From the narrow lane beside the church walk past houses called Coopers Coppice and The Town House to the road. Cross the A507 and continue along the byway which descends and becomes a track. Where this goes left, keep ahead along a hedgelined path, downhill again. The path crosses arable land and the River Beane before ascending towards woodland.
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At a fingerpost go through the hedge gap and along the left edge of a field. Before it curves right, look out for where you go left at a waymarker, through the hedge gap. At the field edge turn left to skirt the strip of woodland on your left. Where the wood ends bear right at a waymarker and follow the cross field pathwhich then follows the right edge of a field.
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At the end go through a hedge gap. Turn left and a few paces further in the field corner, enter the wood. Keep to its left edge and go over a footbridge before leaving the wood and walking along the left edge of a field. Go through a hedge gap and turn right along an undulating, grassy path initially uphill, leading to a lane (Treacle Lane). At the T-junction turn right to reach Rushden’s village green. Bear left along Church End to St Mary’s Church.
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Bear right across the churchyard, through a kissing gate and continue beside paddocks. At a path crossing keep ahead along a boardwalk and cross a field, heading to the right of a thatched cottage. The narrow path passes through a garden to reach a lane. Turn left along the lane and past Southern Green Farm.
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At the triangular green turn right in the direction of Broadfield Farm and after a few paces turn left, go across arable land and through a hedge gap. Pass through a belt of woodland, go diagonally left across the field and maintain direction to pass beside a pond. Just beyond this, at a large oak, bear right along the left edge of a field. The path descends gently and where the field curves right, turn left through trees and cross a footbridge. At a field bear left towards farm buildings and keeping these to your right follow the narrow path through a kissing gate and turn left along the farm track.
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Turn right at the public footpath sign and go diagonally across a field to a waymarker. Now keep ahead along the right edge of the field and pass beside Park Wood.
Just before the wood ends turn right along a cross-field path and then through a hedge gap. Walk diagonally across the next field towards the left of a copse. Once here, head across the field to a gate in the fencing, then go uphill and cross a driveway. Keep ahead along an enclosed bridleway and cross a footbridge on the left, then follow the right-hand edge of a field.
Do not go through the hedge gap in the field corner but bear left to another waymarker and follow the field edge. After 100yds (91m) turn right at a waymarker, go through a hedge gap, cross a footbridge and go straight, to the right of a hedgerow and under pylon cables. You can now see the spire of St John the Baptist Church, Cottered. Go through a hedge gap and follow the grassy path, bearing left to the road and The Bull pub. Turn right, cross the road and bear left to return to the church where the walk began.
Cottered has won numerous awards for its well-kept village which, in spite of its proximity to the A507, has a definite rural feel. There are many listed buildings in the village and some of these were home to significant residents. Nearby Rushden is even smaller with a beautiful village green and... some lovely thatched cottages dating from the 16th century. One of these, Barberry Cottage, was the general stores before closing in the 1970s. Famous residents The Town House in Warren Lane at the beginning of the walk was once three almshouses before its renovation, and The Lordship, opposite the church, is the oldest house in Cottered dating from the 15th century with 17th-century wall-paintings. This was once home to Major Gwilym Lloyd-George, the second son of the Prime Minister David Lloyd-George who also had a political career and became Home Secretary. It is thought that he was in the house when he made the decision that Ruth Ellis should hang for murdering her lover in London. Mr Justice Havers had written to him asking for a reprieve but Lloyd-George refused and Ellis became the last woman in Britain to be executed. Another resident was the Reverend Anthony Trollope, who lived in Cottered for over 40 years. His grandson, the prolific author of the same name, was born nine years after his death. Take two churches As befitting small villages, both Cottered and Rushden have interesting churches. Fourteenth-century St John the Baptist Church in Cottered has some quirky carvings on the tower door and a 17th century font made from marble and decorated with scallops. St Mary's Church in Rushden, on the other hand, has an extraordinary arch, one of only four in the country featuring this type of architecture, which was created to take the weight of the walls. A similar arch can be found in Finedon church, Northamptonshire, and more impressive examples in Wells Cathedral and Canterbury Cathedral. Â
As Hertfordshire is so close to London, many of its towns have become commuter havens. St Albans, less than 19 miles (30km) from the capital, has retained its distinctive character, along with many historic remains.
From the narrow lane beside the church walk past houses called Coopers Coppice and The Town House to the road. Cross the A507 and continue along the byway which descends and becomes a track. Where this goes left, keep ahead along a hedgelined path, downhill again. The path crosses arable land and the River Beane before ascending towards woodland.
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1 of 8
At a fingerpost go through the hedge gap and along the left edge of a field. Before it curves right, look out for where you go left at a waymarker, through the hedge gap. At the field edge turn left to skirt the strip of woodland on your left. Where the wood ends bear right at a waymarker and follow the cross field pathwhich then follows the right edge of a field.
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2 of 8
At the end go through a hedge gap. Turn left and a few paces further in the field corner, enter the wood. Keep to its left edge and go over a footbridge before leaving the wood and walking along the left edge of a field. Go through a hedge gap and turn right along an undulating, grassy path initially uphill, leading to a lane (Treacle Lane). At the T-junction turn right to reach Rushden’s village green. Bear left along Church End to St Mary’s Church.
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3 of 8
Bear right across the churchyard, through a kissing gate and continue beside paddocks. At a path crossing keep ahead along a boardwalk and cross a field, heading to the right of a thatched cottage. The narrow path passes through a garden to reach a lane. Turn left along the lane and past Southern Green Farm.
Â
4 of 8
At the triangular green turn right in the direction of Broadfield Farm and after a few paces turn left, go across arable land and through a hedge gap. Pass through a belt of woodland, go diagonally left across the field and maintain direction to pass beside a pond. Just beyond this, at a large oak, bear right along the left edge of a field. The path descends gently and where the field curves right, turn left through trees and cross a footbridge. At a field bear left towards farm buildings and keeping these to your right follow the narrow path through a kissing gate and turn left along the farm track.
Â
5 of 8
Turn right at the public footpath sign and go diagonally across a field to a waymarker. Now keep ahead along the right edge of the field and pass beside Park Wood.
6 of 8
Just before the wood ends turn right along a cross-field path and then through a hedge gap. Walk diagonally across the next field towards the left of a copse. Once here, head across the field to a gate in the fencing, then go uphill and cross a driveway. Keep ahead along an enclosed bridleway and cross a footbridge on the left, then follow the right-hand edge of a field.
7 of 8
Do not go through the hedge gap in the field corner but bear left to another waymarker and follow the field edge. After 100yds (91m) turn right at a waymarker, go through a hedge gap, cross a footbridge and go straight, to the right of a hedgerow and under pylon cables. You can now see the spire of St John the Baptist Church, Cottered. Go through a hedge gap and follow the grassy path, bearing left to the road and The Bull pub. Turn right, cross the road and bear left to return to the church where the walk began.
Cottered has won numerous awards for its well-kept village which, in spite of its proximity to the A507, has a definite rural feel. There are many listed buildings in the village and some of these were home to significant residents. Nearby Rushden is even smaller with a beautiful village green and... some lovely thatched cottages dating from the 16th century. One of these, Barberry Cottage, was the general stores before closing in the 1970s. Famous residents The Town House in Warren Lane at the beginning of the walk was once three almshouses before its renovation, and The Lordship, opposite the church, is the oldest house in Cottered dating from the 15th century with 17th-century wall-paintings. This was once home to Major Gwilym Lloyd-George, the second son of the Prime Minister David Lloyd-George who also had a political career and became Home Secretary. It is thought that he was in the house when he made the decision that Ruth Ellis should hang for murdering her lover in London. Mr Justice Havers had written to him asking for a reprieve but Lloyd-George refused and Ellis became the last woman in Britain to be executed. Another resident was the Reverend Anthony Trollope, who lived in Cottered for over 40 years. His grandson, the prolific author of the same name, was born nine years after his death. Take two churches As befitting small villages, both Cottered and Rushden have interesting churches. Fourteenth-century St John the Baptist Church in Cottered has some quirky carvings on the tower door and a 17th century font made from marble and decorated with scallops. St Mary's Church in Rushden, on the other hand, has an extraordinary arch, one of only four in the country featuring this type of architecture, which was created to take the weight of the walls. A similar arch can be found in Finedon church, Northamptonshire, and more impressive examples in Wells Cathedral and Canterbury Cathedral. Â
As Hertfordshire is so close to London, many of its towns have become commuter havens. St Albans, less than 19 miles (30km) from the capital, has retained its distinctive character, along with many historic remains.
