The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 3.75 miles (6.04km)
Time to walk: A leisurely couple of hours
Difficulty: Flat, very easy going & plenty of watering holes at the end! Following the development of Upton Country Park, much of this walk is now on hard surfaces
Parking: Park on the road next to The Mill
Public toilets: Several watering holes in Kislingbury
Map of the route:
Since I first did this walk in 2015 the landscape has changed through the development of the excellent Upton Country Park. In August 2020 one of our walkers also told me that the Nene Way Path, which you follow back from Upton to Kislingbury had been closed due to a massive new housing estate being built
So I went to have another look &, whilst I’ve left many of the original photo’s, I’ve annotated where things have changed
We’ve tried to find out the history of Kislingbury, but there’s not a great deal online which is a shame. We’ve established that…
The earliest evidence of settlers is around 1500 BC & around 700-900 AD Anglo Saxons settled in this part of the Nene Valley
Domesday entries show Kislingbury divided into two manors, the smaller awarded to the Earl of Moreton by William the Conqueror & the larger given to Gilbert de Grant
Through the years the village was owned by various families until eventually it was owned by Warine de Lisle who took up arms against the King Edward II in 1326 & was subsequently executed
Oliver Cromwell’s troops stationed overnight in the village in 1645 prior to the Battle of Naseby
Well…that’s enough of the history lesson! Shall we go & have a look at what’s there today then?
Let’s Walk!
1. Our starting point, Kislingbury Mill is just one of those places you could just sit for hours & watch the world go by, spotting the different birds that keep coming in. We’ve often seen a White Egret here, but he wasn’t around today…
The above picture was taken in 2015. In 2020 it’s being redeveloped & the mill pond looked somewhat overgrown…
2. Head left away from the Mill past the Baptist Church…
…into Mill Road…
2. We did this walk in early March 2015 & spring was trying to be seen…
3. Guess what we’re now walking along an old friend…
…& we keep heading up Mill Road…
…turning left at the top past The Sun Inn
4. The Sun Inn is a great local story. Five families came together to buy the local pub & run it for the community rather than let it go to ruin
And what a success it’s been with great ale & food
5. At the junction turn left & head towards the church…
6. This is St Luke’s Church which dates from the 14th century…
…which unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit today so turn right down Starmers Lane…
7. We’ve already seen one good pub, but at the end of the Lane on the right’s another…The Old Red Lion…
This is another pub with a twist – see this link…
8. But we’re heading left away from the pub for this walk passing the village green…
…& following the road round the right hand bend towards the edge of the village…
9. Go on….guess what’s on the right down here?
Yes…it’s another cracking pub & a great place to eat, The Cromwell Cottage..
Apparently it was used by Oliver Cromwell as a hideout from the Cavaliers. Kislingbury really is a treat for places to eat & drink
10. Unfortunately though we now need to leave the village, so where the road bends left over the bridge, turn right down Beech Lane…
…& follow it for about 400 yards until reaching the entry into Kislingbury Playing Field…
…which we turn left into…
11. The driveway runs straight down to the cricket pitch at the bottom, passing football pitches on the way. There’s also a bowls club further on – this really looks a sporty village
12. On reaching the cricket pitch turn immediately right & walk along the new path between the fences
13. Turn left…this track’s now going to take us all the way to Upton on the edge of Northampton – flat, easy walking…
There’s views to the right across to the monstrous warehouses of Swan Valley…
But the new season lambs & pussy willow are a much more attractive view…
14. At the junction with the signs below, bear right towards Kislingbury Lakes…
The path now crosses the road via a controlled crossing…
…& into the new Upton Country Park. What really impressed me was the number of maps, information boards etc that you find all around the park
Continue straight ahead down a bridleway…
15. Pass through the gate below…
…& we’re now entering an area known as Kislingbury Syndicate Lakes. This is part of the Stanick Lakes Fisheries near Thrapston
There’s some really big carp in these lakes – these are a couple of recent catches from here…
16. The bridleway runs straight between the two lakes & there’s plenty of birdlife, but none of it close…
17. Continue straight ahead past paths going off to the left & right. There’s a great new seating area on the right with more information boards
The track arrives at another gateway…
…&, after passing through, turn left, over the bridge & then right…
When passing over the lock have a look to the left as you can just make out Upton Mill…
18. Immediately over the lock take the left path & head towards the farm…
19. Don’t be put off as there’s no signs, but you need to walk straight through the gate & farm…
It looks like these ladies are getting ready to lamb so better move quickly on…
20. This is where, due to the housing development, the route has had to be changed. Normally you would carry on up the lane, looking for a stone stile into the stables with a signpost for the Nene Way. You can see from the spike in the map that I went to have a look only to find this…
The new route was due to be opened in August 2020, but Covid has obviously delayed this
21. So instead, the revised route is to turn left onto the new footpath / cycle path after the sheep barn…
22. This is the path you’re going to follow pretty much all the way back to Kislingbury. Just watch out for cyclists coming up behind you! Again, ignore all the smaller paths going off to the left & right & keep on the concrete surface
23. Eventually ahead you’ll see the road you crossed earlier ahead of you…
And, as you approach it, you’ll see on the right, another blocked gate where the original Nene Way route would have come out
The traffic lights above are about 200 yards away from the ones we used to cross this road earlier…
24. Walk across the road & you’ll see a brand new gate with a Nene Path sign on it…
I’d suggest you might like to ignore it as a further 100 yards on there’s another new gate where the Nene Way comes back onto the hard surface!
25. Kislingbury can now been seen in the distance across the fields to the left…
26. The path passes a rather lovely bridge on the left…
When it bends sharp right take the small dirt track that continues straight ahead
On reaching the hedge turn left through the gap…
…& then across the bridge before turning right & following the Nene for a shorty distance…
27. The path veers sharp right & then exits onto the main road…
…where we turn left & head back towards the bridge leading into the village…
28. So…over the bridge pass The Cromwell Cottage again & then turn left down the alley…
…& then right at the bollards…
29. Before reaching the main road on the left’s a shop that used to be a traditional butchers…sadly no longer there
30. So now cross the main road, turn left & then first right & head back towards where we left the car near the mill
This really is a lovely flat little walk, ideal for a stroll either before, or after, a meal at one of the 3 pubs in Kislingbury. Go & give it a try..you won’t be disappointed
Go Walk!
Just walked this and it was great!
Thanks Kirk – glad you enjoyed it. We do live in a beautiful County. Keep walking. Kind regards. Dave
This butchers is now closed.
Thank you for the update Elizabeth. I’ll update the notes. Kind regards. Dave
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