Daventry on Foot.

Sunday 2^nd June, 2013 still at Welton.

As it was a lovely sunny day, we decided not to move but to spend the day exploring Daventry. What a contrast to Coronation Day sixty years ago today, when it teemed with rain all day.

M had done a wash in the morning, so we set off leaving our unmentionables flapping gaily in the breeze on our rotary washing line above MM.  What if the “Notorious Northampton Knicker Nicker” was in the vicinity and we returned to find all our knickers nicked?  (Fortunately, this turned out not to be the case!)

At midday, we set off east along the towpath to bridge 7, then south on a footpath across the fields and then west again along the road towards M’s old house. Just over a mile as the crow flies, but nearly three miles observing the laws of trespass.  M’s old house was built in 1974 on Borough Hill and she and her family were the first occupants. One significant change was that the land behind the house, which used to be open hillside, is now densely covered in 30ft tall ash trees.   

Also, sadly a sign of the times was the six cars parked in front of the house and up the drive.

We walked on up Borough Hill to where the transmission masts for “2LO”, otherwise known as the BBC World Service, used to be. In M’s day the top of the hill was sealed off, but now it is an open park area with spectacular panoramic views across the countryside. All that was left of the transmission masts were the massive concrete foundations for the steel guy ropes that held the masts up. Sadly, the view also emphasised the extent to which Daventry has grown in the last thirty years with so many new buildings where there used to be fields. However, we did see that M’s old house is still at the eastern most tip of the town, which has grown in every other direction but this, so this area remains a quiet little corner of town with a wonderful natural playground for kiddies on the hillside behind.

We walked on down into the town on one of the footpaths that M used to use all those years ago to take Adrian and Elle to infant and junior school each day.  Surprisingly, given the burgeoning population of the town, the shopping centre had a vaguely run-down appearance. Its only real gems being a large Waitrose (where M once worked as Office Manager) and – to R’s delight – a Costa Coffee shop!  Having already walked well over four miles, we decided that he deserved a cappuccino!

Our route back to MM took us along the track of the old railway line, yet another casualty of dear Dr. Beeching. Sadly, on this trip, we have been become even more aware of the scale of the destruction of these local lines, which provided such a lifeline to rural areas and so many communities. Thank goodness that the same fate did not befall our waterways. At the same time as Dr B was wielding his hatchet, the waterways were in similar peril. Thank heavens that some sanity prevailed, as our canals are now an increasingly popular and valued part of our heritage, providing pleasure to so many (including us of course!).

Today: 0 miles and 0 locks.