Walks near Northampton by train
Northamptonshire · East Midlands
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near Northampton and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Northampton.
Aspley Guise Circular via the Woburn Estate (Bedfordshire)
45 minutes from Northampton, with one change.
Beginner-friendly: A shortish but satisfying walk. It’s hard to go wrong and, if you do, it’s easy to recover. Lunch is in the pleasant village of Woburn, where there are many choices, so no faffing with making reservations needed. Plus it goes through a safari park and you’ll likely spot some of the beasts.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Woburn Safari Park: a 300-acre wildlife park opened in 1970, home to over 80 species including critically endangered hoofed mammals.
Time: 3h–6h
3 lunch spots: Woburn (1h–2h in) — the Black Horse, Lussmanns, or the Woburn Hotel
1 end-of-walk reward: the Anchor
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Tring Circular via Ashridge Estate (Hertfordshire)
45 minutes direct from Northampton.
Beginner-friendly: It’s nearly all in a big National Trust estate that’s extremely well sign-posted. It’s completely fine to deviate from the route — explore and shorten as you like! The lunch options are simple cafés, so no messing around with booking a table in advance. The Ashridge Estate is very beautiful if you appreciate woodland, and covers more then enough ground to cover a day of hiking in itself. There are paths everywhere and you can wander freely. Ancient trees, rolling chalk downlands and lush meadows. Extensive woodland.
Woodland: half under tree cover.
Time: 3h30–7h30
2 lunch spots: the Ashridge Estate Café (1h–1h30 in), or Ashridge House café (2h–4h30 in)
1 end-of-walk reward: the Valiant Trooper
Warnings: Relatively busy. Take the minor paths to avoid the crowds. Can be muddy.
Source: Trains2Green.
Tring to Berkhamsted (Hertfordshire)
45 minutes direct from Northampton.
Canal towpath, ancient woodland, chalk commons, open grassy hillsides, beech and oak estate woodland and ridge paths with town views.
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Reverse direction: Walking Post (inc. GPX).
Tring to Wendover (Hertfordshire)
45 minutes direct from Northampton.
Flat canal towpath, reservoir banks, open arable fields, wooded Chilterns hills and steep descents.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
Time: 6h–12h
1 lunch spot: the Partridge (3h–6h in)
1 end-of-walk reward: Wendover Woods Café
Warnings: Steep chalky descent.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Reverse direction: Walk by Rail.
Rugby Circular (Warwickshire)
30 minutes direct from Northampton.
Coventry Circular (Warwickshire)
30 minutes direct from Northampton.
Tile Hill Circular (Warwickshire)
45 minutes direct from Northampton.
Woodland paths and suburban footways through nature reserve.
Time: 2h
Walk details: Heart Rail Trails (PDF).
Berkhamsted Circular via Hockeridge Woods (Hertfordshire)
45 minutes direct from Northampton.
Canal towpath, wide bridleways, fields, woodland paths, school playing fields and town centre.
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Berkswell Circular (Warwickshire)
45 minutes direct from Northampton.
Hampton-in-Arden Circular (Warwickshire)
45 minutes direct from Northampton.
Tarmac village lanes, river crossing and nature reserve paths.
Time: 1h30
Walk details: Heart Rail Trails (PDF).
Nuneaton Circular via Hartshill (Warwickshire)
45 minutes from Northampton, with one change.
Parks, river, country park and canal.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Time: 4h30–9h30
1 lunch spot: the Stag and Pheasant (2h–4h in)
5 end-of-walk rewards: the Lord Hop, the Felix Holt, the George Eliot Hotel, the Black Swan In Hand, or the Silk Mill
Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.
Ridgmont Circular (Bedfordshire)
45 minutes from Northampton, with one change.
An easy, stile-free circular from Ridgmont station on good waymarked paths, passing the edge of Woburn Safari Park and climbing onto the Greensand Ridge before dropping back to the line. A short steep climb and stepped section, one railway crossing and several road crossings; some stretches get very muddy after rain.
Woburn Safari Park: a 300-acre wildlife park opened in 1970, home to over 80 species including critically endangered hoofed mammals.
All Saints' Church: designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and built in 1854, replacing the old Segenhoe church.
Time: 2h30
Lunch: Refreshments and toilets at the Heritage Centre & café at Ridgmont station; vending refreshments at the Woburn Safari Park entrance; and a shop, café and pub in Ridgmont village (just over a mile from the station).
Warnings: Some sections can be very muddy when wet; includes a short steep climb, a flight of steep steps and a railway crossing.
Walk details: Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership (PDF).