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This description is started from the bus station in New Street, walking to Braunston or Willoughby and returning by bus.
From the entrance to the bus station walk right, past Tescos and down Little lane. Cross the road, walk round the back of the Holy Cross Georgian (1752) church and follow the path down, through the War Memorial onto the road. Cross the road and take the cycle-way under the main road (which follows the route of the old railway line).
Emerge on the end of the old Norton road, pass the sub-station and follow Norton road until you come to a path off on your left, take this for 200 yards and through a much graffitied underpass. Turn right at the end and follow the path trough trees and along the east side of the reservoir almost to the dam.
Pass either side of gorse bushes depending on the weather
Just before the dam and the wooden bridge over the old overspill channel fork off to the right onto the "set aside" and follow this keeping the new overspill channel to your left. Follow the "set aside", passing through an hedge with associated ditch for about 1000 yards to the Grand Union canal.
(If the weather has been very wet it may be better to fork less right and go down between the copse and the gorse bushes keeping the new overspill to your right. Follow the overspill channel until you come to a concrete bridge over the channel, cross here then turn left and follow the channel to the canal as before.)
Go round the end of the overspill channel and through the hedge onto the canal towpath, turn left along the towpath to Braunston tunnel. At the tunnel we must follow the route used by the towing horses. Go up the concrete ramp to its top then take the narrow path to the right of the green railings.
Follow this little used path past a copse of larches to a concrete surfaced lane, bear left here up to the A361 (note the tunnel ventilation shaft in the field to your left). Cross the A361 and follow the lane over the hill (to your left is a new pub occupying the old "Middlemoor Farm" buildings) past two more ventilation shafts until it descends via steps to the other end of the tunnel. Carry on along the towpath past several locks (at the third lock is the "Admiral Nelson" where you can eat and drink whilst watching boats negotiating the lock). Continuing down the locks at the last lock is an icecream and souvenir shop. (If you cross the canal here and walkup the hill you will emerge next to the village green and the "Wheatsheaf".) The towpath then crosses two side arms into the marina. (Between the two side arms is a bridge over the canal which leads to a path up to Braunston high street and the "Old Plough".) After the second side arm double back under the bridge and walk up to the main A45 road. Walk up the hill to your left to the bus stop from where there is an hourly bus service into Daventry. (Currently leaving at about 15 minutes to the hour (not Sundays/bank holidays)).
To extend the walk along the canal ignore the bridge over the canal and continue along the towpath over the second marina entrance. Note the iron bridge a mass-produced cast iron structure many of which were installed along the North Oxford canal when it was straightened.
Cross over two more of these bridges and continue along the right branch of the canal out into open countryside. After nearly 2 miles, at bridge 85, walk up through a small car-park and turn left down Lngdown Lane. In 100 yards, as the hill levels off, go over a stile on your left into the field. Follow the path to the opposite corner of the field, over the stile and across the A45. The path goes over a stile next to the left-hand gate and out across the field to a corner fence go down the side of the fence, through the gate and continue down the other side of the fence to a concrete surfaced path.
Turning left on this path will bring you out next to The Rose public house.
Turning right on this path will bring you out on Lower Street with the duckpond 50 yards to your right. After feeding the ducks retrace your steps back along Lower Street past the footpath to come out on the high street, turn left to get to the pub.
From the pub follow the high street up to the A45, ignore the bus stop by the pub as this isn't currently in use, cross the A45 and wait for the yellow Daventry bus at 38 minutes past the hour (not Sundays or bank holidays).