Townor one

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I travelled down from Northampton to undertake this excellent expedition, a walk divided neatly into two contrasting halves: the first a long, unhurried companionship with the Grand Union Canal; the second a rural ramble over fields and quiet ways towards Towcester. It is a route that rewards patience, stout footwear, and an eye for the small curiosities that accumulate along the miles.

The departure from Northampton town centre is not, it must be said, the most inspiring overture, a brief acquaintance with busy roads, but the walker is soon granted relief at Cotton End, where the River Nene offers a calmer prospect. The path heads west, slipping past the Carlsberg brewery and beneath a succession of bridges: Towcester Road, a disused railway viaduct so low it seems to stoop apologetically, and then the more imposing Leah Viaduct. Beyond the railway the town loosens its grip, and open ground leads gently to the Northampton Arm of the canal.

Here begins the long, level middle act of the day. For four or five miles the canal is a faithful and agreeable companion, its banks lined with locks, bridges, and the quiet industry of boatyards. There is much to notice: a drawbridge of pleasing antiquity, the thunderous M1 carried overhead with surprising grace, a scattering of mosaic plaques set into the grass for the observant, and the comings and goings of Gayton Marina. At Gayton Junction the Northampton Arm merges with the Grand Union proper, and the towpath continues past Blisworth Marina, under the A43, and beneath the busy West Coast Main Line, whose trains provide a fleeting, noisy contrast to the canal’s slow rhythm.

At Chapel Lane bridge the route parts company with the water and makes a deliberate detour into Blisworth, a tidy and welcoming village where refreshments may be taken at the pub should the walker feel inclined. Orange sandstone buildings lend warmth to the streets, and a short stretch of road walking on Stoke Road leads to a vantage point above the canal portal of the Blisworth Tunnel. From here the path crosses fields where horses graze contentedly, and a ventilation shaft for the tunnel stands like a solitary sentinel in the landscape.

The remainder of the journey follows the rural footpaths of the Northamptonshire Round, threading through farmland and meadows towards Shutlanger, a quiet place, with a pub available by minor diversion for those who value such civilised interruptions. A short spell of verge‑hopping along Main Road is required to escape the village, but soon a footpath reappears and leads the walker past wide agricultural fields and through generous meadows to Hulgate. The final approach skirts the Easton Neston estate before a last, modest stretch of pavement walking ushers one into Towcester.

A pleasant walk with varied terrain. Quite a bit alongside the canal, a few hundred yards on small roads through Blisworth, and then over the fields including half a mile alongside woods then quite a distance over flat meadows before the last half mile on road in to Towcester.
The walk was in January so the going was quite muddy underfoot but otherwise it was easy.

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