The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 3.9 miles (6.3km)
Time to walk: Roughly 1 hour 15 minutes at a steady pace
Difficulty: Fairly flat on a mixture of surfaces. The woodland sections may be muddy in winter. Given the close proximity of busy roads I would suggest dogs are kept on leads at all times. There are no stiles
Parking: The Olde Victoria car park in Bakehouse Lane
Public toilets: The Olde Victoria, MacDonalds & Bewitched
Map of the route:
This walk is a local one for Anji Brooks who did the legwork for me around her local town. Incidentally it’s an area I know really well as I lived there when I first moved down to Northamptonshire in 1979
Laying roughly 3 miles south of Kettering, the ‘Burton’ part of the name means ‘fortified farmstead or farmstead near a fortification’. Before the arrival of the Latimers, it was known as ‘Burtone’. The second part of the town’s name is derived from the le Latimer family who lived there in the 13th century
Burton Latimer grew in the 19th Century around the ironstone quarrying, clothing & footwear industries. A watermill used for grinding corn was converted & used at various times in the 19th century for the manufacture of silk & worsted & for carpet-weaving, followed by its conversion to a steam mill to make chicory, mustard, animal foodstuffs & flour. The mill was acquired in the 1930s & became the home of Weetabix for which the town is still famous for today
Let’s Walk!
1. This walk starts outside the Olde Victoria pub…
The pub definitely pre-dates 1805 when it was referred to as The Horse & Groom. Later references refer to it as The Horse & Jockey, however it reverted back to Horse & Groom after that. The nickname of “The Jockey” stuck with locals up until the mid 1980s when it was renamed “The Olde Victoria”
2. With your back to the pub turn left & walk up Church Street, passing the old Hall…
…& then the very impressive Jacobean Schoolhouse…
The Heritage Society tells us that “the Jacobean Schoolhouse was completed in 1622 & was home to the freeschool originally founded in 1587 by Thomas & Margaret Burbanke in 1587. It remained in its original state until 1873 when an additional classroom was built, with a further one being added in 1889. As the population of the town grew, further schools were built in 1873 & 1899, but the Jacobean school continued in use for the church school infants. The old school house finally closed in 1964
3. Enter the church yard through the gate on the right & follow the path around to the left…
St Mary’s Church dates back to 1147. The original spire was built in the 13th century, but the subsequently rebuilt in the 19th. Go inside & look at the walls to see trace of medieval wall paintings of the martyrdom of St Catherine, & some of the tribes of Israel
4. Exit the churchyard & turn right along Church Lane…
Continue all the way down past the original cemeteries…
The old cemetery has a tale to tell. In 1893 Louisa Sophia Johnson was staying with her sister at Ise Brook Cottage in Finedon. Her married lover took her for a walk & slashed her throat where a grave marker purchased by the public marks her resting place
5. Pass through the gates into the new larger cemetery…
Pass through it…
6. At the end turn left & follow the small path to the small lane…
Turn right & walk to the crash barrier. Walk up between it & the fence & turn into the woodland path
7. This next stretch of the walk is lovely, through coppiced hazel woods &, although there’s a busy road close by, it’s easy to put it out of your mind & enjoy your surroundings…
This is quite a long path but just keep going. Eventually you’ll pass some steps leading up to the right but ignore these to arrive at a green gate
8. Pass through the gate & continue along the narrow path…
…which eventually descends to arrive at a road
9. Turn left & walk along the pavement for about 50 yards, look across the road for a large metal gate & a footpath sign
Cross over & turn right in the direction of the sign to follow the next stage of the woodland section
10. Continue along this path to arrive at a gap which leads through to a field…
Turn immediately right & follow the field edge until you arrive at the edge. Now turn right & walk down to the gate
11. Pass through the side of the gate. The rest of this walk’s now on hard pavements so turn left & walk down the hill…
At the roundabout walk to the crossing place on the left & carefully cross to McDonalds for a break
12. Suitably refreshed..facing the restaurant turn left across the road & then turn left again past the barriers & scooters
Follow this hard path keeping right past DS Smith
13. At the roundabout, with Morrisons ahead of you bear right…
…& after 50 or so yards cross over at the island & continue in the same direction around the bend & eventually passing the entrance to Weetabix
14. Shortly you’ll arrive at the entrance to Kettering’s Football Ground…
Turn left into it & walk towards the main entrance
15. Turn right & walk along the fenced path…
…& at the end turn left along Station Road
16. Take the 2nd right turning into Victoria Street…
…where at the end you’ll find Burton Rec. Don’t enter the Rec but turn immediately left past the building
17. At the end bear tight along Pioneer Avenue where you’ll see the church at the end…
Turn right to the War Memorial
And then left back into the Olde Victoria where we started this walk
So thanks Anji for showing this walk, which appears to be good in all seasons
Go Walk!