Here on the left is a picture taken in 1905, where our walk started. The gate and fence is now the location of St Judith’s lane car park. Regrettably, the thatched cottage is long demolished, replace by a large, modern house. Between the two trees on the right can just be seen the edge of Aversley wood.<\/div>\r\n
The plan was to take a walk that explored the rolling wheat fields of Northwest Cambridgeshire, passing through Little and Steeple Gidding then finishing with a walk through the length of Aversley wood. So that is what we did.<\/p>\r\n
More wheat fields but ahead in the distance we can see Aversley wood, it is becoming warmer and the shade will be welcome. It is also our lunch stop.<\/p>\r\n
The Woodland Trust do a good job in looking after the woods and logging work is currently ongoing to maintain the site, including dealing with ash dieback. After exiting the wood, in a short distance we see the roofs of Sawtry ahead. We enter St Judith\u2019s Field, near our walk\u2019s end, where the newly installed skate park is being well used by children of the village.<\/p>\r\n
It was indeed hard to restrain some of our group from rushing forward and pleading with the children to give them a go!<\/p>\r\n
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SPLASH LANE and along the river 5 August 2021<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBy Dawn Sadler<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
19 Peterborough Group Ramblers met up on Thursday 5th August 2021\u00a0 to complete the lovely river walk from Splash Lane Castor.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Luckily the rain held off as we all walked across the glorious countryside and never far away from the River Nene on our right. Usually we see lots of boat owners seemingly enjoying their wonderful river wandering lives but today not many were on the water.\u00a0However a lovely robin blessed the group and even posed for a picture!\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Luckily there was hardly any muddy areas on the walk which we were all thankful for. A lovely walk was enjoyed by all with only a few drops of rain at the end.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
FOLKSWORTH 22 JULY 2021<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n By Muddy Boots<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
It was going to be \u201cscorchio\u201d, as Caroline Aherne would have described Thursday\u2019s weather many years ago on the Fast Show. Several people dropped out because of this and the walk leader decided to cancel. Folksworth is virtually a home fixture for me so I decided to do the walk anyway, being very familiar with the many public footpaths around the village. I posted this on our WhatsApp group, inviting anybody who wanted to join me on what would be a non-Ramblers Association walk and four members of the group opted to brave the weather.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Folksworth village pond, next to where we park, was looking an unpleasant brownish \/grey colour. This did not seem to be putting off the water fowl or a number of largish fish swimming just below the surface catching insects. They would have proved far too big for the juvenile heron stood on a large, part submerged branch, its body perfectly still, just its head slowly rotating as it looked for more suitably sized lunch in the murky water. I must have stood for a good twenty minutes, camera poised and wouldn\u2019t you know it, I lowered it for a second and the heron\u2019s head ducked into the water returning with what looked like a good sized goldfish in its beak!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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We headed out of the village on a mix of well mown bridle paths, (there is a nearby stable) and overgrown public footpaths. After a short distance we see close ahead of us the mighty 98 metre tall Morborne BT transmitter tower with its adjacent even taller lattice mast, landmarks on many of our walks in the area. The walk is generally unremarkable but we have good views towards Peterborough with the Showground and the huge new distribution centres clearly visible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Perhaps the most interesting feature of the walk is the site of the medieval village of Washingley that we bypass, recorded in the Domesday Book as having 22 households. A short distance on we pass the site of the small motte and bailey which formed part of the village. Continuing, we enter a small spinney, via a very sturdy stile, onto an overgrown path which contains the site of the village fish ponds and a good sized fishing lake.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
We finish our walk, just under 5 miles, back in Folksworth, surprisingly unbowed by the weather, probably helped by the low humidity and a number of water\/rest stops.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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ASHTON 15 JULY 2021<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Muddy Boots<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Our walk this week was again led by Stan who last week took us along the banks of the River Great Ouse, this week we are walking out of the small village of Ashton along the River Nene. (Pronounce it as you will). You could easily miss the turning into Ashton, direction to the village being only by a small sign. The village is extremely pleasing to the eye with a muster of peacocks seeming to have free range about the place. Ashton was essentially rebuilt in 1900 by the Rothschild family, mainly Charles, a keen naturalist and conservationist, with water and electricity delivered to the village for the first time from the nearby mill on the Nene.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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About thirty of us began the walk through the church grounds with the church itself bearing a stone plaque in memory of Charles Rothschild. The public footpath towards Oundle seemed infrequently used, judging by the thick foliage obstructing the path in places, with one or two nettles waiting for the unwary. Oundle church is prominent in the distance to the west, with its extremely distinctive, very tall, narrow spire, a distinctive landmark on many of our walks. We crossed the busy A605 safely, soon joining the footpath along the eastern bank of the Nene, passing through the Oundle School boathouses. The weather was perfect for summer walking, cloudy, not too humid but no chance of rain. We followed the river for about 2km, stopping to watch three river cruisers attempting to negotiate a small lock while at the same time trying to corral their dogs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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After passing a very grand house as we enter Cotterstock village, we go on to pass Cotterstock Hall, almost entirely out of view but apparently an even more splendid building, with the poet John Dryden being a frequent visitor in his day. It was also the location for a 2012 film starring a very famous actor but I leave you to find out who yourselves, answers on a postcard to our webmeister [who incidentally at this moment doesn’t have a clue what the answer is! – Tony]<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Leaving the village, now on the west bank of the Nene, we head through pleasant countryside, entering the outskirts of Oundle via extensive sports grounds, more Oundle School property perhaps? Crossing the busy road we turn away from the town, gathering together adjacent to the Tap and Kitchen and Nene Valley Brewery, definitely worth a visit. Dropping down onto the river flood plain we make our way along the bank to the bridge that leads us to the aforementioned mill that provided electricity to the village, regrettably now long closed down.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Our final few hundred metres is along a section of the Nene Way Long Distance Path, bringing us to the end of the walk outside the Chequered Skipper pub, restaurant and wedding venue. The thatched roof pub was apparently gutted by fire in 1996 but has been well restored and a number of us settled down on the green outside for a refreshing drink.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The subject of the world conker championships came up; it took place right where we were sitting from 1965 until 2009. The event, unfortunately for Ashton, then seemed to fall victim of its very popularity as it moved to Southwick a few miles away to enable it to accommodate more players, spectators and stalls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Next week to Folksworth, regrettably no river but parking near to the village pond if water is your thing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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A\u00a0very\u00a0well\u00a0supported\u00a0walk\u00a0set\u00a0out\u00a0from\u00a0All\u00a0Saints\u00a0Church,\u00a0Wittering,\u00a0accompanied\u00a0by\u00a0the\u00a0local\u00a0vicar.\u00a0![\"\"](\"https:\/\/peterboroughramblers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Witt2-300x200.jpg\")
Fortunately we were soon into some attractive woodland and undulating fields as we made our way to the village of Thornhaugh and skirted around the well manicured grounds of Thornhaugh Hall Estate. Some remembered the tragic connection of the Hall to the owner, killed nearby in a helicopter crash\u00a0\u00a0a few years ago.<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/peterboroughramblers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sawtry-300x207.jpeg\")
This Sunday walk was at last taking place after two cancellations over the past eighteen months. It had been originally planned as 8.5 miles but because of a footpath closure had to be re-jigged to just over 7. Ten of us met on a cool, pleasant morning at the car park in St Judith\u2019s Lane Sawtry with two new members joining us.<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/peterboroughramblers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sawtrymiddle-169x300.jpg\")
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Mid-august is for harvesting and farmers do not take a rest on Sundays at this critical time. Our first encounter with one of their monster machines was in a farmyard, seeing the operator fiddling with the on-board computer before setting out into the fields. We took a short coffee stop in the well-tended garden of the Friends of Little Gidding, existing to maintain the beauty and spirituality of the church and its surroundings. Also celebrated is the connection with the poet TS Eliot, who\u2019s \u201cLittle Gidding\u201d was the final part of his Four Quartets. The Via Beata is a long distance footpath between Lowestoft and St David\u2019s in Wales and Little Gidding is one of the way stations on the rout, marked by a hand carved display.<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/peterboroughramblers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sawtrylast-1-300x260.jpg\")
With fine views out to the West, we soon pass the church of Steeple Gidding with its small handful of dwellings. More monster machines are at work with tractors dashing about to ferry the wheat to the barns. We pass the now closed footpath that we should have taken and divert along the road to our alternative.<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/peterboroughramblers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/sawtry-end.jpg\")
The tracks in Aversley wood can be extremely soggy underfoot, even in summer. However, this year the going is much firmer than I remember for a long while.<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/peterboroughramblers.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/CASTOR1-1024x768.jpg\")
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