Distance 3.5 miles

Description Clockwise

Turn left out of Church Street, Cogenhoe and walk down hill along the Whiston Road and then turn right on a footpath in a south/east direction.

Continue with the hedgerow on your left, passing under electrical power lines.  The path follows the woodland perimeter to make two ninety degree turns before arriving at steps up a steep earth embankment.   At the top of the bank, turn left with the woodland on your left hand side until you arrive at the path junction.  Continue straight ahead into the woodland and down two flights of steps, taking care quite steep, to the bottom of the quarry.

The route bears right and then emerges from the woodland, crossing a track then continues downhill across a field and another track to a stream crossing.  Turn right along side the woodland and then left on a grass track in a south/east direction.

Cross the Denton/Whiston road and continue in the same direction with the hedgerow on your left.  Pass through a small woodland to arrive at Chadstone Lodge, turn right onto a small road that leads to Chadstone village

Chadstone is a small hamlet with no visitor facilities.

At a tee junction the road joins the Castle Ashby road, continue straight ahead to join a footpath.   Cross one field and then continue with a woodland on your right until the route turns right and then left to cross a stile giving access onto the grand drive in front of Castle Ashby house.   You must find time to enjoy this wonderful parkland.

Turn right, away from the house, cross the drive and after a short distance a join a footpath on your left.  With the hedgerow on your left follow this path down into Yardley Hastings.  On reaching a woodland, turn right and then left, over a stream and into pastureland.

Head due south/east across this undulating pastureland to a gate and track between houses to emerge in Castle Ashby road, cross the stream that runs through the village.

Continue across High Street into the churchyard of St Andrew’s Church  leaving by the gate into Church Lane.   Turn left along the High Street to the millennium seating area and village signpost, adjacent to the A428 road.

Yardley Hastings is a very pretty village, well worth exploration.   It has two public houses and a shop.

Description Anticlockwise

Yardley Hastings is a delightful village that warrants time to explore its many pathways and picture post card building.

Leave the comfort of the Millennium seating at the village signpost, adjacent to the A428 road.  Walk down the High Street, turning right into Church Lane and the churchyard of St Andrew’s Church.   Behind the Church you will find the old Manor House.   

When you leave the Churchyard, cross over the High Street into Castle Ashby Road.  Continue straight ahead and just before the road finishes, turn right onto a footpath that passes by  cottages, before emerging at a gate onto open pasture land.

Bear right across this undulating field to cross the bridge in the right hand corner.  Turn right, and then left at the first hedge line, walk straight ahead with hedge on your right. Cross a stile onto the grand approach drive leading to Castle Ashby House.  Turn right along the drive, walking towards the house, before crossing to the other side of the drive and another stile to join a footpath leading north – west.  Turn right through a gap in the woodland and then left to walk along edge of wood.  At the end of the wood continue in the same direction, across a field, to reach a stile in the hedge line and access to road, at junction with road into Chadstone.

Chadstone is a small hamlet with no facilities.  However, Castle Ashby village is only ¼ mile down the road, and has refreshments and a public house.

Our route takes us straight through Chadstone village passing by Paradise Pond at the bottom of the hill.  Continue straight ahead on the bridle track to Chadstone Lodge.    Now turn left ,with the hedge on your left.  Continue straight ahead passing through a woodland to reach a road .

Cross over this small road and down a grass track that swings right before turning left to a bridge over a stream.  Cross another track and continue straight ahead uphill to enter a wooded quarry area.  Bear left, at fork in path, and ascend flight of steps to emerge on edge of woodland.  Turn right on a path that follows the perimeter of the wood, on reaching a gate turn right down a flight of steps to follow path in a loop around the field keeping the wood on your right.

At the end of the wood continue with the hedge on your right, passing under electrical transmission lines before reaching the road.  Turn left and walk along this road into Cogenhoe.