October 2025. Yarwell. Northamptonshire. Another day, another hitherto unexplored bit of “just off the A1“. I’d driven within yards of Yarwell, I guess, a thousand times or more times (fifty this year alone) and never stopped. Ditto Wansford. Another bit of ‘lil ol’ England that Mrs RM can include in her forthcoming “Can’t afford the… Continue reading AN ANGEL IN YARWELL
Tag: Northamptonshire
MOPPING UP THE PERL WEN ON WEST HADDON CHEESE NIGHT
June 2025. West Haddon. Northamptonshire. Edging towards at least completing the Midlands and East (my old NHS region) in the GBG, and a rare new entry in what can only be described as “Northamptonshire – Posh“. Close to the county’s top attractions; Althorp Hall, Watford Gap Services and the freight terminals of the A5. With… Continue reading MOPPING UP THE PERL WEN ON WEST HADDON CHEESE NIGHT
ESSENTIAL STOPS ON THE A14 – No.1 – DESBOROUGH
February 2024. Desborough. A trip back “home” from our mini-mini-break in Liverpool for Mum’s birthday; only just over 3 hours which shows how small England really is, unless you want to go to North Norfolk (you don’t, and I was secretly thrilled to discover this week that my penultimate GBG tick in Wells had just… Continue reading ESSENTIAL STOPS ON THE A14 – No.1 – DESBOROUGH
HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 32 – NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Northants is a solid, consistent county for pubs, the Essex of the Midlands. Friendly guvnors and locals (particularly in the county town) and dependable beer, but a bit light on classic buildings. And don’t even start me on the fate of Shipmans. Easy enough to pick five, though the very best of the bunch is… Continue reading HALF A DOZEN PUBS IN EVERY GBG COUNTY. No. 32 – NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
MRS RM’S AMAZING UNTAPPD ADMISSION IN BRAUNSTON
January 2024. Braunston. Daventry. Mrs RM is a source of endless delight. Her excitement at finally releasing to the world her excellent travel blog (here), after a gestation priod longer than the third Blue Nile album, is a joy to behold. I shall overlook her gaining more blog views in one day than I managed… Continue reading MRS RM’S AMAZING UNTAPPD ADMISSION IN BRAUNSTON
STOKING THE FIRES IN COGENHOE
My last Beds pub in Harrold was right on the border with Bucks, and also with Northants; you get a lot of those “3 counties colliding” scenarios as you hit the Midlands, which is what makes the current ordering of the GBG so nonsensical. Beds at the very start, Northants half way through. Use the… Continue reading STOKING THE FIRES IN COGENHOE
PINTS UNDER A POUND IN KETTERING
November 2023. Kettering. Yes, November. I thought I’d never get there. Two years ago, that 2021/22 of GBG completion, I never actually went to a single pub in Northamptonshire, as Covid meant (in common with Ely) no surveys for new GBG pubs. But last year our most underrated county bounced back, and GBG24 sees an… Continue reading PINTS UNDER A POUND IN KETTERING
A FLAT ROOF PUB TO END NORTHANTS FOR GBG23
February 2023. I’ve neglected you. I’ve hardly mentioned MumsNet in months, while it’s been discussing the issues that define/divide the nation; I don’t know how folk in Northampton pronounce Ice Cream, but then I never know if it’s in the East Midlands (where it sits in the GBG) or the East (where it’s generally lumped… Continue reading A FLAT ROOF PUB TO END NORTHANTS FOR GBG23
ALL WELL IN THE WELLAND VALLEY ?
February 2023. Oooh, even more dangerously close to That Corby (the Middlesbrough of the Midlands). You might think this a bit odd given how smug I am about my knowledge of the UK, but I love finding a new GBG entry in a village I’ve never heard of. Wilbarston has 767 souls, and most of… Continue reading ALL WELL IN THE WELLAND VALLEY ?
MIDLAND BAND CLUB – HI VIS, HIGH NBSS SCORES
February 2023. When I finished the GBG in September, I’d visited and been to a Guide pub in every GBG “county”. Except one. Poor old Northants decided not to provided any new entries in the first post-Covid Guide, either because they hadn’t been able to visit pubs properly, or because the county’s pubs are particularly… Continue reading MIDLAND BAND CLUB – HI VIS, HIGH NBSS SCORES
retiredmartin 