Last night there had been some rain but it didn't last
long. It was a quiet night but the birds started singing very loudly
before 4am. I was packed up and away by 6:50am and returned to the
cycle track and down to the road for a while. I joined another cycle
track that climbed up to Draycot Water which is a reservoir
supplying drinking water to Rugby. The track went through a wooded
area with a couple of nice picnic areas that would have made
excellent camping spots.
Stocks in Dunchurch
I joined the roads and continued to a left
turn where I crossed a canal by a narrow bridge. It was the Oxford
Canal but the towpath was fairly decrepit and too difficult for a
road bike. Thankfully I continued along the road to a right turn at
the village of Barby. The road was fairly quiet and I continue to a
junction of five roads. As I crossed over to a narrow lane a van
driver stopped and asked me how many miles I had cycled. He said he
was about to start cycling again as he did a long ride some years
ago after leaving the army and cycled to Morocco. We said our
goodbyes and I continued along the lane to eventually cross the M1
motorway at Watford Gap Services.
The roads were now relatively
quiet and I continue to a steep climb up into Great Brington
Village. I made a sharp left then along a lane through open
countryside with no walls or hedges until I came to the Country
House of Althorp. It is the home of the Spencer family and has
been owned by Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer since 1992. It was
also the home of his sister, Lady Diana Spencer later Princess of
Wales, before her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales. Lady Diana
died in a car crash on 3st1 August 1997.
Grand Union Canal Northampton
I could see it across open land and although there have been a high
wall there was a section that was lower and hidden in a ha-ha. This
is a method of maintaining a boundary that cannot be seen. A few
miles further on I reached the outskirts of Northampton where I
joined the cycle track to the south of the town. It was fairly grim
in places but it was a good way of avoiding the busy roads.
Eventually it reached better territory and followed the route of the
River Nene.
Nene Way Northampton
I reached a
skateboard park where there was an open Cafe and I stopped for a ham
and cheese sandwich costing £2.70. For the next few miles the cycle
track run parallel to the main road until I left it and re-joined
the road through Ecton and Earls Baron. I reached the village of
Wollaston and stopped at the top of a hill to photograph an amusing
road name of Bell End. I continued to the town of Rushden where I
stopped to buy water at the Lidl supermarket. The weather was still
overcast but quite warm and pleasant cycling conditions, especially
as I had a tail wind. On the approach to the village of Yelden I saw
signs advertising and art exhibition in the church. In the village I
left the road to cycle to the church which was unfortunately locked.
The exhibition was due to start at 2 p.m. and I was 30 minutes too
early. However I was surprised that no one was about. I left the
village and continued to Pertenhall and then on to Stonely. There
was a steep climb out of the village along a minor lane through open
fields. The cycle track turned right along a concrete road to a
farm. The route by-passes the farm along a rough and stony track
across a field and eventually joined a decent cycle track near
Grafham Water. I followed the track through woods and descended to
an open grassy area adjacent to the reservoir. I had now done 60
miles and decided this would be my camp for the night.
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Whittle Wanderer
