Walk 166: Cottered North Loop

5.5 miles (8.8 km) with 104m of total ascent

 

This walk crosses the rolling countryside north of the village of Cottered. It follows footpaths, bridleways, and lanes. There are two pub/restaurants on the walk. The Bull in Cottered, at the start and finish point, and The Moon & Stars in Rushden, reached via a short detour about a third of the way around at point 11. Check opening times to avoid disappointment.

Some sections can be muddy when wet, particularly between points 2 and 5 and 21 to the end and there are a couple of sections which can become overgrown with nettles in the summer.

Fly through preview of walk

If you want to check what sort of landscape you will be crossing before you set off on this walk you can view a short 3D video of the route below. It's created using the free version of Relive.

Directions

Map for Walk 166: Cottered North Loop
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Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
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There is an interactive map below these directions

Those with GPS devices can download GPX or KML files for this walk. We've added What3Words location references for those who use that system. If you print these walks you might want to use the green PrintFriendly icon at the bottom of these directions to delete elements such as photographs.

1: With your back to The Bull in Cottered (location - https://w3w.co/surpasses.extend.responses), turn right then head W along Baldock Road for 370m until you reach a turn off on the right called Stocking Hill Lane (location - https://w3w.co/puncture.lies.strategy), see image below.

Stocking Hill Lane, which is also Cottered restricted byway 6

2: Turn right on Stocking Hill Lane, which is also Cottered restricted byway 6, then follow it NNW for 420m until you pass a sewage works on the right (location - https://w3w.co/casually.vegetable.defenders).

After the sewage works Cottered restricted byway 6 becomes a track (location - https://w3w.co/puddles.epidemics.stems), see image below.

Head NNW on Cottered restricted byway 6

3: Continue heading NNW on Cottered restricted byway 6 for 560m until you reach the River Beane (location - https://w3w.co/motivator.bookings.fact), see image below.

* After 300m along this stretch there can be a problem with nettles. The section is about 230m long and can be particularly bad during the spring/summer months. The problem area is between (location - https://w3w.co/cherished.brass.onion), and (location - https://w3w.co/chugging.bluffs.advantage). Walkers have made a path on the edge of the field to avoid the troublesome section.

The River Beane passes under the byway

Once you have crossed the River Beane continue heading NNW and uphill across a field for 310m until you reach the edge of the field (location - https://w3w.co/solving.perfumed.voucher), see the line of the orange arrow on the image above.

4: At the far side of the field you will come to a junction where you turn right on Rushden & Wallington bridleway 9 (location - https://w3w.co/afflicted.gobbling.physical), see image below. This section can be also overgrown with nettles in the summer months.

Cottered restricted byway 6 meets Rushden & Wallington bridleway 9

Head NE on Rushden & Wallington bridleway 9, for 125m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/snippet.lime.ripen).

5: Turn left on Rushden & Wallington footpath 9 then head NW for 250m until you reach the end of woodland (location - https://w3w.co/treaty.reflected.deployed). At this point Rushden & Wallington footpath 9 bends to the right, see image below.

Rushden & Wallington footpath 9 bends right after the woodland

6: Head NNE on Rushden & Wallington footpath 9 for 160m until you reach hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/truffles.correctly.chip), see image below.

Keep to the right of the hedgerow following Rushden & Wallington footpath 9

Keep to the right at the hedgerow then continue heading NNE for 220m before the path bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/convey.backhand.headsets) then heads WNW for 60m until you reach woodland (location - https://w3w.co/arming.handrail.stay).

Continue through the woodland, still on Rushden & Wallington footpath 9

7: Continue through the woodland, still on Rushden & Wallington footpath 9, for 200m until the path bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/hangs.weddings.searching) then heads SW for 120m before bending to the right (location - https://w3w.co/coder.obtain.dips) and heading NW for 400m until you reach a track and a footpath junction (location - https://w3w.co/irritable.betraying.nicely).

8: Continue heading NW, now on Treacle Lane, for 165m until you reach Bennett's Lane, Rushden (location - https://w3w.co/poetic.skies.seaweed).

9: Turn right on Bennet's Lane then head NNE for 140m through Rushden until you reach the junction of Bennett's Lane and School Lane (location - https://w3w.co/filled.sketching.uplifting).

10: Turn left on School Lane then head N for 110m until you reach St Mary's Church Rushden (location - https://w3w.co/busters.stunning.recitals).

* At this point you could turn left on Rushden & Wallington footpath 7 then follow it W for 280m to visit The Moon & Stars pub at Mill End (location - https://w3w.co/disband.stuffy.slanting). Be sure to check for opening times to avoid disappointment.

11: Turn right at the church then follow Rushden & Wallington footpath 7 E to a gate where you leave the churchyard (location - https://w3w.co/portfolio.renovated.shiny), see image below.

Rushden & Wallington footpath 7 leaving the churchyard

Once through the gate head E for 310m until you reach a junction (location - https://w3w.co/disputes.ounce.overdrive), see image below.

Turn left on Rushden & Wallington footpath 43
Image courtesy of Gerry Gross

12: Turn left on Rushden & Wallington footpath 43 then head NW through woodland for 440m keeping straight as you cross a wooden walkway (location - https://w3w.co/beats.signed.steps), see image below.

Continue heading NW across the wooden walkway

Continue heading NE for 270m until you reach a junction in the track (location - https://w3w.co/breakfast.absent.snooping), see image below.

Turn right at the junction, still on Rushden & Wallington footpath 43

13: Turn right at the junction, still on Rushden & Wallington footpath 43 then immediately go through a deer gate (location - https://w3w.co/traps.exclusive.wobbles), see image below.

The deer gate on Rushden & Wallington footpath 43
Image courtesy of Gerry Gross

Continue heading E for 300m with Batchelor's Wood on the left until you reach the end of the woodland where the footpath bends slightly to the left before reaching a junction (location - https://w3w.co/fingertip.indulges.prank).

14: Keep straight at the junction then head NE, now on Rushden & Wallington footpath 4, then continue for 395m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/upholding.tactical.brings), see image below.

Turn right then head SE, now on Rushden & Wallington footpath 20

15: Turn right then head SE, now on Rushden & Wallington footpath 20, until you reach another deer gate before a junction (location - https://w3w.co/fillings.isolated.examine), see image below.

The deer gate leading to the junction
Image courtesy of Gerry Gross

Go through the deer gate then keep straight at the junction heading S for 80m until you reach a lane (location - https://w3w.co/closed.lollipop.hope).

16: Follow the lane S for 340m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/mistress.estimate.flask), see image below.

Keep left and head SSE on Broadfield Lodge Farm Road

17: Continue heading SSE, now on Broadfield Lodge Farm Road, for 300m until you reach a gate with a sign that reads 'Private Road' (location - https://w3w.co/stable.convey.calculating), see image below.

Don't be put off by the sign, you are walking along Cottered restricted byway 38, which is a public right of way.

At the gate, Broadfield Lodge Farm Road becomes Cottered restricted byway 38

18: Continue through the gate, pass Broadfield Lodge Farm on the left (location - https://w3w.co/escalated.novelist.blows), then follow Cottered restricted byway 38 SSE for 880m, ignoring three footpaths on the right until you meet the fourth turning on the right (location - https://w3w.co/policy.simmer.pure), see image below.

The right turn on Cottered footpath 1

19: Turn right on Cottered footpath 1 then head SE for 330m to a junction (location - https://w3w.co/anguished.bath.backers).

20: Continue heading SE, now on Cottered restricted byway 1, for 220m until you reach the corner of a field where the byway bends to the left (location - https://w3w.co/famed.manicured.variation), see image below. An orange arrow shows the direction you should be heading.

Follow the track as it bends to the left - see orange arrow above

21: Keep left, with the hedgerow on the right and the field on the left, then head SSE for 170m passing a footpath on the right.

Continue until you reach another footpath on the right leading to a footbridge (location - https://w3w.co/munch.sedative.migrants), see image above.

Take the second footpath on the right leading to a footbridge

22: Cross the footbridge then head SW across a field for 500m until you reach the hedgerow (location - https://w3w.co/gourmet.safety.grudging). This stretch can be particularly muddy when wet.

23: The path now bends to the left then heads SSE for 430m back to Cottered village and the starting point.

Interactive map

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