Walking
WNC Walks Programme
West Northamptonshire Council Active Lives Team have a big ambition. We want to inspire people in West Northamptonshire to walk more often, particularly those who currently don't incorporate walking into their everyday lives. We want to help you find your own motivation to walk.
We have developed a regular programme of free and sociable group walks, led by trained volunteer walk leaders. West Northamptonshire has excellent locations with a huge variety of opportunities to explore the stunning countryside, historic towns, villages, canals, rivers and much more.
The walks offer helps support local communities to maintain active lifestyles and improve the health and wellbeing of local people.
The benefits of walking
There are several benefits of walking:
- it is accessible and free, and walking is a low impact activity
- it can boost your mood and improve your quality of life
- it can prevent and manage heart disease, diabetes, and many other long-term health conditions
- every minute counts, so even a 10 minute walk each day can make a difference
- it can be a sociable activity, helping to reduce loneliness and isolation
- it can help to maintain independence, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falls
- walking is suitable for people of all ages
- it is a great way to explore your local area
- it burns calories, helping you to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Most people can burn an average of 100 calories per mile walking
- walking is better for the environment than getting in your car
To get the health benefits, try to walk for at least 30 minutes as briskly as you can on most days of the week. ‘Brisk’ means you can still talk and you may be puffing slightly.
Moderate activities such as walking pose little health risk but if you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program of physical activity.
When going on one of our walks, please keep in mind:
- they do not take place on public holidays
- anyone under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult
Regular timetable of walks
Monday
| Location | Frequency | Time | Meeting point | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billing | Weekly | 10am | Bellinge Community House, Fieldmill Square, NN3 9AQ at which refreshments are available after | 40 minute walk |
| Billing | Weekly | 10:45am | Bellinge Community House, Fieldmill Square, NN3 9AQ at which refreshments are available after | 1 hour walk |
Tuesday
| Location | Frequency | Time | Meeting point | Further Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weston (NN12 8PU) | Weekly | 9:30am | Meet on West High street outside Baptist Chapel | Long Walk – Usually 2 to 4 miles Slow Walk - Roughly 2 miles Both walks take around 1hr 30mins Coffee & cake afterwards at around 11am |
| St Crispins (NN5 4XD) | 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesday of the month | 1:30pm | Starts and finishes at The Memorial Car Park, by the wooden soldier, Berrywood Road | 45 to 60 minute walk |
| Duston (NN5 6EX) | 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month | 1:30pm | Starts and finishes at Duston Sports Centre | Circular route for up to one hour No obstacles such as stiles Refreshments and chat at the end for those who wish to stay |
| Eastfield (NN3 2QY) | Weekly | 10:30am | Meet outside Broadmead Church by the notice board | 45 to 60 minute walk |
Wednesday
| Location | Frequency | Time | Meeting point | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brackley (NN13 7AB) | Weekly | 10am | Meet outside the Town Hall | 90 minute walk |
| Daventry (NN11 4FP) | Weekly | 12pm | Meet at Everyone Active (Daventry Sports Centre) | 30 minute walk approximately |
| Moulton (NN3 7TA) | Weekly | 10:30am | Meet opposite Moulton Working Men's Club on the High Street | 45 minute walk |
| Delapre Abbey (NN3 7TA) | Weekly | 10am | Meet at the car park at the Abbey end of the main drive | 45 to 60 minute walk |
| Harlestone Health (NN5 6UJ) | Weekly | 2pm | Meet by disabled bays in the car park of the garden centre | 45 to 60 minute walk |
Thursday
| Location | Frequency | Time | Meeting point | Further Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aynho (OX17 3AP) | Weekly | 10am | Meet at the Pavilion on the Aynho recreation field, off The Portway | 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hour walk |
| Aynho Strollers (OX17 3AP) | Weekly | 10am | Meet at the Pavilion on the Aynho recreation group, off The Portway | 1 hour 15 minutes walk |
| Cogenhoe | Fortnightly | 10am | Meet at the scout hut on Short Lane | 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Daventry Country Park (NN11 2JB) | 1st Thursday of every month | 10am | Meet at the play area | This is a Macmillan Walk - for anyone affected by cancer |
Friday
| Location | Frequency | Time | Meeting point | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grange Park (NN4 5BE) | Weekly | 9:30am | Foxfield Pavilion Foxfield Country Park Foxfield Way, Northampton NN4 5BE Continue to the end of Foxfield Way where there is a free Car Park | 1 hour walk
|
| Kings Sutton | Weekly | 9:45am | Meet at the Memorial Hall just off Astrop Road next to the village green | 1 hour 30 minutes walk |
| Towcester (NN12 6HZ) | Weekly | 10am | Meet in the Waitrose car park at cafe end | The walks are all on pavements/footpaths, there are no stiles and can take between 30mins to an hour to complete. There are some “gentle” hills |
| Bradlaugh Fields (NN2 6HZ) | Weekly | 2pm | Meet at Bradlaugh Fields Barn | 30mins slow walk over rough terrain Spend time connecting with nature, identifying wildflowers, trees and wildlife and embedding mindfulness and awareness of the surroundings |
(NN11 4FP) | First Friday in every month | 9:30am | Meet outside front of Daventry Leisure centre Please contact the Walk Leader Mariet Tidmarsh by email if you would like to attend at [email protected] | 1 hour 30 mins Roughly a 5K around the lake at Daventry Country Park and back to starting point |
Delapre Abbey (NN4 8AW) | 11am | Meeting place is at the gate near the Car Park | 1 hour walk followed by a short 15 minute walk at 12:15pm Coffee at the cafe afterwards. This walk is a Macmillan walk for anyone affected by cancer. |
Saturday
| Location | Frequency | Time | Meeting point | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartwell (NN7 2HE) | Weekly | 10:20am | Meet at the Hartwell and District Conservative Club | 1 hour 30 minutes walk |
Sunday
| Location | Frequency | Time | Meeting point | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towcester (NN12 6HZ) | Weekly | 10:30am | Meet in the Waitrose car park at cafe end | The walks are all on pavements/footpaths, there are no stiles and can take between 30mins to an hour to complete. There are some “gentle” hills |
How to become a walk leader
Volunteer walk leaders help people in their community to get active and healthy, providing vital support they may not receive elsewhere. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer Walk Leader, you can access free training and resources.
For further information contact the WNC Active Lives Team at [email protected].
The following tips can help you keep safe on walks:
- make sure you have a fully charged mobile phone in case of an emergency
- a phone will also enable you to track your walk on an app. Have a whistle to attract attention. Plan your route so you don’t get lost
- always wear a comfortable pair of trainers or walking shoes. Wear layers of clothing
- take a waterproof/windproof jacket or clothing
- be seen – wear reflective clothing and carry a torch if it’s dark
- check the weather forecast before you leave
- take sun cream and a sunhat if it’s hot or gloves and a woolly hat if it’s cold
- have food and water to keep hydrated and keep energy levels up
- if you’re walking alone, let someone know where you’ll be walking and when you expect to return
Many walking apps have personal safety features to track your location and send updates to designated contacts in case of emergency:
- Streetsafe is a pilot service for anyone to anonymously tell the police about public places they feel unsafe
- St Johns Ambulance app gives you instant access to the information you need to know to handle the most common first aid incidents and emergency situations. It’s simple to follow with illustrated guides and voiced instructions. Available on Google Play and the App Store
- What3Words makes it easy to find, share and save precise locations. Available on both Google Play and the App Store
- Go Jauntly
- Active 10 anonymously records every minute of walking you do. Just pop your phone in your pocket and away you go! Available on Google Play and the App Store
- Good Gym: A community of runners, walkers and cyclists who combine regular exercise with charity to help local communities
- MapMyWalk
- Geocaching
- Walkmeter tracks more than 250 statistics, plus maps, graphs, splits, intervals, and zones, temperatures, and weather conditions. It shows you terrain and traffic with Google Maps
- Star Walk 2 is a star gazing app thats uses your devices sensors and GPS to identify the stars, planets and the constellations of the night sky
- PictureThis can identify the local or global species of plants, flowers and trees that you’re bound to encounter outdoors. The app is also a handy companion if you are exploring with curious children or pets so you can keep them away from plants which may be toxic to them
- Picture Insect allows you to take photos, or upload photos, of insects so it can identify them for you
- The Ramblers are a charity dedicated to removing barriers so everyone can enjoy walking in green spaces and to preserving and improving hundreds of thousands of miles of well- loved paths, tracks and trails across England, Scotland and Wales
- Northamptonshire Walks is a walking blog showcasing hundreds of walks across the county. There is an extensive resource of walking routes for you to try varying from 20 minutes upwards across the county
- Country Parks, Parks and Open Spaces within West Northamptonshire
- Salcey Forest
- Sensory Walks allow you to use your senses to connect with your surroundings whilst staying active. Sense has partnered with Ordnance Survey to help you find sensory waling routes, as well as developed resources and training to support you to use your senses to connect with nature
- Self-guided walks of Daventry - Museum Volunteer, Mike Arnold, has compiled his knowledge and history of Daventry’s beautiful, open spaces and created these fascinating self-guided walks
- Paranormal Hunts - Explore the haunted history of West Northamptonshire with ghost hunts, offering a unique and thrilling experience at various haunted locations
Walking websites and additional links
Walking with Children
Last updated 23 July 2024