Dog walkers test out new heritage trail at Northamptonshire housing development

The Heritage Trail is a 2km-long pedestrian route which starts at Davidsons Homes’ Kirby Woodlands development and travels through what was once the site of Priors Hall Villa – a significant Roman settlement.

To celebrate the completion of the pathway, the housebuilder invited residents from the development to take part in a dog walk along the route.

Alison Ayres, Sales Manager at Kirby Woodlands, led the way with her dog Pippy. Georgia Thompson walked her friend’s pet Harper, while Kelly Sullivan popped along with her canine companion Herman and daughter Winnie. Resident Joshua Clark and Laura Brady, Community Development Lead at Urban & Civic also joined the walk.

The Heritage Trail loops around two ponds, through woodlands and across the Monument Way Field - the site of the settlement built by the Romans. Extensive archaeological excavations in the area have uncovered finds such as kilns, tiles and a temple/mausoleum highlighting the area’s industrial heritage and Iron Age origins.

Simon Tyler, Sales Director for Davidsons Homes South Midlands, said: “The dog walk was a great opportunity for residents to meet up with each other – and their four-legged friends - while testing out the new pathway which has opened on their doorstep. The Heritage Trail is a fantastic route which enables residents at Kirby Woodlands and the wider community to explore the incredibly rich history of this area while getting exercise, fresh air and, of course, taking the dog for a walk.

“The trail allows walkers to travel through Monument Way Field which has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument by the Government and Historic England because of its national cultural importance, which means it will always be preserved as a protected green space.

“An information board detailing the heritage of the trail adds to the overall experience while the route is clearly signposted to help keep walkers on the right path. It is great that residents can get a sense that the place where they have put down roots is a spot where people were living thousands of years ago.”

Kirby Woodlands is located within the northern part of Priors Hall Park, a wider project which is set to deliver more than 5,000 new homes alongside a range of new community facilities on the outskirts of Corby.

During excavations at Priors Hall Park in 2011, a team from Oxford Archaeology East (OAE) discovered a Romano-British villa, which was in use between the first and fourth centuries AD. Eight years later, OAE uncovered the associated temple/mausoleum which was turned into a pottery, brick and tile manufacturing centre in the second and third centuries AD.

In further archaeological works at the site in 2021 and 2022, OAE unearthed a well-preserved Roman road, probably dating from the early stages of the Roman Conquest, and a Middle to Late Iron Age settlement with evidence of extensive ironworks.

Davidsons Homes is building 194 properties at Kirby Woodlands, ranging from coach houses to large detached homes.

For more information about the new homes at Kirby Woodlands, visit davidsonshomes.co.uk or call 01536 614 618.