52.21 mile anti-clockwise to Grounds Cafe at Salcey Forest

Anti-clockwise southwest across to Moulton via Hannington – south via Preston Deanery to Salcey Forest Grounds Café – to loop back via Cogenhoe – across to Earls Barton and to Orlingbury before retracing our route back to Kettering.

2,473ft of climbing

Starting at Sainsbury’s Kettering

Leave Kettering out south past the Rugby ground to Pytchley Lane and up to the village of Pytchely.  A left/Right over the crossroads and out of the village onto Orlingbury were we start our anti-clockwise loop forking right at the Church to head to Hannington, crossing over the A43 at the petrol station, and passing through the village to the t-junction (be careful here, as it can be dirty on the junction and the cars are not seen until the last minute, be prepared to stop!) here we turn left into Holcot. Passing through the village and out to Moulton filtering onto the one way section before turning left onto the Overstone Road heading eastward to the A43 roundabout, where we continue straight onto the Sywell Road toward Overstone.

Passing through Overstone just before the end of the village we take the tight right onto Ecton Lane, taking us southward to the A4500 offset crossroad, where we do a left/right to go straight on and through Ecton, keeping left as we pass the pub and at the fork in the road continuing through the village and remaining on Ecton Lane, we pass the recycling centre to the t-junction where we take a left.

Passing Billing Aquadrome, the garage and over the traffic light controlled narrow bridge at the Mlll. We then take the next right that heads to Little Houghton, and after the left bend, at the cross roads, we take a right and continue to the t-junction of the A428. Here we turn right again and travel a short distance to take the next left to Great Houghton.

Continuing south to Preston Deanery, Quinton, before the stretch down to Salcey Forest where we’ll take a well earned rest at Ground Café, after a refuel we start heading east before aiming north to Horton, then take the right to Brafield, and coming out onto the A428 where we take a left, and then immediate right into Brafield village. As we leave the village we turn right to Cogenhoe, and continue through the village, forking right at the t-junction and down the hill past the Royal Oak pub, sweeping bends onto the Whiston Road.

Take the next left signposted to Earls Barton, over the Mill and over the A45 taking the right at the small roundabout to head up to Earls Barton, continue through the village up to the traffic lights, continue straight on to Mears Ashby, taking the first left on the bend in the village that cuts across past the Emporium and at the t-junction turn right to Little Harrowden. At the roundabout turn left, up into Orlingbury, where we turn right to go back past the Church and start to retrace our route back to the start.

Profile:

Coffee stop Grounds Café Salcey Forest, Wootton Road, Northamptonshire NN7 2HX

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