Borough The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 2.05 miles (3.3km)
Time to walk: Just to walk will take about 1 hour but, as you’ll see, there’s lots of information boards to read & lots of benches to sit on to admire the views
Difficulty: Flat & all on grass paths. There are no stiles. Dogs are welcome & allowed off-lead, however be aware that cattle sometimes graze here
Parking: Free car park on site. what3words: hangs.broke.shirtless
Public toilets: None
Map of the route:
Standing on the eastern side of Daventry, Borough Hill is the 2nd highest hill in Northamptonshire & has been used by humans for thousands of years. It’s the site of one of the largest ancient hill forts in the country. Covering an area of 67 hectares, at its highest point, the hill is over 200m above sea level. Today it’s a wonderful Country Park
Borough Hill has a history of human habitation dating into prehistory. Tools have provided evidence of human activity from the early Stone Age through to the Neolithic (4000 – 2500 BC). Flint artefacts & bronze metalwork have also shown that activity was taking place on the hill in the Bronze Age (2500 – 800 BC). Two Bronze Age round barrows (circular burial mounds) were situated to the north & south of the hill fort, & in 1823, two burials were excavated
In 1645, Borough Hill was used as a base by the Royalist army of King Charles I, in the week prior to the Battle of Naseby, in which the Royalists were defeated by Sir Thomas Fairfax’s Parliamentarian army
We’ll cover more of the history of this amazing &, yet again to many, unknown Country Park in Northamptonshire as we go so…
Let’s Walk!
1. Park in the free car park &, not forgetting to admire the view over Daventry, walk to the exit barrier…
Go through the gate on the right
2. Here you’ll find the first information board. Having had a read pass through the next gate…
…& continue straight ahead on the clearly marked track to the right of the tall radio mast
3. In 1925 the BBC constructed a transmitting station on Borough Hill which initially was used for long wave, & short wave broadcasting. The long wave service was moved to Wychbold village near Droitwich in 1934
To commemorate the opening a poem was written by Poet Laureate Alfred Noyes titled ‘The Dane Tree’. It was read out at the ceremony…
Daventry calling… Dark and still,
The dead men sleep at the foot of the hill.
The dark tree, set on the height by the Dane,
Stands like a sentry over the slain.
Bowing his head above their tomb,
Till trumpet rends the seals of doom.
Earth has forgotten their ancient wars.
But the lone tree rises against the stars,
Whispering, “Here in my heart I keep,
Mysteries, deep as the world is deep.
Deeper far then the world ye know,
Is the world through which my voices go…”
Daventry calling… Wind and rain,
Against my voices light in vain.
The world through which my messages fare,
Is not of the earth, and not of the air.
When the black hurricane rides without,
My least melodies quell its shout.
My mirth and music, jest and song,
Shall through the very thunders throng.
You shall hear their lightest tone,
Stealing through your walls of stone.
Till your loneliest valleys hear,
The far cathedral’s whispered prayer.
And thoughts that speed the world’s desire,
Strike to your heart beside your fire.
And the mind of half the world,
Is in each little house unfurled.
Till time and Space are a dwindling dream,
And my true kingdoms round you gleam.
And ye discern the thing ye crave,
That I go deeper than the grave.
I, the sentinel; I, the tree,
Who binds all worlds in unity,
So that, sitting around your hearth,
Ye are at one with all the earth.
Daventry calling: memory, love,
The grave beneath, and the stars above,
Even in my laughter you shall hear,
The power to whom the far is near.
All are in one circle bound,
And all that ever was lost is found.
Daventry calling… Daventry calling…
Daventry calling… Dark and still…
The tree of memory stands like a sentry
Over the grave on the silent hill.
Words: Alfred Noyes (1880 – 1958)
In 1950 the BBC constructed a 720 ft mast at nearby Dodford for the BBC Third Programme, with a 150 kW transmitter in a building near to the short wave transmitter building. This service closed in 1978 & the mast was removed in 1984
Due to the nature of short wave broadcasting, large areas of Borough Hill were occupied with towers, & masts to support large antennas. Transmissions from the short wave station could be received across the world
4. Bear left along the larger track towards the mast…
The BBC decided to close the station & on 28 March 1992 the last transmission took place, & the transmission equipment was moved to other BBC World Service transmitters around the country. The station became an electronic service centre for the repair of BBC transmission equipment, & a local transmitter maintenance team was also based here until the late 1990s
All but one of the radio masts have been taken down
Look to the right to spot a bench & maybe have an early seat to admire the views to the south, taking in Badby Wood, Hellidon with its transmission tower & Northamptonshire’s highest point, Arbury Hill
5. Continue past the mast to the south-eastern corner and another information board…
Behind you are the earthworks of the earliest of the two barrows. Follow the track as it turns left & heads north where a bench with another spectacular view awaits
These views now are to the east &, in the distance you can make out the railway, the motorway & the lift tower
6. As you walk around the site you’ll come across lots of concrete blocks such as those in the picture below. These are the cable anchors for other masts that once stood here…
Have a look across to the left to see a wonderful sycamore tree that reminds us of the one that once stood in Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall
7. Soon you’ll arrive at another information board…
This board tells you that you’re now standing within the ancient hill fort
8. Shortly after the board the track splits. You need to take the right one towards the edge of the trees – Lily knows which way to go…
It’s worth exploring the views through the trees, many of which are sweet chestnuts. There were still many case on the floor
9. Shortly the track splits again. The right one heads towards through the trees to the fence, whereas Lily knows you need to take the one to the left out of the woods, again keeping the trees on your right
The track then splits again but keep going straight on the one closest to the trees
10. Pass another bench – the view from this one isn’t as good
Ahead now are some more buildings. Head towards these
11. As you arrive at them & read the notice board you’ll realise that, although they don’t appear of much significance, they had incredible importance…
The hill also played an important role in the development of radar, after Robert Watson-Watt successfully demonstrated his invention for the first time on February 26, 1935, using receiving equipment set up near Weedon & the signals transmitted from the BBC station on Borough Hill
His instruments were able to detect an RAF Heyford bomber flying at 6,000 feet through the beam of a short wave BBC Daventry transmitter, proving to the Air Ministry that radio waves reflected from a plane could be used to track enemy aircraft
The test was so secret that only 3 people were present. The experiment was such a success & was considered to be the birth of RADAR, an advance warning system that was crucial during the Battle of Britain
It’s possible to visit the site where it was transmitted from in a lay-by on Walk 217. Click on this link
The information board tells you that the “small buildings you see ahead of you & their transmission masts were responsible for the navigation of bombers across Britain & Europe during WWII as they housed the Master Station for the Eastern Chain of GEE & it became a significant part of the war effort”
12. Bear left, now heading west, along the perimeter of the golf course, past another concrete anchor where there’s an information board…
The board says that ahead of you, on the golf course, are the humps which are the second burial barrow
13. Follow the track along the boundary. Notice all the large ant hills along here…
The final notice board is here which gives you lots of information about Daventry itself. Look out for our new Daventry Blue Plaque Walk coming soon
14. The passes the large building on your left…
…& then exits through the gate leading back to the car park & the start of this walk
So that’s it…a short walk, but one that’s packed full of so much history & interesting information, & a place that has played such a role in this Country’s existence
For more amazing, detailed information click on this link…
Click to access BBC%20Daventry%201925-1992.pdf
If you fancy doing it as part of a longer walk then you can by starting at Dodford on Walk 207 – click on this link
It’s great at all times of the year so…
Go Walk!