The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 6 miles (9.65km)
Time to walk: We had a tearoom stop & with photos about 2.5 hours
Difficulty: A mixture of meadow paths & hard surfaces. Pretty much all flat though so easy walking
Parking: We parked on the street in Wansford over the bridge near the church
Public toilets: A couple of pubs en-route
Map of the route:
We’ve moved right across to the east of Northamptonshire for this walk which dips its toe briefly into Cambridgeshire
Most of it’s around the water meadows of the river Nene along the Nene Way, amongst lovely villages that remind us of the Cotswolds. It starts & ends in pretty Wansford renowned for its arched bridge & The Haycock Hotel coaching inn
Wansford lies literally just off the busy A1, but you could be miles away from this busy road. According to local folklore, the name ‘Wansford-in-England’ comes from the tale of a local man who fell asleep on a hayrick &, upon awakening, found himself floating down the River Nene. He asked a traveller on the riverbank where he was &, upon hearing the reply, “Wansford,” asked, “Wansford in England?”
The name stuck!
It also takes in Yarwell which has its own tales as we’ll see & the opportunity to have a ride back in time
So…Lets Walk!
1. We parked up on the Church side of Wansford’s old bridge in Peterborough Road. There’s plenty of space round here. To start our walk just head towards the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin…
…& then turn down towards the old bridge…
Some nice properties here
2. Wansford Bridge is quite famous & unfortunately, on this walk, we don’t get a really good view of it. Given the flood plains around here it’s been an important crossing for many years having been built around 1600
We don’t cross the bridge today, but take the footpath by the sign on the right…
If you have a look back you get a glimpse of the bridge which doesn’t really do it justice so we’ve also attached a photo we found elsewhere…
3. Pass through the gate over the stream & keep straight on across the field…
The trodden path’s pretty well marked so keep to the right & straight on…
It’s our old friend again…
…& eventually there’s another gate in the corner…
4. Pass through that one & then keep straight on through the next field…
It’s only early May, but the corn’s already well ahead…
5. At the end of this field’s a telegraph pole, where it’s a left turn down the track to head back to the river…
6. Turn right & it’s only about 300 yards, but this is a lovely stretch of the Nene..
7. Round the corner we arrive at a lock…
8. But don’t cross…instead turn right through the gate & head across the water meadow…
…& out of the gate the other side…
9. To our left’s Yarwell…well we’d better follow that dog & have a look at it…
…&, at the wall, exit through the gate & pass down the alley into the village…
10. Now you could turn left & just continue this walk, but Yarwell’s Church has a story to tell so why not turn right instead & have a look…
Yarwell’s name comes from ‘the spring where the yarrow grows’ & can be dated back to Roman times
11. So head up the hill & into the church…
In the church is a memorial to Humphrey Bellamy & local folk lore has it that he was born a poor beggar who decided to make his way to London to make his fortune – it’s thought this is the person who inspired the story of Dick Whittington was based on. He fell ill in Yarwell & the local people treated him so well that he promised that if he became rich he’d be buried in Yarwell & leave his money to the poor.
He did become rich & was made Alderman of London, dying in 1715. He stuck to his promise, leaving money to provide bread for the poor, to be put on his tomb in the church
His tomb is in the Chancel…
12. Right let’s crack on. Across the road from the church is a local watering hole…The Angel Inn
…but there’s no time to stop so head back down the street, passing where we emerged from the fields, & round the right hand bend…
…past the vets & looking for a signpost into the field on the left…
13. Walk down the track. Hopefully the alpacas will be in the field on the right. Follow the track as it bears right & continues to the end & through the gap in the hedge to the lane…
14. Turn left down the lane into Yarwell Mill Holiday Park…
Pass through the barrier
…following it round & across the back of the mill itself
15. After passing the mill, turn sharp right & across the bridges below…
…to reach the entrance into the woods as indicated by the signpost
16. Follow the path through the wood & along the edge of a field until reaching another bridge over the Nene – this is a walk where you’re never far from the river…
This area’s popular with dog walkers
Turn left over the bridge
17. Cross the Nene again & head straight on…
18. At the gate in the picture below, turn left along the field edge, keeping the hedge on your left…
It looks like there’s some serious fish in the private lake on the left…
19. Follow the edge of the field as it bends right & heads up the hill…
…& exit through the gate at the road
20. Over the road’s Sibson airfield which was built during the Second World War. The airfield’s now home to Peterborough Flying School & a very active parachute club
Turn left & walk along the verge to the junction…
21. Turn right down the lane & follow it down to the bottom of the hill…
…bearing right on the bridge over the busy A1. On reaching the junction after the bridge, turn right
22. Walk past the transport cafe & continue along the road towards Wansford Station…
23. Wansford railway station is the headquarters of the Nene Valley Railway. The station building opened in 1995 & contains a ticket office, shop, cafe & toilets. It was formerly the junction for a branch to Stamford
Wansford station & the line immediately either side of it, including the level crossing & the river bridge, appeared several times in the James Bond film Octopussy
Thomas?
The tea room’s worth a cuppa…
24. Suitably refreshed head down the narrow path by the side of the signal box & across the river…
…& at the end, go down the steps & turn left under the track
24. We’re back in the water meadows & the path is marked & well trodden so follow it for a couple of hundred yards & cross what remains of the wooden bridge…
Once across follow the grass path left towards the corner of the woods, crossing the stile on the way…
25. On reaching the wood, there’s another marker post so turn right & head towards the gate in the corner of the field
There’s a very impressive property on the left…
Tennis anyone?
26. Pass through the gate into the lane…
…& turn left to head into the lovely village of Sutton
27. Sutton can be dated back to Saxon times & the church on the left at the end of the lane dates back to the 12th century
Turn left past the church & then look for a signpost showing the path on the right…
28. The path leads through a gate to a playing field, but just keep heading straight towards the next gate…
29. We’re back in farmland which is mainly meadow with several grazing horses
After 200 yards, just before the track rises take a left turn & head towards the river, then follow the fence right by the tree stump
30. We’re now going to follow the Nene all the way back to Wansford & it was at this point that we began to regret wearing shorts – there’s several dense patches of nettles along here…
Nice stretch of the Nene
31. Pass through another gate & then through the gap in the hedge…
32. Continue to follow the river…
…towards the building in the distance
33. There were some Red Kites swooping round our heads here…
On reaching the fence containing the building turn right over a stile & up the grass bank & then left along the side of it to eventually arrive at another road
34. Turn left & follow the side road. Look out for the path on the left…
…& follow it down & under the A1 bridges
35. Turn right up the steep lane…
36. At the top turn left & walk back down into the village where we parked…
So Wansford…there we are
Looking at how many times we’ve walked along the Nene Way we can’t be too far from having done its whole distance – that could be the next biggie though!
It’s starting to seem crazy that we recommend every walk we do to you, but again this is a little stunner so…
Go Walk!
We walked this lovely walk today 19.09.23 and had lunch at nene vally rail station nice day out with the dogs few updates on route at 13, after the vet sign the gate is chained and padlocked so go though five bar gate to the left into campsite with wig wam tents after closing the gate take right fork to get back on track passed the alpaca fields . 14, the gate at yarwell mill in picture is no longer in use so go left of it then right and mill is then on left turn right opps mill to go over the two bridges to be back on route. 24, the bridge has now been re dune just follow the yellow topped posts. 30, nettles not a problem today walkers have made track away from river avioding the nettles so just follow wear others have walked cheers paul and sue cambs