This “Walk from my Doorstep” has been sent to us by our lovely friend, Pete & his family (including Poppy!), who we’ve known for many years. It takes in some of the beautiful Pocket Parks where we all live in East Hunsbury
The parks are fabulous & you wouldn’t know that you’re in the middle of a housing estate, not alone the winner of Northamptonshire’s Large Village competition!! Indeed, it’s possible to walk through all the inter-connecting parks right down to the canal
But that’s a walk for another day
So Pete & family…show us your “Walk from my Doorstep”…
Let’s Walk!
The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 3 miles (4.82km)
Time to walk: Roughly 1 hour
Difficulty: Flat & easy, on a mixture of hard paths & park tracks
Parking: n/a
Public toilets: None
Map of the route:
1. Myself, Becca & Poppy started our walk from Oakgrove place…
At the junction with Limefields Way we turn right & walk up the hill to West Rising where we go left
2. Walk down to the end of the road until you come to the second cul-de-sac on your right…
The houses either side have wooden fencing &, as you walk between it, bear left & you will see a short hedge lined alleyway
3. This alleyway brings you to Wisley Close. Continue walking until you come to a T- junction & turn right onto Rosemoor Drive. At the next T junction cross over & turn left onto Granary Road.
Walk down to Stourhead Drive & turn right. Keep walking down Stourhead Drive until you see a path on the left…
4. Follow this path to a small park & turn right. Continue on this path through the park until you get to Thames Road & Rea Close Junction…
5. Cross over & walk across the grassy area down to the main road or, if preferred, keep on the hard path down to Penvale Road
When you get to the main road, cross over & walk towards the bus shelter…
6. Behind the bus shelter is an entrance to Penvale Park ( Penn Valley Park on the map). This entrance can be slippy when wet, so there is another entrance with a hard surface a bit further down if preferred
Walking into the park from bus shelter entrance we keep to the left…
…allowing Poppy lots of space to run & we walk across the park keeping the hard surface pathway on our right
7. When you get to the end of the park there’s a set of steps to take you up to Hilldrop Road…
At the top we turn right & walk up the hill…
8. As you walk up you are looking for a 5 bar-gate on the other side of the road on your left
This path takes you into Grangewood Park, which for 20 years I never knew existed (Northamptonshire Walks Ed. Note: “It’s our favourite”). Continue straight ahead on the path…
9. At this time of year it has a lovely display of bluebells once you enter into the small wooded area. It’s a brilliant place for dogs, children & adults to visit
Again lots of tracks to walk along…
10. We carry on straight and cross over a wooden bridge…
& then after crossing the main path, we turn right up a dirt track
11. As you exit the wooded area you will see play equipment just in front of you. If you walk to the right you should be able to see another gate over to the right…
12. Go through here into Peregrine Place, & stroll past some nice front gardens until you come to Hilldrop Road. In front of you will be Simon de Senlis school…
Cross over here & turn right & walk down the hill till you come to a gate on your left. Behind you will be a gate which you have seen before
13. Back to our route, turn left through the gate on your left which this brings you back into Penvale Park. Again there are lots of routes through here, but just follow your nose…
…turning right over the wooden bridge (Poppy was showing us the way!)…
…& then immediately left, until you return Penvale Road once more
14. Turn right & walk to the bus stop where we crossed over earlier…
Cross over and walk up the grassed area or path & follow the path & cross Thames Road again
15. Continue on the path through the green open space &, keeping right, we come back to Granary Road…
Cross over here & into a small park, bearing left. On reaching Butts Road turn left, passing the “Collingtree” pub, Tesco Express & the local chippy…
Keep on the path until you get to Limefields Way where we turn left & walk up to Oakgrove place, & back to our doorstep!
So that’s Pete & his family’s “Walk from my Doorstep”, a walk that we know very well. As Pete says the display of bluebells throughout Grangewood Park is always spectacular & worth a visit in its own right
Us “locals” are extremely lucky to have such beautiful pocket parks to get away from the all the strains of “lockdown”. So thanks Pete &…
Go Walk!