localwalk

Nicholas Rudd-Jones

This is the perfect walk for spring/early summer. It has just about everything you could wish for in the region - a charming village, a winding river, contours, ancient buildings, woods and heathland...oh, and red kites. Huge credit goes to all those who created the Lyveden Way in 2005. It's a lovely path, beautifully maintained and well marked

© National Trust

Directions

1. The walk begins from the pubic car park at the end of the road just beyond the King's Head. Climb up the steep hill towards the church and then take the path beyond it. After a couple of hundred yards you will go over a cattle grid and reach a small road.
2. Turn left along the road and after a short distance a footpath takes off on the right along a field boundary.Take this to the next minor road.
3. At this road, turn left through metal gates onto a wide track. Follow this for about 0.5 miles, then turn right along a footpath leading NW toward the large woods. The path starts to go along the edge of the wood.
4. After about 0.5 miles in the wood, you reach a more defined track, which you follow. Shortly you reach a bigger, metalled track, going in both directions - turn right here and follow this track until you are almost out of the wood on the W side.
5. Just before emerging, there is a tiny track through a copse on the right which brings you out onto the edge of a field.Turn right after about a hundred yards, heading straight towards Lyveden New Bield (another part of the Lyveden Way takes you to Fermyn Woods in the other direction - ignore this).
6. From Lyveden Bield a bridleway takes you SE straight through Lilford Wood.You emerge on the other side, cross a footbridge over a brook and ascend onto a metalled track. Follow this all the way past Wadenhoe Lodge and back to the small road.Turn right at the road, then shortly left, along the edge of a field to another road.
7. Cross the road and go into a field (great views) which takes you back to Wadenhoe. The track skirts just to the right of some dips and then goes between two houses back onto the village street.

Points of interest

Wadenhoe

Mentioned in the Domesday Book, and in 1298 was part of the Earl of Lincolnshire's Deer Park.There is a useful information sheet on the notice board in the car park. Apparently the name means 'Wada's spur of land'.

Lyveden New Bield

A 1600s hunting lodge that was never quite completed, it has a beautiful, mysterious quality about it today.

Open 10.30am to 5pm Wed-Sun (additionally Mon/Tue in Aug). Entrance costs £3.62 for adults; free for children and NT members.Tel: 01832 205358 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyveden

The wide track

The wide track after Point 3 is of ancient origin, probably first created by the Saxons, and once formed a section of the road from Oundle to Thrapston. It continued its use throughout the Middle Ages and into the days of coach travel.

factfile

Distance 6.5 miles
Typical time 2.5-3 hours
OS map Explorer 224 or Landranger 141 (always walk with an OS map)
Start & Finish King's Head,Wadenhoe (public car park 20 yards beyond it)
Terrain Very well looked after tracks, and previously boggy path through wood has now been beautifully re-laid
Stiles None
Getting there 2 miles to the W of the A605, 4 miles south of Oundle
Refreshments The King's Head at Wadenhoe (Tel: 01832 720024) is full of character, good food and good ales. Thoroughly recommended, with outdoor seating down to the river.