|
|
From Daventry bus station turn left along New Street, past the police station, to the mini round-about. Bear right here, then turn right down Sheaf Street. On your left the Wheatsheaf nursing home, where Charles I stayed prior to the battle of Naseby, on your right Priestly Court (site of the home of Joseph Priestly, discoverer of oxygen).
Walk down Sheaf Street to the end of the pedestrianised section, then turn left along Warwick road, across another mini round-about, pass the Coach and Horses, cross Western Avenue, pass the fire and ambulance stations and use the under-pass on the right to go under Cavalry Way into Staverton Road.
As we walk up the road we get to see Staverton Hill, our first goal, ahead.
At the end of Staverton Road use the footbridge to cross the by-pass and continue along the old main road. At the second hedge on the leftt we can take one of two routes.
The first is to follow on to the main road and walk along the footpath towards Staverton, past the golf complex. At the end of the golf complex, where the road turns off to Staverton, there is a footpath across the field on the left. Go over the style to the right of the gates and head towards the dead tree on the far side of the field where we join the prettier, illegal, route.
The alternative is NOT a public footpath, but is far more pleasant. There is a private path throughout, with gates or styles at hedges.
Turn left into the field and walk up the hedge on the left, towards Stepnell spinney, continue past the spinney down to the lane and turn right to Staverton wood.
Follow the right hand edge of the planted wood through the gate and up the path to the top edge of the wood, through the gate and turn right along the top edge of the wood. At the end of the wood we cross an open coll, with extensive views to both sides of the hill, from here head to the gate in the hedge down to the left. Pass through the gate and follow the hedge, to your right, and continue down the hill with woods to the right and Whitmill farm down on the left. Go through the gate and then pass through the gap in the hedge to your right,
walk diagonally down across the field to the gate. Cross the next field, through the gate, cross the lane, through the next gate and head for the dead tree in the hedge to the left.Here we pick up the footpath which we turn left on to rejoin the legal route.
Cross rotten bridge and the two styles by the dead tree and follow the hedge on the left to the corner of the field. Over the style and across the field to the style onto the road. About 20 yards to the right the footpath goes off on the otherside of the road, climb over the style, turn left along the hedge, then right and off down the hill for some 600 yards to the end of the hedge. On your right is a newish wood, surrounded by Leylandii, cover for game birds. Turn some 45 deg. left and head across the field to an unmetaled road. Cross the lane and continue in the same direction as before with a ditch, bank and small lake to your right. At the end of this climb over the style into a very large field, normally with sheep in. Ahead, at the far end of the field, are some old farm buildings. Head for the left hand edge of these.
Cross the style and bridge over the ditch, turn right to the bottom of the field then left to follow the stream (river Nene). after 200 yards there is a path across the stream which leads up to the top end of Badby village, but this route is harder to follow. Continue along the left hand bank, over a style into the next field, then over a second style an immediately right across the stream. Head diagonally across the field towards Badby and emerge over a style onto the main road at Pinfold Green Badby. Cross the main road and the green (bus stop for Daventry at 5 or 10 minutes past the hour, not Sundays) to Badby high street. Walk up the high street, Maltsters on the right has food at most lunchtimes. If the Malsters is not serving food the Windmill, another 100 yards up on the right will be.
After lunch take the lane opposite the Maltsters, pass a lorry depot on the left then straight ahead onto a footpath. After 100 yards cross a small stream then a footpath and into a field. Go straight across the field ( 200 yards), over the style and the river Nene and follow the left bank of the river for nearly a mile before turning left along the hedge to the road. Turn right on the road into Newnham village, passing the Romer Inn (alternative lunch stop if you were too early at Badby) then the village school on your right. At a small grassy area on the left go through a gate into a field behind the houses, head for a transformer mounted on twin power cable poles, pass this and head acoss to the far corner of the field, over the style and follow the road up Newnham hill. Cross over the cross roads and continue uphill past the cemetary until, rounding a right hand bend you see an old barn on your right and the road going straight up the hill ahead. You can trudge up this to the lay-by at the top but it is pleasanter to go over the gate on the left and into the field. This is "access land"; with no right of way but permitted access. Head diagonally up the hill to the top corner of the wood on the left side of the field. Continue some 30 yards beyond the wood, through the gate and follow the faint path to the right past the radio mast. Head for Newnham windmill.
If you chose to follow the road up the hill (the ground by the gate is often very muddy) pass the radio mast on your left, into the lay-by and over the style. Head for Newnham windmill.
Beyond the mill is a gate, pass through this, go straight down the hill and out onto the side road to your right at the bottom. Follow the road down, over the by-pass and turn left at the bottom. Continue past the garage and take the first right, after the nursery, then turn left to a T junction turn right, then right again at the next T junction. Opposite the under-pass take the footpath on the left, follow this past the end of a close, up hill across the next road, across the next and then turn left into Tesco's car park at the rear of the bus station.