Hardwick walks

Seven miles of glorious Northamptonshire countryside through 3 attractive villages and passing by the impressive Drayton Hall.

My favourite ramble which begins and ends at St Denys Church, Cold Ashby. This is a proper ramble with both hard and soft surfaces and good views from Honey Hill.

Enjoy the open views over farmland in East Northamptonshire and view parts of RAF Molesworth (from a distance).

A lengthy Northamptonshire walk that explores the countryside to the north-west of Northampton. The route uses a section of the Jurassic Way, the towpath of Grand Union Canal, fields paths and country lanes. Winwick is a small rural community of some 40 souls, according to their website, situated off the A428 north of West Haddon and west of Northampton.

A North Bedfordshire walk along the Ouse Valley Way between Oakley and Carlton taking in the charming villages of Pavenham, Sharnbrook, and Odell. Follow the river from Oakley through to Stevington where The Ouse Valley Way is clearly waymarked all the way through to Carlton
Although the Ouse Valley Way does not actually go into Oakley, there is a convenient bus stop here that links the two ends to this walk. The bus stop is a mile or so from the river, from where there is a footpath which joins the official route at Stevington and then winds its way through the rolling Bedfordshire countryside. There's plenty to see and explore along the route with medieval river bridges, the Holywell at Stevington, the ghostly tales of Odell and the picturesque villages of Pavenham, Radwell, Sharnbrook, and Harrold.

Taking in the road walking along the A45 but with nice views of rolling countryside, a saunter along the Grand Union, (there's a memorial bench under the A45 to rest and lunch and keep dry), and then heading off the canal towards the village of Dodford with a Grade 1 listed church to visit. Parking at the village hall or opposite the church.

This walk includes three counties and starts from the attractive village of Lyddington in Rutland before continuing through pleasant countryside in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. The route includes the villages of Stockerston, Great Easton, Rockingham and Gretton. The walk also includes a section of the Jurassic Way.

A fairly flat route that follows a former railway line, the Grand Union Canal and passes through Stanton Low and Linford Manor Park.

Country walk with a halfway treat. Pass through open countryside alongside streams and through woods.
Finish up with a pub lunch or refreshing drink at the Pheasant pub.

A riverside walk along the Ouse Valley Way between Bedford and St Neots.
Despite the increasing urbanisation between Bedord and St Neots, the riverside sections of this walk provide some pleasant rambles. Particularly notable is the 15th century river bridge at Great Barford and the riverside parks at St Neots.

This walk starts and ends at Willen Local Centre (parking). You travel northwards to Tongwell Lake, then westwards to the Grand Union Canal at Giffard Park. Much of the route is southwards alongside the canal until reaching Campbell Park. The route continues southwards beside the canal, leaving the Canal Broadwalk to enter Woolstone in the direction of The Barge pub. It then continues towards the River Ouzel, turning northwards towards Willen Lake and from there back to Willen Local Centre.

The walk starts at the car park for the Tree Cathedral on Livingstone Drive, Newlands - close to Gulliver's Theme Park and the David Lloyd Sports Centre.

This lengthy Leicestershire walk visits the rolling landscape to the south-east of Tugby to reach the village of Hallaton. The route turns west following the Leicestershire Round footpath to Glooston from where a return to the starts is made through Noseley and Rolleston. The walk follows generally well-marked paths and bridleways.

A fairly easy walk from Ye Olde Swan at Woughton on the Green that follows the Grand Union Canal to Campbell Park, returning via Woolstone. All on surfaced paths.

This is a reasonably flat walk, much of it beside water (river, canal and lake).

This is a circular walk, along footpaths, red ways and a canal towpath. The walking is easy and accessible year round. It is wheelchair friendly, although there is one incline at the beginning of the trail which could present problems for some manual wheelchair users.

A linear Leicestershire walk which uses paths and bridleways to explore the countryside to the south and east of the Billesdon. Return to the start can be made using Centrebus route 747 which has a regular service between Skeffington and Billesdon.

Starting near the site of Catherine of Aragon's house arrest and venturing into the surrounding areas. You'll see some lovely rolling countryside with views to the Chilterns and across Marston Vale to Bedford. The walk takes in a variety of environments : farmland, woods, an ancient meadow, parkland with Capability Brown landscaping, the ruins of a Jacobean/Classical mansion and memorials to Catherine of Aragon and the men of the Bedfordshire regiment who trained in the park and died in WW1.