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King's Cliffe Railway Walk

5.3 miles (8.5 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This walk takes you along the old disused railway line in the Northamptonshire village of King's Cliffe.
It's an easy nature ramble along the old trackbed with woodland, countryside views and limestone scenery to enjoy. Afterwards you can enjoy a stroll around historic village where there's a Norman church, picturesque 17th century almshouses and nice views of the Willow Brook, a tributary of the River Nene.
To continue your walking around King's Cliffe head west to visit Top Lodge in Fineshade Woods. The woods are a major local highlight with miles of great walking and cycling trails to try. You can follow the waymarked Jurassic Way through the woods from the western side of the settlement.
If you head south west from the village you can follow a pleasant footpath along the Willow Brook to Blatherwycke Lake. There's some lovely waterside trails here with lots of birdlife to see on the water.
The village is also located near the settlements of Stamford, Corby and Peterborough.

Kings Cliffe Railway Walk OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Kings Cliffe Railway Walk Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Cross Keys is a good choice for some rest and refreshment after your exercise. The pub dates back to 1732 and includes a charming old interior with oak beams and inglenook fireplaces. They serve a fine Sunday roast and also provide rooms if you'd like to stay over. You can find them on West Street at postcode PE8 6XA for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

The trail is good for dog walking and the Cross Keys pub mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Photos

King's Cliffe station site geograph-3722408-by-Ben-Brooksbank

Site of King's Cliffe station . View northward towards the line of the ex-LNWR Market Harborough - Seaton (to left) - Peterborough East (to right) line. The station, which had been to the left, and the line were closed to passengers 6/6/66, to goods 3/6/68

Limestone scenery near King's Cliffe - geograph.org.uk - 1101399

Limestone scenery near King's Cliffe. There has been historic working of the Jurassic limestone around King's Cliffe, some of it in mines rather than open quarries, and the humps in this photo are probably evidence of it. In 2006 Peterborough Council rejected an application for permission to open a large open-cast quarry in the area.

Railway Bridge at Kings Cliffe - geograph.org.uk - 255955

Railway Bridge. The bridge lies just to the east of the site of Kings Cliffe station. The original line was closed long ago but a few miles to the east lives on in the form of the Nene Valley Steam Railway.

Overgrown former railway bridge near King's Cllffe - geograph.org.uk - 1101391

Overgrown former railway bridge. The railway through King's Cliffe was a tentacle of the London & North Western Railway giving them access to the East Coast main line at Peterborough. It closed in 1966. Part of the trackbed is now a nature walk, but at this point it is overgrown. There appears to be a footpath going through the arch, but no right of way is shown on the map.

View across the mill meadow - geograph.org.uk - 2476567

View across the mill meadow in the village

Bridge Street - geograph.org.uk - 1228052

Bridge Street. When the Wesleyan Chapel was built in 1909 funds clearly did not run to building it entirely in the local stone, however the street frontage proudly follows the vernacular style.

Bridge over the Willow Brook - geograph.org.uk - 1101335

Bridge over the Willow Brook. This unassuming bridge carrying Bridge Street over Willow Brook is in fact a Grade 2 listed structure (LBS no. 421711).It is described in the listing as "late C18/early C19 limestone ashlar: 2 segmental arches with small cutwater between. Raised band with ashlar parapet above, terminating with square piers."

Kings Cliffe pocket park - geograph.org.uk - 1214385

Kings Cliffe pocket park

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Kings Cliffe Railway Walk.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)