Waendel Walk 2023 - popular annual event returns this week as Wellingborough Town Council takes the reins

The Waendel Walk returns this weekend, allowing keen ramblers to soak in the Northamptonshire countryside with the annual activity being hosted this year by Wellingborough Town Council (WTC).

The three-day event starts on Friday (May 12) concluding on Sunday (May 14), and will hope to restore participation to pre-pandemic levels.

A spokesman for Wellingborough Town Council said: “We have been very fortunate to have had huge support from the volunteers to help us put in place all the arrangements for the event at such short notice.

"We have a very small team of three people, so volunteers are a key requirement to hold such a big event.

“It has been a very busy four months putting the arrangements in place, ordering equipment and route mapping.

"Everyone has pulled out all the stops to make this event a success.”

The evening of Friday (May 12) will see the Friendship route unfold, which encompasses a 5km walk around the town centre using its footpaths.

The following days are the main event, as walks on Saturday and Sunday range from 5k to 42k with people starting at The Castle Theatre at varying times through the morning before rambling across the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside.

All walkers are issued with a map and a start card for their chosen walking route.

The 2023 walk will travel through Chester House Estate for the first time, allowing people to walk across its new bridges.

Cllr Graham Lawman, leader of the council, said: “I am delighted that the town council has taken over the organisation of this event that has graced the town for 42 years.

"Wellingborough is the only town in England to host the International Marching League Event which, in previous years, has attracted and welcomed to the town people from across the country and globe, reaching as far as Australia and America.

“It’s a boost for the town and its businesses and our health and well-being.”

A meeting was held in January 2023 at Swanspool House to determine which body would be in charge of the event this year, and after hours of deliberating it would become clear that Wellingborough Town Council would take the reins moving forward.

In that meeting, Cllr Andrew Scarborough said it is ‘the first big test of Wellingborough Town Council’.

Adding his voice to the choir, Cllr Anthony Stevens of the Croyland ward expressed his concerns, saying: “I do feel like we’ve had a gun to our head having this dropped on us in January when it is being held in May.”

However, the preparations have been made in time, and Wellingborough Town Council is expecting around 6,000 walkers during the weekend as more than 1,000 tickets have already been sold via the town council’s online booking system.

This year, Wellingborough Town Council has included a walking app which aids walkers to follow the mapped route using GPS and route descriptions, identifying key markers along the route.

The app is free to download and is available on both android and apple devices. All ticket holders will be issued with a code to access their chosen walk.