dogs on leads please. Ahead is the second stile…
8. Now keep heading in the same direction to come to a gate on your left – pass through it…
…& ahead is a large tree to the left of which is the next stile
9. This stile’s quite a high one so you will struggle with large dogs…
Now bear to the right of the large tree & head to the to left corner of this field
…pass through the gate
10. Now head straight up the hill, keeping the hedge on your left…
…& cross the stile in the corner on the left…..
11. Keep looking at the views all around you as you continue to climb & pass through the next gap…
And finally we come to the last gate…
12. Walk through the gate & turn immediately right down the narrow track…
…& pass through the gate at the bottom. Turn left & walk along the grassy lane
Pass the very impressive house on the left & then the lake on your right…
13. Follow the grass track as it bends left & then arrives at a junction. Look diagonally left to see a gap in the hedge & a large stile…
Cross this & walk straight ahead up the narrow grass track up the hill between the fields. There are sometimes sheep along this narrow track so take care if you have a dog with you…
14. This track also eventually arrives at a junction where there may be a small sheep gate to go through. See the marker? Walk straight ahead through the gap in the hedge into the field…
Continue up the hill, keeping the hedge on your right
15. At the top of the field turn left & look for a bridge in the hedge. Cross this…
…& now continue up the field, keeping the hedge on your right
On reaching the top turn right through the gap…
Once through turn immediately right, ignoring the path ahead, walk a few yards & turn right through the gap on the right
16. Now walk diagonally down the field aiming just right of the ox hovel in the distance
In the summer this is easy…in the winter head just to the left of the far corner
17. Look to your left to see a wonderful Ox Hovel…
At the end of the path look for the gap through the hedge…can you spot the directional marker on the bottom of the left branch?
18. Walk through the gap & continue along a lovely little winding path…
Cross over the bridge
19. Now walk slightly diagonally right up the hill…
At the top of the hill walk through the gap in the hedge over the bridge…
20. Once across you’ll see two marker posts showing you which way to go…
So just head straight across the field to arrive at the edge & continue with the hedge on your right
21. Continue to the junction of paths & bear right. You’re now back on the Nene Way…
This is really easy walking…just keep the hedge on your left as it bends left
22. At the crossroads of the grassy paths keep straight ahead…
…& pass through another kissing gate (there may be sheep in this field)
23. Walk down the field & through the next gate…
Now just follow the grassy track around to the right
29. Pass through the next gate…
…& continue along the path to exit onto the road
30. Welcome to Little Everdon. Turn right & walk into the village…
On arriving at the junction look diagonally left to the gate up the steps…
31. There may be horses in this paddock but walk slightly diagonally left to the gate under the trees…
Once through there’s a wonderful set of posts leading you across the estate of Little Everdon
32. Look across to your right to see Everdon Hall..
Follow the posts to the next gate & pass through it…
33. Walk about 50 yards & bear left through the gate…
The next mile or so is truly beautiful walking & shows Northamptonshire off at its best…keep going straight through the next gate…
…where you can see Newnham in the distance
34. Can you see the sheds diagonally right? Well that’s the direction to head in towards the large tree…
At the tree pass through the gate
35. In the next field keep heading diagonally right to the bridge in the picture below…
Cross it
36. Now walk up the hill…
…& through the gate into a field we walked though earlier on
37. Walk diagonally left to find a stile we’ve climbed before…
Remember the lamp post at the start of this walk. Head for the right side of it…
… & then bear right down to the stile leading into the lane again
38. Now…about The Nuttery which is on your left as you walk back into the village….
Enter through the gate & instantly you’re in a different world. Have fun exploring all the little paths
Gifted to The Woodland Trust this wonderful area is full of coppiced cobnut trees. Visit it at all times of the year, but it’s particularly spectacular when the snowdrops are there…
39. Now walk back up the hill & retrace you steps back to the Green where this walk started…
So that’s it…simply another wonderful Northamptonshire Walk & one that will become a firm favourite
Go Walk!