The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 5 miles (8.1km)
Time to walk: Roughly two & a quarter hours
Difficulty: A mixture of surfaces including canal paths. There’s a big hill at the start & end of the walk
Parking: Carefully on road in the High Street beside the Village Green
Public toilets: The Folly or the Kings Head Pubs about halfway round
Map of the route:
Napton on the Hill, often just referred to as Napton, is literally just over the County border in Warwickshire. The name means ‘settlement or farmstead on a hill’. The hill on which it refers to is just over 500 feet above sea level. Finds have dated back as far as the Neolithic & Bronze Age periods
In the 14th century Napton was granted a market charter by King Edward II & throughout the Middle Ages it was one of the largest settlements in Warwickshire. However the market died out, & the population of the village today of around 1000, is roughly the same as it was in the year 1400
Napton had a windmill by 1543 which we’ll see on this walk.
The first section of the Oxford Canal from Hawkesbury Junction was completed in 1771 & it reached Napton in 1774. This made the village the head of navigation for coal supplies to be forwarded by road to Banbury, Bicester, Woodstock & Oxford until 1777. The Oxford Canal’s chief engineer, Samuel Simcock, designed the canal to be a contour canal as much as possible, so he routed it around three sides of Napton Hill to minimise the number of locks needed. Even so, to climb from Napton Wharf to the summit pound at Marston Doles required eight locks around the hill & another at Marston Doles that between them raise boats by a total of 52 feet
In 1800 the Warwick & Napton Canal was completed, joining the Oxford Canal at Napton Junction
Today the village is also known for its herd of Buffalo & its associated range of products. See if you can spot them on your walk
This walk was tasked to 003.5 who loved it & believes we should claim Napton for Northamptonshire! Shall we go & have a look then?
Let’s Walk!
1. Our walk today starts on the lovely village green located in the High Street…
Head up the hill towards the church, which overlooks the whole area
2. Take the small path next to the white house & continue to climb the hill…
The path meets School Hill Road. Cross straight over this & keep heading upwards. Take your time as this is a steep hill…
3. Enter the grounds of St Lawrence Church & keep on the path round to the side…
The Church of St Lawrence dates back to the 12th Century. Local folk law suggests the Church should have been built at the bottom of the hill, but on three occasions the stones were moved overnight, hence its current position overlooking the village.
This is a familiar ‘legend’ as it’s one that’s also told about our own Stowe Nine Churches church (see Walk 111)
American actor Ed Bishop is buried in the churchyard who I remember well from my childhood days for playing Commander Ed Straker in the tv series UFO. He was also the voice of Captain Blue in Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons
4. Leave through the gate in the picture below & turn left, keeping to the track beside the churchyard…
The track’s easy to follow so just keep going
5. On reaching the junction with the small island, bear straight ahead up the hill…
On the right you’ll see a World War II Observer Post. The sign tells you that “It was part of a network of observer towers built for the purpose of providing a system for detecting & tracking aircraft. The Blitz on Coventry (to the north of this spot) in November 1940 would have been observed from the tower. Villagers also witnessed the event from these fields. The tree was planted on the 50th anniversary”
6. You’ll soon arrive at Napton windmill, now coverted into a house…
There’s been a windmill at Napton on the Hill since 1543 & it’s one of the great landmarks in Warwickshire. The current one you see today was built about 1835, but around 1900 it ceased to be worked with sails & was converted to steam, which powered it until about 1909
Early maps of the area reveal that there were once two windmills on the hill. They drew a regular & pure supply of water from underground springs & wells
7. Head right beside the fence & the path then takes you through a gate. Now it’s time to start descending the hill. Please note that after rain this path could be very slippery…
Keep following the path through the gate
8. Now it’s ‘Challenge Time’! At the large rocks please post a picture on our Facebook Group of you doing an impression of ‘The Lion King’…
Impression finished, carry on down towards the canal
9. The path reaches a road. Turn right along it & carefully cross over the canal bridge
Go down the path on the right to the canal. Head under the bridge. It’s now time to enjoy some canal towpath walking…
10. This is a lovely, scenic canal walking with some beautiful views…
As you pass under the bridge, you’ll find The Folly pub on your right, which we can imagine will be a great place to stop on a summer’s day
11. Continue along the towpath past the locks…
This is such a beautiful walk…
12. There quite a few locks along this stretch so, in the summer, there will be lots of activity…
I wonder if the small building could be the remnants of a lock cottage or some kind of pumping station
13. At Bridge 115 it’s time to leave the canal. Walk underneath it & join the road & then cross over the bridge…
Turn immediately through the metal gate on the left…
14. Now head diagonally right towards the farm buildings…
Walk over the makeshift bridge & continue directly ahead , following the way marker signs…
15. At the top exit through the gate & bear right onto the road…
This is a small village called Chapel Green Although it’s small, there was once a larger medieval village here. There’s no path so walk carefully along the left side which has plenty of space should traffic come
16. As the road bends to the right in the picture below, keep straight ahead following the lane. Keep to the edge as, although quiet, the lane does get some traffic
Shortly it bends to the right again at the sign. Leave the road at this point & join the track ahead through the gap
17. Go through the metal gate on the left in the picture below…
Now continue straight ahead keeping the hedge on your left. Go through the next smaller gate & continue up the hill
18. At the top’s another metal gate…
Go though it & head diagonally left towards the top left corner of the field to arrive at another gate…
Go through this too & carry on with the hedge on your left
19. This walk’s all about gates at the moment & you’ll arrive at another one…
After going through this one carry on along the track to arrive at a road
20. Once reaching the road turn right & then immediately left passing No.15…
Then immediately join the lane opposite & pass a farm building on the right…
21. Look out for the gate, in the picture below, on your left…
Go through the gate & now there’s one final climb ahead of you…
22. At the top of the path go through the gate & turn left down the street…
…to arrive back at the High Street where this walk started
23. Now here’s a nice treat to finish…a cafe / local shop & you have to see it to believe it as it’s a local farm shop also which is located on the right at the very bottom of the village green
Here’s the opening times so you can time your finish to perfection
So that’s it. Shall we claim it as our own?
It really is a terrific place to explore at a leisurely pace so…
Go Walk!