8 December 2013: Blisworth to Nether Heyford

Walk descriptor	Test walk		Day	00
Date	Sun 8 Dec 2013		Start to end time	06h 54m
Start point	Blisworth		End point	Nether Heyford (loop)
Miles today	18.54		Cu miles	0,000.00
Ft today	774		Cu ft	000,000
Route miles left	0,000		Route ft left	000,000
Today’s weather	Low winter sunshine most of the day, quite mild for the time of year (about 8 C) and light south west breeze

Today’s location (the black spot shows where I am at the moment)		GPX based track of today’s walk (click here to access to access downloadable file)

Commentary

An really enjoyable day walk in Northamptonshire – a part of the country I normally just drive through on the way up North. Excellently organised by the Bucks, Beds and Northants group of the Long Distance Walkers’ Association. Started in the village of Blisworth and passed through Astcote, Eastcote, Nether Heyford (for lunch), Kislingbury and the outskirts of Northampton. Attractive, undiscovered villages along the way, built in almost-orange ironstone. Some interesting and unexpected sights along the way – including the Express Lift Tower in Northampton (looks for all the world like the chimney of a large power station but actually used by Otis to test lifts), the Heygates flour mill (which is apparently open for bulk sale of flour to the public) and the Blisworth Canal Tunnel which, at nearly 2 miles is the third longest canal tunnel in the UK. The walking was good – not too muddy and despite some rain last week, was mostly pretty dry. Finished back at the car park near Blisworth tunnel portal just as it was getting dark, in time to enjoy a spectacular sunset for the drive back home down the M1

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


Sheep grazing near Astbury	If you get the microscope out, you might make out the 3 deer in the centre of the photo

Grooves worn in the bridge by ropes attached to the horse-drawn tow-boats	Saturn 5 cast offs arrive at Heygates flour mill

Sculptures in scrap wire near Milton Malsor	Junction of Grand Union Canal and Northampton Arm at Blisworth Junction

The M1 at Rothersthorpe as you never saw it before..