The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 9 miles (14.5km)
Time to walk: Roughly 3.75 hours
Difficulty: A fairly flat walk across a mixture of arable & pasture fields. There are several stiles & some quiet road walking so may not be suitable for all dogs
Parking: Carefully on the street near the church
Public toilets: Canons Ashby cafe
Map of the route:
The small village of Maidford lies about 6 miles north-west of Towcester. The name literally means ‘the ford where maidens gathered’
In early times, like many of the villages around here, it was known for lace making. In the 1850s Leopold Stanton, a world famous lace designer, lived here
This is an interesting walk that 003.5 Richard Parkes devised. We have several shorter walks in the area, but thought it would be good to join some of them up as it’s so lovely
Shall we get going?
Let’s Walk!
1. This walk starts outside the Church of St Peter & St Paul which dates from the mid 12th century AD. The oldest part is the tower which dates from between 1160 & 1250. The Church is built of local Northamptonshire’s ironstone
With your back to the Church head right, down the hill towards the main road
2. At the T-junction bear right past the village information board…
The path runs out, so stick close to the edge of the road & head up the hill. Look for a large metal gate on the right. Pass through the kissing gate next to it & walk straight ahead between the two fences
3. Go through the double gate…
…& turn immediately right to follow the hedge on your right. At the end of the field, exit it through the gate & head diagonally left to the top corner of the wood as in the picture below (obviously if the crops aren’t growing just head for that corner)
4. On arriving at the corner, follow the field edge in the same direction…
Pass through the gate & then another shortly afterwards
5. On arriving at the road, turn right & carefully walk along it for a short while…
On arriving at a crossroads join the left footpath & continue with the tree line on your left towards the beacon
6. Have a look at the strange building. This is an aircraft navigation beacon…
Don’t turn right up towards the other beacon unless you want to have a closer look. Our path continues with the tree line on your left. Follow this track through a couple of fields
7. Look for a bridge & stile hidden in the bushes on the left. You’ll see a MacMillan Way marker indicating that once you’ve crossed the stile you’re on the 290 mile long distance footpath between Boston in Lincolnshire & Abbotsbury in Dorset
After crossing the stile walk straight ahead to the gate opposite. Go through this one & continue straight down the hill to a further large metal gate
8. Pass through the gate & carry on in the same direction, passing through another one, keeping the hedgerows & fences on your right at all times
At the very bottom cross the stile & turn right along the road for a few seconds…
Join the byway on the left…
9. Continue with the farm on the left up the track which heads towards some woodlands…
At the end of the track join the road & head left up the hill…
10. It’s very quiet around this area, but it doesn’t pay to forget that this is a road, so please stay alert. Ignore any footpath signs on the left & right as you continue to climb
At the junction turn left towards Adstone…
11. Look for the footpath sign on the right & cross the stile…
…& then continue passing a beautiful pond
12. Keep straight ahead passing the farm buildings on the left & continue down the track…
At the end of the track the path is well marked, ahead towards the tree line
13. On reaching the trees, cross the bridge & go though the gate…
Now head diagonally left towards the farm & the big tree. To the right of the big tree is a kissing gate. Pass through this & walk diagonally left to the top left corner of the next field
14. On reaching the corner go through another gate…
…& now walk diagonally right to the bottom of this field & the welcome sight of Canons Ashby
15. Welcome to Canons Ashby, the Manor being known as one of Northamptonshire’s most visited attractions.
The house had been the home of the Dryden family since its construction in the 16th century using stone from a priory that once stood on the site. The manor house was built in approximately 1550 with additions in the 1590s, in the 1630s & 1710
During World War II, the London offices of 20th Century Fox films were evacuated to Canons Ashby House; the evacuee staff lived in the nearby village of Moreton Pinkney
Gervase Jackson-Stops, who was the Architectural Adviser to the National Trust for over twenty years, broke fresh ground when he fought for the rescue of the then decaying manor-house in the 1980s. This was the first time that the Trust used its charitable funds rather than the traditional family endowment to save a historic house
Carefully follow the verge of the road around, being careful as traffic moves quite quickly along this road
16. Pass the Priory Church of St Mary on your left which dates back to 1250. Some of the Dryden baronets are buried within. It’s actually a fragment of the west end of the nave of the Augustinian Priory
As the road bend left turn right down the lane, passing the National Trust car park & head down the hill
17. At the bottom of the hill take the footpath on the left…
…& then pass through the kissing gate opposite. Once through the gate follow the well-trodden path across the field heading diagonally left up the hill
18. Go through the next gate, carefully cross the road & pass through the gate directly opposite…
Now walk up the hill diagonally right to the tree line
19. Hidden in the bushes is a kissing gate…
Go through this & the next gate. Now turn immediately left through a 3rd gate. Now head up the side of the field, keeping the hedge on your left
20. On reaching the corner continue through the kissing gate & then through the next gate opposite
Carry on in the same direction through the gate in the picture below & head towards the green roofed farm building on the right
21. Go through another gate & a further one opposite…
Now head down the field towards the telegraph pole…
On reaching the pole look for a stile opposite. Cross this & the bridge & walk to the woodland in the distance. In times of non-growing crops just head for the right side of the wood
22. Go through the gate & the next one directly opposite…
Head in the same direction keeping the wood on your left
23. Exit through the big gate below & head down to the road…
On reaching the road turn right & then immediately right again down the hill…
24. Continue along the road as it passes the church on the left…
At the entrance to the farm in the picture below go through the kissing gate into the field
25. Go through the kissing gate & head diagonally opposite to the big metal gate…
Go through the gate & continue keeping the hedge on your left
26. At the hedge cross the double stile & again continue with the hedge on your left
Climb the next stile & walk down towards the farmhouse
27. Walk through the large metal gate & head to the footpath sign opposite…
Exit through the gate below & cross the stile on the left
28. Now head towards the right corner of the field where you’ll find a bridge…
Cross the bridge & bear left towards the horse gallops
29. Passing the gallops look for a path on the right & follow it…
Cross the stile & the next one straight ahead…
30. Now walk up the hill in a slightly right direction towards the telegraph pole…
On reaching the pole continue in the same direction to the tree line in the top left corner. Go through the gate & carry on with the trees on your right
31. Pass through the next iron gate & continue directly ahead to another one that leads to the road…
Go through that gate , carefully cross the road & through the one opposite
32. Now head down the hill towards the village…
Hidden behind the mound at the bottom is a bridge you’ll need to cross
33. Once over the bridge climb the hill towards the barn on the right…
…& then finally leave the fields
34. Straight ahead’s the church. Walk down the gravel path…
At the T-junction turn left & then right into Church Lane to arrive back at the start of this walk
So that’s it & what a lovely walk this is in a beautiful corner of Northamptonshire. If you’ve never explored it before then go & have a look – it’s beautiful
Go Walk!