Dr Susan Northover will be walking for 24 hours, covering over 60 miles to raise money for the Saxon Spires Practice Patient Group fund. 23-24th June 2018. If you would like to sign up for a section of the walk please make your donation and then indicate which section of the walk you would like to join in the 'your message' box.

Members of the Practice team, Patients and friends are invited to complete a section of the walk for a minimum donation of £10. This will include an information pack (available to collect from the surgery) and fluorescent vest on the day.

If you would like to take part in the walk please indicate which section you would like to join when you make your donation.

Walk the Doc Route

0730h Meet and breakfast (New Brixworth Surgery)-?egg/bacon butties

0800h SET OFF!

Section 1 (approx. 8 miles)-PITSFORD WATER

Leave BRIXWORTH surgery and walk via BRIXWORTH Country Park entrance round PITSFORD WATER (clockwise) and back to surgery

10-11h COFFEE&CAKE/ flapjack (Brixworth Surgery)

-suggest no longer than 10minute stop if continuing to section 2: Dr Northover will plan to leave for section 2 at around 1030h

Section 2 (approx. 8miles)-BRIXWORTH TO COTTESBROOKE

Leave surgery and head to Merry Tom Lane, up to Merry Tom Crossing, turn right on to Brampton Valley Way and continue up to Houghton crossing near HANGING HOUGHTON

Turn left at Houghton Crossing and cross across to meet the MacMillan Way at Blueberry Grange,

Turn left and continue Southwest on the MacMillan Way until emerging on to Station Road. Turn right and continue to COTTESBROOKE

1230-1330h Lunch/ sandwiches at Cottesbrooke somewhere: maybe gates to Cottesbrooke hall?

Section 3 (approx. 5.3miles)-COTTESBROOKE TO GUILSBOROUGH

Leave lunch stop and continue through COTTESBROOKE, turning left towards CREATON at the T-junction, and continue along the road to CREATON

As emerge in to CREATON, turn right and then left up the High Street, past the old post office, taking the small path between Creaton Primary School and the Church grounds and emerging on the Welford Road.

Turn left and then right in to Teeton Road and continue on to TEETON

Turn right at the first junction, towards Ravensthorpe and Coton, then at the junction, turn right again, continuing on Teeton Road until emerging in GUILSBOROUGH opposite St Ethelreda’s Church.

Turn right on Coton Road and then follow the road left through Guilsborough, past the Green, and taking the left fork in to West Haddon Road, continuing on to Guilsborough Surgery

1430-1600h Coffee/cake at GUILSBOROUGH Surgery

SECTION 4 (THE BIG ONE!!! approx. 15.5 miles)-GUILSBOROUGH VIA COTTESBROOKE AND MAIDWELL TO BRIXWORTH

-or stop at Cottesbrooke crossing on station road (complete section 4A), approx. 4.7miles

-or stop at The Stag at Maidwell on Harborough Road (complete section 4B), approx. 7.6miles

-Section 4A (approx. 4.7miles)-GUILSBOROUGH TO COTTESBROOKE

Leave Guilsborough Surgery, turning right on West Haddon Road and re-tracing steps as far as the church.

Turn left on to Teeton Road, the take the second road on the left in to HOLLOWELL. Emerge in Hollowell, turning right to climb the hill back out of the village and back up to CREATON.

Emerge on the Welford Road and turn right in to CREATON, then left on to Violet Lane, continuing on to The Green, then turn left through the playing field and continue on up the hill over fields following alongside the small road to Cottesbrooke. Turn left at the top of the second field, keeping the brook on the right and crossing another field, then forking right to cross another field which emerges at a farm on Station Road: (approx. 4.7 miles to this point)

(COTTESBROOKE LUNCH TEAM MIGHT WISH TO PROVIDE SOME WATER/ SNACKS AT THIS CROSSING POINT IF POSSIBLE)-PROB ABOUT 4.30-6PM

-Section 4B (approx. 3miles)-COTTESBROOKE TO MAIDWELL

Cross over station road, continuing on the MacMillan Way up past the turn off to Houghton at Blueberry Grange and on to Blueberry Lodge.

Keep following the MacMillan way past Fish Pond and emerging on the A508 (Harborough Road) at MAIDWELL by The Stag pub (section 4 is approx. 7.6 miles to this point)

-Section 4C (approx. 8miles)-MAIDWELL TO BRIXWORTH

Cross over the Harborough Road, turning right and immediately left up Draughton Road, and continuing up the road until you see a stile off to the right crossing a field of sheep (still continuing on the MacMillan Way).

Cross the field, over a stile and then in to the next field, eventually reaching a broken bridge and crossing with the Brampton Valley Way.

Turn right on to the Brampton Valley Way and follow this route South until reaching the Merry Tom Crossing, then turn left on to Merry Tom Lane, emerging near the Brixworth Surgery (turn left and then cross the road to the surgery)

2000-2300h Dinner (Pasta meal?) at Brixworth Surgery

Section 5 (THE OVERNIGHT BIT-TORCHES ESSENTIAL, PLUS REFLECTIVE CLOTHING/ GLOW IN THE DARK STUFF, AND LOTS OF GOOD HUMOUR!) approx. 27.6miles-just over a marathon!!!

-Section 5A-BRIXWORTH TO HOUGHTON CROSSING ON BRAMPTON VALLEY WAY (approx. 5.4miles)

Leave surgery and head to Merry Tom Lane, up to Merry Tom Crossing, turn right on to Brampton Valley Way and continue up to Houghton crossing near HANGING HOUGHTON

-this crossing is accessible by car down a small single track road marked to hanging Houghton off the Harborough Road, passing through the village of Hanging Houghton and swinging left if walkers would like to be collected here

PERHAPS SOMEONE COULD OFFER TO PROVIDE DRINKS/SNACKS HERE?-and again on return journey? Approx. 2200-midnight

-Section 5B HOUGHTON CROSSING TO MARKET HARBOROUGH (approx. 8.4miles)

Continue on Brampton Valley Way from Houghton Crossing (and through the old dark and long railway tunnels!) to Market Harborough Leisure Centre : there is a small cut through path on the left just after passing the leisure centre car park, or continue to the crossing, turn left, then left again to continue down the Harborough road and leisure centre car park will be on your right.

PROVISION OF DRINKS/SNACKS AT THE LEISURE CENTRE CAR PARK? Approx. midnight to 0400h?

-Section 5C MARKET HARBOROUGH VIA HOUGHTON TO BRIXWORTH (approx. 13.8 miles)

Double back and re-trace steps back along brampton valley way, turning left at Merry tom Crossing and back to Brixworth Surgery,

0500-0800-BREAKFAST AT BRIXWORTH SURGERY

SECTION 6 approx 8miles -back round Pitsford water!!-anticlockwise this time if time available, likely doubling back at some point to arrive back at surgery at 0800h

(TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE AND WILL DEPEND ON WALKING SPEED! Therefore if you are planning to be dropped off and collected, mobile phones with charged batteries are ESSENTIAL!)

It is suggested that stops are no longer than 10-20mins for each walker if continuing on to the next section, or else muscles tend to seize up!

If you have special dietary requirements, you may need to provide your own refreshments dependant on your choice of route and likely provisions as provisions will be dependant on volunteer donations.