Relaxing walks to take in Northamptonshire where you can enjoy an afternoon tea

With summer drawing to an end, it will soon be time to wrap up and pack a flask of tea when we take our usual treks around Northamptonshire’s stunning parks and countryside.

Alternatively, the flasks can stay at home and you can take a breathtaking walk that features a tea room. What could be better than taking a pause, admiring the view and enjoying a hot cup of tea with jam and cream on scones?

The Northamptonshire Walks website was launched in 2014 by founder, Dave Askew, and his Facebook page soared to over 25,000 followers during the lockdown period. He has since launched group walks to help combat loneliness.

Local walking expert, Dave Askew, has shared with us some of his favourite walking routes with tea rooms and here they are:

Warkton and Weekley Circular

Distance: 3 miles (4.82km)

Time to walk: One hour

This route is mainly off-road and flat so makes for a simple walk, which starts and ends outside St Edmund’s Church in the village of Warkton, just two miles outside of Kettering.

During this walk, you can expect to stroll between two picturesque villages that nestle along the River Ise, drink in views of the Boughton Estate, greet farm animals and - if you are lucky - catch a glimpse of a Kingfisher.

Around three quarters of the way through the walk, ramblers can treat themselves to an afternoon tea in a quintessential old English tearoom called The Lavender Bee Tea Room. It is set in a sixteenth century thatch cottage and former post office in Weekley.

For the full details of the route, visit https://northamptonshirewalks.co.uk/about/walk-63-ise-spies-a-tea-shopwarkton-weekley/

Ringstead & Denford Circular

Distance: Just under 5 miles (8.05km).

Time to walk: Two hours

This route features a lot of flat walking on a mixture of different tracks and begins in Carlow Road situated in the village of Ringstead, around 15 miles north-east of Northampton.

Did you know Ringstead was the birthplace of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s father, Alfred Roberts?

This walk - in addition to breathtaking strolls along the River Nene and sweeping views of Stanwick Lakes - also consists of a stop at the Water Mill Tearooms. It is based on a - yes, you guessed it - historic water mill in Ringstead. It serves a range of homemade treats, including afternoon teas and light lunches, and is dog friendly too.

For the full details of the route, visit https://northamptonshirewalks.co.uk/about/walk-142-ringstead-denford-circular-walk/

Eydon Circular

Distance: 5.1 miles (8.18km)

Time to walk: Just over two hours.

This walk starts and ends at the Royal Oak pub in Eydon, which is owned by local farmers and dates back to the 17th century.

Dave recommends this walk for those who want to 'get away from it all' with fantastic scenery, hills for exercise and a stunning village with an interesting history. Expect sweeping views of the countryside as you cross over the site of an old railway station that closed in 1956 and venture through a nature reserve.

Halfway through the walk is the Harley Equestrian Country Lifestyle Shop and Cafe, which Dave says makes really good cakes - a sweet treat to sustain yourself until you make it back to the pub.

For the full details of the route, visit https://northamptonshirewalks.co.uk/about/walk-166-eydon-circular-stunning-scenery-just-the-sound-of-the-birds/