ROTHERSTHORPE The medieval village of Rothersthorpe has at its heart The Berry Ringwork and it lies within a stone’s throw of the . This picturesque walk leads you through the historical village and along the tranquil canal with is multitude of flora and fauna including some rare plants, dragonflies Approach to Gayton Junction and waterfowl WALK 1 LONG CIRCUIT Start at St Peter and St Paul Church in Rothersthorpe 1 , Rothersthorpe follow the footpath heading south to the canal. On reaching the canal, turn east and follow the towpath to the Gayton Junction 3 . From here head north still following the towpath just before Gayton Marina you will need to cross the bridge and follow the towpath north on the opposite side. Continue on under two bridges until you reach a footpath that heads west and east, cross the ROTHERSTHORPE canal and follow the footpath east taking you back to Rothersthorpe village. Enter the village on North Street, turn right then immediately left into Church Street and follow back to the church Car parking in Rothersthorpe is limited. APPROX. 3.7 MILES,I HOUR 15 MINS, TERRAIN = EASY When parking please take into consideration local access needs. WALK 2 For more information about public transport WESTERN CIRCUIT to Rothersthorpe please contact Traveline Start at the Church in Rothersthorpe 1 , follow the on 0870 608 2608. footpath south to the canal. On reaching the canal turn east and follow the towpath until you reach the first road. If you wish to report any problems with any of the Leave the towpath and head east along the road towards routes shown in this leaflet, please contact: the marina at the first footpath on you left turn north and Rights of Way, County Council, head back to Rothersthorpe. You will arrive on Church Riverside House, Bedford Road, NN1 5NX. Street, turn left and return to the Church Tel: 01604 654465. APPROX 2.4 MILES, 45 MINS, TERRAIN = EASY This information can be made available WALK 3 in other languages and formats upon request, such as large print, Braille, SHORT CIRCUIT From The Turnover Bridge 2 audio cassette and floppy disk. walk south east along the towpath at the first bridge leave the towpath and turn right on to the road, walk along the country lane and at the next bridge return to the canal and Sculpture along continue north west back to the turnover the Towpath bridge. Steep slopes on all bridges and turnover bridge has a cobbled surface. VISIT NORTHAMPTONSHIRE PPROX MILES MINS TERRAIN EASY A 0.6 , 15 , = , This leaflet was published by Northamptonshire County Council with assistance from the WITH SLOPES ON BRIDGES AND COBBLED SURFACE ON ONE www.rightsofwaynorthamptonshire.org.uk English Partnerships and Northamptonshire Canal Partnership. Copyright © NCC 2007. years as larvae underwater and are voracious predators, eating small fish THE and other larvae. The native white clawed The Midshires Way crayfish has been found starts from Pulpit here, although there are Hill, near Little also Signal crayfish which Kimble and runs to are not native (American), Stockport, a total Gayton Junction they are more aggressive length of 230 and are a threat to our miles, with 46 The Grand Union remains popular today with native crayfish. miles in marinas, boat yards and hire companieis catering for Riverside Flora Fish in the canal include Northamptonshire. those using its waters. The Grand Union Canal Walk The Grand Union Canal starts at Little Venice near Paddington, with an bream, eel, pike, perch, roach and tench. The route was opened in 1994 as a collaboration alternative start at Brentford on the River Thames. Birds that can be seen alongside the water include between numerous Local Authorities and user The canal ends at Salford but the walk itself warblers who visit and nest in the reedbeds in the groups. It is intended as a multi user trail but there continues to central Birmingham where it connects spring and summer and kingfishers. are places where the recommended route for with the dense canal network of the West Midlands. walkers differs from the route for horse riders and It has a total length of 145 miles with 39 miles in cyclists. Northamptonshire. THE BERRY RINGWORK, ROTHERSTHORPE GRAND UNION CANAL & FLORA & FAUNA ON Ringworks are medieval fortifications built and GRAND UNION CANAL WALK occupied from late Anglo-Saxon period to the later THE NORTHAMPTON ARM 12th century. They were small defended areas that The Grand Junction first opened in 1805 and linked contained buildings which were entirely or partly This section of the canal has a wide variety of the River Thames with the at surrounded by a substantial ditch and bank usually natural history interest mainly due to the low Braunston. It was later connected with another topped with timber palisades. Occasionally a more number of boats. Some of the more interesting canal from Birmingham towards Warwick. The lightly defended embanked enclosure, the species include; whole system including various arms and branches bailey, adjoined the ringwork. They are rare was renamed the Grand Union Canal in 1929, and The Narrow-leaved water plantain which nationally and are of particular the towpath was signed as a walking route in the grows in the margins and is present in significance to our understanding of the early 1990s. small numbers. It is a county rarity. period. Two rare varieties of pondweed can be The Berry is the site of a ringwork which found; Grass-wrack pondweed and stood at the centre of the medieval Long-stalked pondweed, They are found village of Rothersthorpe. The site is an in small patches in the county and are irregularly shaped enclosure. On the north also an indicator of good water quality. and west sides there is a wide ditch and there There are seven species of dragonfly and * are also remains of an inner rampart in the north east corner and southern end. Undulating damselfly been recorded, The White-legged Hawker damselfly is an important species and is vulnerable Dragonfly features in the west of the interior of the ringwork to levels of pollution. Three large hawker dragonflies indicate the location of former buildings. Remains breed here, the largest being the Brown Hawker. of ridge and furrow ploughing can be seen on the The Northampton Arm in 1910. 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