Two Dogs and an Awning

Category: South West

  • Ridge and Furrow

    Ridge and Furrow

    When planning today’s walk I decided it would be good to set off from the site again.  The continuing rain showers mean there is no sign of the site drying out and I am very conscious that moving the car will create a mess of the field.  Scanning the map yesterday evening I spotted a nearby trig point baggable on a circular walk to Bourton-on-the-Water.

    We leave the site and turn right along the track to pass the nursery’s polytunnels and stay with the track as it passes riding stables and then heads downhill to a junction of paths.  Here we turn right to join the route of the Oxfordshire Way. 

    The path continues as a track and we stay with it ignoring a path on the left which leads over a bridge, we are walking with the Westcote Brook to our left and the path soon becomes muddy.  It is not clear if this is due to the recent rain or if it is always a muddy spot, but we are able to find a way through the puddles and are grateful when the route reaches the edge of fields.

    We stay with the Oxfordshire Way along the edge of a field passing ponds.  There is a notification from the Council that the route has been officially diverted, meaning we go around the headland of the field rather than straight across.  I am always happy to see such diversions as long as the path is clearly signed.  There is nothing more frustrating than trying to follow a route which is not on the map.  Fortunately this route is well marked.

    At a junction of paths with the Diamonds Way we stay with the Oxfordshire Way heading towards Gawcombe.  This is an old estate with Gawcombe House dating back to the late 1600’s.  As we near the farm buildings the path goes to the right around barns.

    As we pass the farm there are bits of old farm machinery by the barns.  It is always good to see old machinery being displayed rather than left discarded in the hedgerow.

    From the farm we continue up the driveway to reach the A424 where we turn left and then cross the road to follow the Oxfordshire Way as it heads through woodland.

    The path leads through the trees and then stays with a fenced path between fields.  After all the recent rain we have experienced it is good to be walking in sunshine.  I know the trig point I am aiming to bag is in a small clump of trees in the field to our right.

    As the path nears a road I make a brief diversion by hopping over the fence to bag the Ordnance Survey trig pillar at Wyck Beacon.  This is the 246th trig I have bagged.

    From the trig I rejoin Lynnie and Crosby and then we continue along the path to reach the road.  Where we turn right and then almost immediately take a single tracked road on the left signposted to Wyck Rissington.

    The road descends towards Wyck Rissington and at the bottom of the hill we follow it as it turns to the right into the village.  We avail ourselves of a bench in St Lawrence’s churchyard for our lunch stop.  The church was built in 1269 and it is reported that the composer Gustav Holst, of The Planets fame, was the resident organist in the early 1890s.

    Refreshed we leave the churchyard and turn left to walk out of the village heading south.  Where the road bends to the left we continue straight on along a track and continue through a gate.  After all the muddy walking we have done over the last few days it is a relief to be on firm ground.

    The track leads us to a pasture field which is particularly interesting as it is a ridge and furrow field.  This is an amazing example of these ancient fields which were created by the continuous ploughing in the same direction. In the Middle Ages each strip would be farmed by one family.  Modern farming ploughing and cultivating methods would destroy these ridges so it is hundreds of years since this field was last cultivated. Fields like this tend to remain on boggy land, the ridges providing drier pasture for livestock.

    We stay with the path heading south across fields to reach St Peter’s Church on the edge of Little Rissington.  Parts of this church date back to 13th 14th and 15th centuries.  It was restored around 1850 and further altered in 1883.

    Our route turns west on a path descending fields close to a gate on the north west corner of the churchyard.  This route, which is not initially clear in the field, heads downhill heading towards Rissington Mill. 

    After crossing three fields we reach the mill driveway and continue on a footpath along it.  As the drive nears the mill we take footpath on the left and continue heading west to cross a stream. 

    We now follow a well walked path to reach a gate to access land.  Here we encounter a very deep puddle on the far side of the gate.  I take a look but there is absolutely no way we are going to get through without getting our boots full of water.  It is clear that the depression in the field is not a recent thing and the landowner must be aware that it fills with water, but I suppose it is one way of keeping folk off your land!  

    Cursing I consult the map and spot an alternative route, so we turn around and head back across the field to cross the stream.  Just before reaching the driveway to Rissington Mill we take a footpath on the right which heads south towards the sewage works.

    After following the path around the fenced sewage works we cross a field towards a minor road

    On reaching the road we turn right and follow the lane down to reach a road heading to Bourton-on-the-Water.  Soon there is a pavement beside the road and we walk along until just after the Bourton-on-the-Water sign where we turn right to take a footpath heading towards lakes.  The path soon passes the lakes which were created from redundant gravel pits and are now popular spots for fishing.

    There are a network of paths here leading to the centre of the village, we choose to keep on the same path until we reach a track where we turn left and wander down to the main road where we turn right.  Since the start of the Covid pandemic we have been avoiding crowded places and we are surprised at how many people are wandering around Bourton-on-the-Water, it’s packed.  It is an attractive quintessential Cotswold village, but is a bit too chocolate boxey for me. 

    In normal circumstances I would tolerate the crowds, but currently they make me feel uneasy so we take the obligatory picture of one of the bridges over the River Windrush and then plot our route out.

    We wander down to the High Street and turn left and follow the road along until we reach the entrance to St Lawrence’s Church.  Now we take a footpath which leads through the churchyard heading north.

    After going through some metal barriers we turn right along a path besides the edge of the church yard.  This eventually leads to Moore Road where we cross and continue along a footpath which has a sign for car parking.  The path leads to Station Road where we turn left and pass a large car park and petrol station.  

    At a junction we go right into Roman Way and then fork right into Moor Lane.  This lane is on the route of the Oxfordshire Way and is heading towards Moors Farm.  When we reach a footpath on the right we leave the lane, and the Oxfordshire Way and take the path across a field and cross a stream.  We are now on part of the Greystones Farm Nature Reserve and we follow a path going in a north easterly direction to rejoin the Oxfordshire Way.

    The sun is shining and after the hustle and bustle of being in Bourton-on-the-Water it is very pleasant to be back in the open countryside.  The route is clear and easy to follow and we soon reach a tranquil spot where a bridge crosses a stream.

    The Oxfordshire Way leads us to a minor road in Wyck Rissington where we turn right and then soon take a footpath on the left which follows a track across the village green.

    We follow the track until it reaches a house, here the footpath goes through a gate on the left to enter a field.  The path gradually ascends to woodlands and there are some good views across the valley.

    The path skirts the edge of a copse and then goes through a gate to continue ascending through the trees.

    The route is waymarked and we follow the signs to reach the A424 which we cross and continue to follow the way-markers as we head towards The Granary.  To our left across the field is a TV transmitter mast.

    The path leads through the woods close to the Granary and then passes farm buildings as it heads east towards a minor road where we cross and follow the footpath sign to cross a field.

    After going through another field we continue downhill to reach a cracking old metal kissing gate with the grounds to Icomb Place to our right.

    Arriving in Icomb we turn right and continue through the village to pass the church of St Mary and continue along a track leading towards Middle Farm.  

    On reaching a footpath on the left we leave the track and cross a stream and continue heading east across fields.  After going through gates the path continues beside a field and runs alongside the wall of Lower Farm.  

    The route is clearly marked and continues across further fields to reach a meadow.

    Through a further field we arrive beside the gate of Pebbly Hill Nurseries CL. 

    You can view this 13.5 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Explorer OL 45 – The Cotswolds

    22nd May 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud

    Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud

    We continue to be battered by heavy rainfall so the caravan site remains very boggy.  The brief appearance of the sun yesterday evening led us to hope things would start to improve but more rain overnight means we are squelching about again.  At the end of our walk yesterday Lynnie said she had no intention of wading through mud today and the further downfall has reaffirmed her position.  So it is just Crosby and I heading out.

    Our walk starts on the now familiar route of leaving the site and turning right along the track to pass the Pebbly Hill nursery’s polytunnels and stay with the track as it passes riding stables and then heads downhill.

    At a junction of paths I turn left to join the Oxfordshire Way and enter a field with the Westcote Brook to my right.  After a short spell beside the brook the path heads across a field, the overnight rain has made this even muddier than it was yesterday.

    After crossing a footbridge over a stream I follow the Oxfordshire Way as it continues to Bledington.  I enter the village and pass St Leonard’s Church and then turn left into Church Street and walk through the village.

    I continue on Church Lane until I reach a junction where I turn left to walk beside the B4450 signposted to Stow-on-the-Wold.  Across the village green is the Kings Head pub.  In normal circumstances we would visit the local pub during our stay in the area, but since the start of the Covid pandemic we have been avoiding pubs unless we can sit outside and given the weather this week I doubt it will stay dry long enough for me to sup a pint in the garden.

    My route now follows the broad verge besides the B4450 until I reach the last house in the village on the right hand side.  Here I take a footpath along a track and I congratulate myself on picking this route because it is firm under foot.

    The track takes me over the route of the dismantled Banbury to Cheltenham Direct Railway which fully opened in 1887.  It provided a rural train service but also carried iron ore from the East Midlands to South Wales.  Passenger trains stopped in 1962 and the railway closed altogether in 1964.

    The fields alongside the track are flooded, with so much water about it is difficult to believe it is almost the end of May.

    Continuing along the track it becomes less well maintained and heavily rutted and I realise I was premature in thinking this would not be a muddy route.

    The track bends to the right and soon after to the left.  Staying with this main track I ignore footpaths off to the right and left.  The route takes me to a gate on the edge of woodland, there is a serious amount of water laying here and I carefully pick my way to join the footpath as it turns to the left to go along the edge of the woodland.

    After a very muddy section the track turns to the right to continue along a clear path on the edge of the trees of Lower Oddington Ashes.

    At a junction of paths I take the route waymarked to Lower Oddington and Daylesford.  I am aware that the Cotswolds is an affluent area but had not appreciated that this would extend to very smart way-markers on footpaths.

    The track I am now on is well made and it is a lot easier going than the mud I have been tramping through for the last few miles.  I continue towards Lower Oddington beside the woodland of Lower Oddington Ashes and then nearing the village pass St Nicholas’ Church.  There is a funeral service in progress at this old Norman Church so I will return another day with Lynnie.

    The track becomes a tarmac lane before entering the village of Lower Oddington.  At a road junction I turn left through the village to pass the church of the Holy Ascension which was built in 1852.

    Soon after passing the church I reach a junction and carry straight on towards Upper Oddington.  There is a pavement besides the road connecting the two villages.  In Upper Oddington I stick with the road and ascend through the village passing the Horse and Groom pub.  Like most of the pubs I have seen since arriving in the Cotswolds this looks to be another “Gastro Pub”, fine if you like that sort of thing but not to my taste.

    Just after leaving the village I take a footpath on the right following the Macmillan Way.

    This narrow path heads downhill to a field and then goes diagonally uphill across the field on the route of the Macmillan Way as it heads towards a junction of paths and then goes left to a covered reservoir.

    The path leads me through bushes and emerges on the grounds of Stow-on-the-Wold Rugby Club, heading towards the clubhouse I pass what appear to be newly created caravan pitches.

    I follow the way-markers past the clubhouse and continue on the southern edge of the grounds to join a path which soon goes beside paddocks.  Over the hedge to my right is Millay Tower.  This is a former sawmill built in1307 and is believed to have been used by the monks of Maugersbury.  It has now been converted into a flash home which has recently been on the market for £2m.

    The path heads south to reach the B4450 where I turn right heading towards Stow-in-the-Wold.  Just as this road joins the A436 I take a minor road on the left which leads towards Maugersbury.

    In this attractive Cotswold village I turn left at a junction and follow the road steadily downhill to reach a lane leading towards Oxleaze Farm.  Before taking the lane I walk a few yards further on to have a look at Half Moon House, this was formerly known as The Crescent, and is a former estate school and four adjoining cottages built in the 1800’s.  It is now a single dwelling.

    I return to the lane and head downhill to reach the parapets of a bridge on the dismantled Banbury to Cheltenham Direct Railway.

    The footpath continues along the track to pass the farm buildings of Oxleaze Farm and then continues up to Maugersbury Hill.  On a clear day there would be extensive views from here.

    The track joins a road and I continue straight on heading towards Icomb.

    Nearing the outskirts of Icomb I turn right at a junction just past a disused quarry and follow the road for a few hundred yards to another junction. Here I turn left and pass a memorial bench to follow the road downhill into Icomb and continue through the village to reach the church of St Mary.  Parts of the church date back to the 12th and 13th centuries with the tower being added around 1600.

    From the church I continue along a track leading towards Middle Farm.  This heads downhill to reach a footpath on the left, here I leave the track and cross a stream to continue heading east across fields.  After going through gates the path runs beside a field and then alongside the wall of Lower Farm.  The route is clearly marked and carries on across further fields to reach a pleasant meadow.

    After going through a further field the pathway arrives beside the gate of Pebbly Hill Nurseries CL.  I have been fortunate with the weather on this ten mile walk with only the odd shower, however, the extreme muddiness on the section between Bleddington and Lower Oddington proved challenging.  Perhaps Lynnie made a good choice.

    You can view this 10 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Explorer OL 45 – The Cotswolds

    21st May 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Cotswold Villages from Pebbly Hill Nurseries

    Cotswold Villages from Pebbly Hill Nurseries

    After travelling to a new site I always prefer a few days walking from the caravan.  I used to be very keen on driving, but these days find being behind the wheel a necessary chore and have dramatically reduced my mileage. So I view any day I do not need to drive as a bonus.

    Our walk starts by leaving the site and turning right along the track to pass the Pebbly Hill nursery’s polytunnels and stay with the track as it passes riding stables and then heads downhill to a junction of paths.

    Yesterday at this point we turned right but today we go left on the Oxfordshire Way and enter a field with the Westcote Brook to our right.

    The clear path take us across a couple of fields and then a footbridge crosses a stream and we follow the Oxfordshire Way as it continues to Bledington.  We enter the village by the church of St Leonard, this 15th century church retains part of an earlier 12th century church.  Apparently it fell into poor repair in the 19th century so major restoration was undertaken in 1881 and again in 1923.

    A little bit further on from the church is the Village Community Shop and Cafe.  We are advocates for community ventures and where possible support these local enterprises.  In 2007 the Bledington Village Shop closed and this resulted in members of the community seeking to establish a shop where the community has a direct input into its operation.  The shop and cafe opened in 2019 and it is an interesting structure with what appears to be a wooden building protected by a barn like roof.  We will certainly be getting our provisions here during our stay.

    Our route continues to follow the Oxfordshire Way which turns right at the B4450, Old Burford Road, and heads through the village. Where this road bends to the left we continue straight on a minor road signposted to Foscot and Idbury.  After crossing the Westcote Brook we follow the Oxfordshire Way as it takes a footpath on the left joining the entrance driveway of Foscote Farm and then goes through a couple of gates to join a wide path. This path is seriously muddy and Lynnie picks her route with care making sure she has the paddock fence as a handrail.

    After the initial muddy section the path becomes firmer as it reaches slightly higher ground and then passes besides a copse.

    Our route is easy to follow as we stick with the Oxfordshire Way, this  68-mile long distance path crosses Oxfordshire to Henley-on-Thames but strangely it starts in Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire.  The way-markers lead us close to the River Evenlode and then take us through Cocksmoor Copse where we once more encounter a muddy passage.

    It is with relief that we reach a tarmac road.  Here we turn left, leaving the Oxfordshire Way and joining the route of the D’Arcy Dalton Way.  This is a sixty-six mile route between Wormleighton Reservoir and the Ridgeway National Trail at Wayland’s Smithy between Swindon and Wantage.  It was created in 1986 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the Oxfordshire Field Paths Society and takes its name from one of the society’s founders Colonel W P d’Arcy Dalton.

    We follow the road through the hamlet of Bruern and then continue on to cross the River Evenlode and a railway crossing.  We stay with the road, ignoring a footpath on the right where the D’Arcy Dalton Way leaves the road, and continue on to a junction where we turn right onto the road signposted to Lyneham.  There is a wide grass verge which we walk along to the entrance to The Wychwood Golf Club, a few yards past the entrance we take a footpath on the left which goes through metal gates and continues along the driveway of Lyneham Heath Farm.

    The footpath leads past the farm buildings and continues on through an equestrian cross country course.

    We then reach trees and follow the way-markers to the right and then turn left to head through The Norrells which is an attractive are of woodland with a good covering of bluebells.

    Emerging from the trees we cross a field to reach a road where we turn right and head towards Sarsden.  In the small village we continue until we reach an old cross, there are reports on the internet that this is a butter cross or market cross and would have been the point where a market was held.  It stands at the crossway of ancient tracks and its origins are thought to be 14th century and rebuilt in the 19th century. 

    At the cross we turn right to follow the D’Arcy Dalton Way as it enters the Sarsden Estate and follow the clear track to reach a lake which was created when the grounds of Sarsden House were landscaped in 1795 by Humphry Repton.

    The path continues through farm buildings at Fairgreen Farm and then reaches a crossing of tracks by some ornate gate posts.  Here we take a brief diversion and turn left to leave the D’Arcy Dalton Way and follow a path heading east.  After passing a plantation I bag the Ordnance Survey trig pillar on Barter Hill, this is my 245th trig.

    From the trig we retrace our steps to the ornate gates and turn left to rejoin the D’Arcy Dalton Way.  It has once again started pouring with rain and it feels very unlike spring as we are now clad in full waterproofs under a leaden sky.  

    At a crossing of paths we turn right and follow a track steadily descending towards Lyneham.  The rain starts to ease as we near the village, it would appear that we had the worst of the weather when we were on the most exposed part of our walk.

    We enter Lyneham at a road junction, here we continue straight on staying with the D’Arcy Dalton Way as it goes through the village and then at a junction turn right and follow a lane until we reach cottages by a gate.  We go through the gate and fork left on the D’Arcy Dalton Way to head across Wychwood Golf Club.

    The footpath leads across the golf course where you might expect clear way-markers to ensure walkers do not stray from the path, however, we spot very few of them and proceed with caution heading west across the course.  Fortunately the wet weather means few golfers are on the course so we do not have to take evasive action.

    After crossing the golf course the D’Arcy Dalton Way reaches a road where we turn left towards Bruern.  This is the road we walked earlier leaving the village and we retrace our steps across the railway line and River Evenlode and walk through Bruern.  Instead of returning back through Cocksmoor Copse we continue along the D’Arcy Dalton Way and stay with this when it takes a footpath to the right and then turns left towards Snow Hill.

    After entering a plantation we join a track and head in a south westerly direction towards Fifield.  This is another track with muddy sections.  Arriving in Fifield we turn left on Church Street and follow this as it makes its way through the village to reach the church of St John the Baptist.  This church was built in the 13th century with the tower and porch added in the 14th century.

    Continuing along Church Street we reach a junction and turn right to soon reach a crossroads where we continue straight on following the road signposted to Idbury.  We follow the road for three quarters of a mile to reach Idbury where we turn right at a T-junction and walk into the village.  At a junction by a bus shelter we turn right to visit St Nicholas’ Church.  

    From the church we retrace our steps through the village to reach the bus shelter and this time continue straight on towards Nether Westcote.  In the village we continue to a crossroads and turn right to pass the Methodist chapel and then the Feathered Nest pub.  Just after the pub we turn left onto a track which heads steadily downhill.

    At a fork in the path, close to a copse, we go left and continue on to cross the Westcote Brook.

    We now turn right and walk to a junction of paths and here we turn left to follow the track back to Pebbly Hill Nurseries.  Our walk has covered almost seventeen miles and has been tough going in the rain and mud.  Lynnie has already decided that she is having a day off walking tomorrow and Crosby and I will be going out on our own.

    You can view this 17 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Explorer OL 45 – The Cotswolds

    20th May 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • A Walk to Icomb from Pebbly Hill Nurseries

    A Walk to Icomb from Pebbly Hill Nurseries

    After a couple of weeks at home we are away in the caravan again, this time heading to the Cotswolds.  Our caravanning travels have taken us all over the Country but we have only ever spent a few nights in the Cotswolds, it is usually somewhere we drive through heading further afield.  So we are looking forward to the opportunity to do some walking and exploring in a new area.

    It only takes a couple of hours to travel to Pebbly Hill Nurseries CL which is a few miles east of Stow-on-the-Wold.  Access to the site is very straightforward, the only downside is that recent persistent rain has made the site very boggy.  Following a previous bad experience I am aware of the site damage that can be caused by a car and caravan ploughing up a field.  So we seek the assistance of the site owner to find a spot that is a bit firmer.

    We get the caravan set up just prior to another storm bucketing down another load of rain on the sodden site.  We take refuge until it passes and then set up the awning.  This week’s forecast is not great so I doubt we will be doing much sitting in the awning, but it does provide somewhere to hang wet walking clothes and give Crosby a good toweling when he is soaking.

    As soon as the awning is up it is time to put the boots on and head out for a walk.  The site is situated next to a few footpaths so enjoys very easy walking access.  We leave the site and turn right along the track to pass the nursery’s polytunnels and stay with the track as it passes riding stables and then heads downhill to a junction of paths.

    Here we turn right to join the route of the Oxfordshire Way.  We have walked short sections of the Oxfordshire Way previously in the Chiltern Hills.  It is a 68-mile path crossing Oxfordshire but strangely it starts in Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire.

    The path continues as a track and we stay with it ignoring a path on the left which leads over a bridge, we are walking with the Westcote Brook to our left and the path soon becomes muddy.  It is not clear if this is due to the recent rain or if it is always a muddy spot, but we are able to find a way through the puddles and are grateful when the route reaches the edge of fields.

    We stay with the Oxfordshire Way along the edge of a field passing ponds.

    There is a notification from the Council that the route has been officially diverted, meaning we go around the headland of the field rather than straight across.  I am always happy to see such diversions as long as the path is clearly signed.  There is nothing more frustrating than trying to follow a route which is not on the map.  Fortunately this route is well marked.

    It is pleasant walking in the evening sunshine, we are in no rush so happy to take in the scenery and stop occasionally to listen or watch the wildlife.

    That path ascends steadily to a junction of footpaths where we turn right to join the route of the Diamond Way. 

    This 66-mile circular route visits villages in the North Cotswolds.  It was created by the North Cotswolds’ Ramblers Association in 1996 to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the Ramblers, hence the name.  The path leads to a large kissing gate leading into a copse.

    We follow the clear path through the trees.  Some sections are very muddy, but again we can find a route through without too much of a problem.  After passing through another large kissing gate we cross a footbridge into a field.

    Staying on the edge of the field we pass a reservoir and join a farm track by a lake.

    Soon we reach a fork in the track and go left and then within fifty yards take a footpath on the right through a gate. This heads uphill on a broad grassy track to reach another track.  Here we turn left and walk besides the wall of Icomb Grange to reach the church of St Mary the Virgin.  

    Apparently there are some striking medieval carvings inside the church but we have very muddy boots so do not attempt to venture inside.  Instead we content ourselves with looking at some of the ancient exterior.

    Modern Icomb is a well-manicured village, rather too pristine for our taste but it has an interesting history, apparently it was where Tom, Dick and Harry Dunsden lived, these brothers were notorious 18th century robbers and frequently held up stage coaches.  Eventually caught following an attempted robbery they were executed and their bodies hanged at Habber Gallows Hill.  It appears it is from these brothers that the phrase, “Tom, Dick and Harry” has arisen.

    We reach the War Memorial and turn right on the road heading north through the village.  We stay with this road to pass Rectory Farm and then turn right at the next junction and follow this quiet county road back towards the caravan site.  

    Our little wander has covered four and a half miles and it has been interesting to get a feel for the area.  The weather forecast for the next few days is not looking great so I doubt any of the muddy paths we have walked will be drying up soon.

    You can view this 4.5 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Explorer OL 45 – The Cotswolds

    19th May 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Hod Hill and Hambledon Hill

    Hod Hill and Hambledon Hill

    Today I am walking in a part of Dorset I have not previously explored and I am joined by my walking buddy Nigel.  The Covid 19 restrictions mean this is the first time we have been able to walk together this year, so we have planned a lengthy walk to allow plenty of time for us to catch up. 

    The starting point for our walk is the Okeford Hill car park to the south of Okeford Fitzpaine (Grid Ref ST812093).  We head out through the car park entrance and turn right beside the road for a short distance and then cross to take a footpath leading along a track which is part of the Wessex Ridgeway.

    Reaching an area of woodland we fork right, leaving the Wessex Ridgeway to continue along the edge of the woodland with trees to our left.  

    We stay with this path, ignoring paths off to the left and right, to woodland at Bonsley Common and join a section of the St Edward’s Way, which is a thirty-mile route from Wareham to Shaftesbury Abbey.  The route is said to follow the journey that St Edward the Martyr’s remains were taken on after his murder at Corfe Castle in 972 to burial at Shaftesbury Abbey. 

    This is very pleasant walking on a spring morning as we continue along the Bluebell lined track.  

    We continue on the route of the St Edward’s Way as it leaves the trees and continues besides fields to reach a crossing of paths.  Here we turn left, leaving the St Edwards Way, and head towards Shepherd’s Corner Farm.  The track leads through the farm buildings and we spot an old bit of equipment, but are unsure of its use.  It looks like a pump of some sort but later research is unable to identify its purpose.

    Continuing along the lane we ignore a couple of footpaths off to the left and then pass some interesting low barns, again the purpose of these baffles us.

    We stay with the lane until just after a converted barn where we take a footpath on the right going through a gate and across a pasture field towards Sutcombe Woods.

    The path leads through the trees and then across fields of pasture as we steadily descend toward Durweston. 

    Entering the village we turn right along a lane and then turn left into Milton Lane and descend to cross the A357.  We continue along Water Lane and then just before the houses end we go left on a path leading to Mill Lane where we turn right to pass the mill and reach the River Stour and the mill pond.

    We have now joined the route of the Stour Valley Way, a long distance path covering 62 miles along the River Stour from its source at Stourhead to the sea at Hengistbury Head near Christchurch.  After crossing a disused railway line we fork left, still on the Stour Valley Way to follow a path across fields towards the Holy Trinity Church in Stourpaine.

    After passing the church we continue through the village on the route of the Stour Valley Way which follows Manor Road as it heads north and then leaves the village via a footpath running besides the River Iwerne.

    At a fork in the footpath we go left, keeping on the Stour Valley Way as it leaves the river and ascends on a track heading towards Hod Hill.  After going through a gate we go through the ramparts of the Iron Age Hill Fort on Hod Hill.

    We continue over the plateau of the hill, which is covered in Cowslips, I can’t recall seeing so many in one place since I was a nipper.  On top of this hill the Romans also established a camp around AD50.  The far ranging views make it clear why this was a popular spot for an encampment.

    There are a network of paths on the access land covering Hod Hill, but we stay with the route of the Stour Valley Way across the plateau and through the location of the Roman Fort. We then descend to reach Keeper’s Lodge where we cross a minor road and take the Stour Valley Way path to head up Hambledon Hill. This is a steep ascent so taking a stop to admire the view back to Hod Hill provides a welcome chance to get our breath back.

    We continue uphill and pass Hambledon Plantation and then at a junction of paths besides a barn we turn left and follow the Stour Valley Way as it continues to steadily ascend towards the summit of Hambledon Hill.  There are extensive views with Cranborne Chase to our right.

    The path takes us along the ridge to reach the Hambledon Hill Trig Pillar, this is the 243rd I have bagged.

    The trig stands on a small Neolithic camp which is linked by a causeway to a much larger Neolithic Hill Fort.

    Rather than go over the top of the fort we follow a clear path which heads to the right following a rampart.

    When the path on the rampart meets the Stour Valley Way, which went over the top of the hill, we turn right and descend on a steep path towards a tree lined path.  As we go down there are cracking views across the Vale of Blackmore.

    We continue along the path to reach a minor road where we turn left and walk into Child Okeford.  In the middle of the village we turn left opposite the Bakers Arms and pass the War Memorial to reach St Nicholas’ Church. We stop here on a bench for lunch.  This church was built in 1878 and replaced a medieval church dating back to around 1250-70

    We leave the church through the main entrance to pass the War Memorial and Bakers Arms.  Apparently the pub dates back to 1754 and has been known as the Bakers Arms since 1821.

    We turn left along the road and then just before the Post Office turn right into Haywards Lane and follow this until we reach a junction of three footpaths on the right just before a turning into a residential road called Greenway Lane.  We take a fence lined footpath heading west towards the River Stour, confusingly the map has this lane marked as Greenway Lane.  As the path nears the river we turn right and follow a fence line to a clear path on the left heading towards a footbridge over the Stour.

    We now head across fields following the footpath over Bere Marsh. On reaching a road we cross besides a railway bridge and join the route of the North Dorset Trailway, this is a 14 mile route from Sturminster Newton to Spetsbury.  The route mainly follows the old track bed of the disused Somerset and Bristol Railway.  This line once linked Bath to Bournemouth and was opened in 1863 and connected the English Channel to the Bristol Channel, it operated until falling victim of the Beeching Cuts in 1966.

    We soon reach Shillingstone Station which has an array of locomotives and a cafe which I am sure in normal circumstances would be busy but appears closed today, we assume because of Covid restrictions.  

    Tucked behind the railway carriage cafe is the canopy for the station.  Apparently this was erected in 1899 especially for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, who was visiting Lord Wolverton’s nearby estate for a shooting party. There was concern that without the canopy some precipitation might fall on his regal head.  There is no report about how he was protected from the elements whilst out shooting.

    Our route is now along the Trailway until we reach a point where the Wessex Ridgeway passes under the Trailway.  We take a path down to the Wessex Ridgeway and then turn right to soon cross the A357, Blandford Road.  Joining the footpath on the far side of the road we head across a field to reach a lane where we turn right and soon turn left at a junction.

    On reaching woodland we take a path that steadily ascends through the trees on the route of the Wessex Ridgeway.  At a junction of tracks we stay with the Wessex Ridgeway and are soon walking on the edge of the woods.  At a path junction we turn left to take a brief diversion to bag the Trig Pillar on Shillingstone Hill.

    With my 244th trig safely in the bag we return to the Wessex Ridgeway and turn left and keep to the edge of the woodland to reach a junction of paths where we turn right to join the path we started our walk on.  From here we walk back to our starting point in the Okeford Hill car park.

    Our walk has covered just over twelve miles and has had over 1,400 feet of ascent.  So a good walk made better by the opportunity to catch up with Nigel.

    You can view this 12.25 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow this walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure Maps OS 117 – Cerne Abbas & Bere Regis, OS118 Shaftesbury & Cranborne Chase, and OS129 Yeovil & Sherborne

    5th May 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Buck’s Mills from Parkham

    Buck’s Mills from Parkham

    One of my favourite places to visit on the North Devon Coast is Buck’s Mills.  Whilst the hordes descend on Clovelly, which I concede is a pretty spot but I am not inclined to pay a fee to walk into a village.  You can walk through Buck’s Mills and hardly see a soul.  What’s more it is free!

    We were first introduced to this attractive fishing village by Betty, she was a friend of Lynnie’s Uncle Derrick.  Over dinner one evening Betty told me all about her background and how she was born a Braund and came from Buck’s Mills.  Sadly Betty died a couple of years ago, but the evenings we spent in her company were a real pleasure.  She had a zest for life and a wicked sense of humour and an evening in her company always lifted the spirits.

    This is the last day of our trip and we have decided to walk to Buck’s Mills, rather than start in the village we will head there from Parkham, a few miles inland.  Our starting point is a parking area in the centre of the village outside St James’ Church.  

    From the church we head in a southwesterly direction through the village on Barton Road to reach a crossroads beside the Bell Inn, here we turn right to join Melbury Lane and pass the school.  We stay with this lane until we reach a junction where we turn right on a lane signposted to Clovelly and Hartland. 

    The road is a very quiet country lane and it is pleasant walking in the spring sunshine.  We ignore two roads off to our left and then three quarters of a mile after the second turning we turn right into the wonderfully named Galloping Lane. 

    On reaching a road we turn left and then after almost half a mile we turn right at a crossroads to follow a lane signposted to Buck’s Mills.  At a junction we keep straight ahead to head into Buck’s Cross.  On reaching the A39 we cross with care and continue straight on to start heading downhill towards Buck’s Mills.

    As I mentioned earlier this is a cracking village, there is still a sense of the past and whilst there is the odd nod to tourism it is a location where it is easy to get a feel of how things would have been over hundred years ago.

    Back in 2016 when Betty was telling me about being a Braund she said that her grandfather was known as the ‘King of Buck’s’. During the 1800’s the Braund family made up the majority of the population of the village and there is a house in the village built by the Braund’s known as King’s Cottage.  It was fascinating spending time talking to Betty about her early life and as we go through the village I keep an eye out for the King’s Cottage which is located at the end of the village overlooking what would have been the harbour.

    We follow the steep path down. Apparently back in 1598 Richard Cole of Woolfardisworthy, thought to be the ‘Old King Cole’ of the nursery rhyme, built a harbour here to provide shelter for cargo ships.  The harbour is long gone but the remnants of fishing remain with the rusty old winches.

    The industrial past of Buck’s Mills can be seen from the limekilns under the cliff.  The coal to fire the kilns would’ve been transported across the Bristol Channel from South Wales.  The movement of goods and people across this channel was a common occurrence.  When Lynnie’s mother was in her teens she moved from Swansea to Bideford with her mother and siblings.  Along the coast to our left is Clovelly.  This is where Lynnie’s great grandmother lived and when Lynnie’s mother was a young child she used to make trips across the Bristol Channel from Swansea to Ilfracombe to see relatives.

    There are two sets of limekilns here, sadly the ones nearest the beach are fenced off because they are unsafe.  It is therefore difficult to get a good view of them.  The kiln higher up near the village is still in a good condition, although access does not appear possible.

    We walk up from the beach and take the sign for the Coastal Path on our left. This path has steps and is a ferocious climb and we are soon above the village and the cliffs and entering woodland.  On reaching a junction of paths where the South West Coast Past goes to the left, we carry straight on and soon join a grassy lane between hedges.

    This lane leads to a junction with a minor road where we go straight on with the coastline to our left.

    We stay with this lane to pass Sloo Farm and soon after on our right we reach the Northway Farm Ordnance Survey trig pillar standing high in the hedge line.  This is the 242nd I have bagged.

    On reaching Northway Farm with its fine collection of barns we turn left down a lane marked as being unsuitable for motor vehicles and then after a couple of hundred yards take a lane on the right leading downhill to cross a stream. 

    On reaching a junction of tracks we go right on the route way marked to Horns Cross.

    We stay with this lane as it heads steadily uphill to Horns Cross where we cross the A39 besides the Coach and Horses Inn.  We now head south on Acre Lane and stay with this lane as it bends to the right and continues towards Goldworthy.

    In Goldworthy we keep right at a road junction and continue downhill to cross the River Yeo at Newhaven.  Immediately after crossing the bridge we leave the road and turn right on a track heading steeply uphill towards Parkham.  As we ascend there are fine views across the valley behind us.

    As the track levels out we pass farm buildings and then continue along the track to reach a minor road in the Parkham.  Here we continue straight on to reach our starting point outside St James’ church.  We have covered nine and a half miles and despite having rather more road walking than I would normally choose it has been a pleasant walk.  These are very quiet lanes and we have only encountered a handful of cars on our route.  

    Now it is time to head back to Seabreeze CL and start packing up for our return home tomorrow morning.

    You can view this 9.5 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow this walk you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Leisure Map 126 – Clovelly & Hartland

    24th April 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Gammaton Cross and Halfpenny Bridge

    Gammaton Cross and Halfpenny Bridge

    One of the things about returning to a CL site is that we are familiar with the local area and will have done walks we want to repeat.  Seabreeze CL being located so close to the Northam Burrows has seen us out with Crosby early in the morning for at least three miles just wandering around the open access land.

    The last two days has also seen us repeat walks from previous visits.  On Wednesday we walked from the site along the South West Coastal path to Westwood Ho! and then up to Kipling Tor, you can see details of that route here. Yesterday saw us heading off to Great Torrington to walk a section of the Rolle Canal and the Tarka Trail, I have walked this route a few times and details can be found here.

    Today Lynnie is meeting her cousins in Appledore whilst I take Crosby out from Great Torrington on a quest to bag an Ordnance Survey Trig Pillar.  My starting point is the large car park on Great Torrington Common and I begin by heading north west on the common and then gradually descending on a path towards the A386.

    Just before reaching the road I turn right on a track and then take a left across a stream, keeping to the left along the base of Furzebeam Hill and then after a couple of hundred yards turn right on a footpath heading east uphill.

    I stay with this path to meet a junction of paths at the top of the hill, here I turn right following a path besides the edge of the common.

    I stay with this path as it turns to the left to join a minor road where I turn right and head downhill to a four way junction where I turn left and follow a minor road signposted for Gammaton and soon cross a bridge.  My route now stays with this lane for three miles to reach Gammaton.  Along the way there are a number of ancient milestones harking back to the days when this would have been a major route to Bideford and Barnstaple.  Thankfully now it is a very quiet lane and I only meet a handful of cars.

    At Gammaton Cross I go straight over and soon fork right to reach the Gammaton Cross Ordnance Survey Trig Pillar.  This is the 241st I have bagged and like many in this part of Devon is situated on top of the hedge line and is overgrown.

    From the trig I retrace my steps to Gammaton Cross and go straight over, after passing a milestone I fork right on a lane signposted to Weare Giffard.

    After a few hundred yards at a fork in the road I keep left still heading for Weare Giffard and stay with the signs to the village as I pass junctions heading steadily downhill.  This is another very quiet lane and I see even less cars that I did on the lane up from Great Torrington.  In Weare Gifford I turn right and follow the road as it leads through the village.  Just after passing a playing field I stop on a stone bench for lunch whilst enjoying a fine view of the River Torridge.

    Resuming my walk I stay with the road leading through the village to reach Holy Trinity church, which was built in the 13th century and enlarged in the 15th century.

    Back on the road I continue through the village and soon get a fine view of the Halfpenny Bridge spanning the River Torridge.  Built in 1835 the bridge apparently gets its name from the toll fee that was payable to cross.

    At a junction of roads I turn left and cross the Halfpenny Bridge to reach the houses dotted around Annery Kiln.  The place derives its name from the large lime kiln that was built here as part of the Annery Estate.  The cottages were built to house the kiln workers. Its location was chosen to be  close to the Torridge at the furthest navigable point on the tidal estuary.  Later, in 1827 when the Rolle Canal was built that served as the transportation point for the limestone and coal required in the kiln.

    After passing under a disused railway bridge I join the Tarka Trail besides the A386 and head in a southerly direction towards Great Torrington.

    The route is easy to follow and I stay with the Tarka Trail crossing the River Torridge on a couple of occasions.

    On reaching the old Railway Station I leave the Tarka Trail and cross the road, turning left to walk up the hill on the pavement besides the A386 returning to my starting place in the car park.  It has been a fine day out, despite doing a lot of walking on tarmac the lanes have been quiet and there have been some good views.

    To follow this walk you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL 139 – Bideford Ilfracome and Barnstable

    You can view this 12  mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    23th April 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Holdstone Hill to Combe Martin

    Holdstone Hill to Combe Martin

    When planning walks for this trip I realised we had not walked around Combe Martin.  A couple of years ago we drove by and had a brief stop in the village, but that is the extent of my visits.  Lynnie remembers trips there many years ago but apart from our brief stop has not been for nearly fifty years.  Like most walks I plan, this one will start a few miles away from where I want to visit.  We start from the car park in the old quarry on Holdstone Hill EX34 0PF (Grid Ref: SS263474). 

    From the car park we go northwest uphill on Holdstone Down on a clear path through the gorse and heather.

    After months of walking on the chalk downs in Wiltshire it makes a welcome change to get a rocky path beneath our boots.  Soon we are at the hill summit on which sits a large cairn and an Ordnance Survey trig pillar.  This is the 239th trig I have bagged, but it is 140 days since I bagged the last one.

    From the trig point we head west on a clear path that steadily descends through the gorse, we stay with this path until we reach a junction with the South West Coast Path.

    We turn left onto the South West Coast Path and stay with this route as it passes through a gate and descends steeply into Sherrycombe.

    This is a cracking combe, the path leads to a footbridge over a stream.

    After crossing the bridge the path takes us out of the combe onto the aptly named Girt Down.  This is a stiff ascent the likes of which we have not tackled for a long time and it gets the calf muscles burning.

    As the route begins to level we reach a junction of paths, here we turn left leaving the South West Coast Path to take a route signposted to “County Road”.

    We now head along the boundary of access land and a field to reach a stile.  After crossing the stile and entering a pasture field we continue with the fence line to our left to reach a gate onto a track.

    Staying with the track we pass Girt Down Farm and then soon after take a track on the right with a way marker for Combe Martin.  There are some cracking views of the village and coastline as we steadily descend.

    The track joins a minor road where we turn right and continue downhill.  When the road bends sharp to the left we continue straight on along a track which descends steadily into the village.

    At a road in the village there are a number of options to reach the sea front.  We go to the right to take a narrow path that leads across a stream.  We then turn left to walk by a school and continue on to reach a car park overlooking the bay.

    From the bay we join the A339 and walk south out of the village.  There are cracking views over the bay which due to the pandemic seems a lot quieter than the last time we were here a couple of years ago.

    We stay with the pavement until we reach a footpath on the left just before a bridge. Here we go left and follow the path downhill which soon joins a track initially heading south and then sweeping to the left to head east.

    The path heads steadily uphill and then goes through gates to cross fields.

    We reach a lane and descend towards the church of St Peter ad Vincula which means St Peter in Chains.  Parts of the church date to the 13th century with most of it from the 15th and early 16th century.  Restoration was undertaken in 1858 and 1881.

    We are a fair distance from the sea, but still in Combe Martin.  The village is strung out alongside a road and because of the local geography the housing has stretched out within the valley.  We cross the A339 and join Corner Lane and continue on this as it becomes a concrete track going uphill.  At a junction of tracks we go right and head east still going uphill towards Silver Mines Farm.

    As we continue up there are some cracking views back across the village and out to sea.

    Besides the path are some interesting metal gates.  They are definitely not the usual farm gates and it is unclear why they are built in this way.

    We pass Silver Mines Farm and then reach the disused Silver Mine on Knapp Down.  This is one of the many silver mines in and around Combe Martin.  The only aspect of this mine now visible is part of the engine house and chimney.  It was built around 1859 as part of the workings to extract the lead silver.

    On reaching a junction of tracks we turn left and walk a few hundred yards to a junction with a minor road where we turn right and walk along Vellacot Lane towards Stoney Corner.  The hedge on one side of the road has recently been laid and looks impressive.  Earlier in the year I read a very interesting book “The Hedgerow” by John Wright in which hedges like this were mentioned.

    At Stoney Corner we cross and take the lane signposted to Trentishoe and Hunters Inn.  This road soon meets a junction.  It had been my original intention to take a right here and go along Verwell Lane but this would add another three or four miles and a couple more steep ascents.  However, after months of walking in Wiltshire we decide adding more ascent to our walks is not required today.  So we take the left and follow the lane back to our starting point in the quarry car park.

    Our walk has covered 8.5 miles and the Outdoor Active tracking app shows we have done 3 miles uphill walking with 1,798 feet of ascent.  A good afternoons walking.

    To follow this walk you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL9 Exmoor

    You can view this 8.5 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    20th April 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • A Wander into Bideford

    A Wander into Bideford

    It has been a long time since we were away in the caravan .  Our last trip together was in September 2020 when we had a week away in Silton, near Mere.   After that I made a couple of trips to Minehead to walk on Exmoor.  The Covid restrictions then put pay to our plans for travel so it has been over five months since the caravan was used.

    As soon as we were able to make plans we decided to resume our touring with a trip to North Devon and a stay at Seabreeze CL which is just outside Appledore.  We have used this CL a few times in the past and always received a warm welcome from the site owner Alice.  So when I called to book I was surprised to find out that she had sold the business .  However, there was no need to worry because the new owners, Jason and Maria were equally welcoming and very enthusiastic about their new venture.

    After arriving yesterday we went for a stroll on Northam Burrows which is right next door to the site.  It’s open access land so it is easy to find a quiet route for a good stroll and Crosby was up early for three miles on the Burrows this morning.

    Our main walk of the day is going to be a trip into Bideford following sections of the South West Coastal Path.  We leave Seabreeze CL and turn right for a few yards along Long Lane before turning left into Primrose Lane which we follow uphill to reach a crossroads with the A386 where we cross and join Wooda Road.  We stay with this road for a few hundred yards to reach a footpath on the right.  This is the South West Coastal Path and we will follow it into Bideford.  We head through fields to reach a minor road which we cross and then continue on the path as it turns towards the River Torridge.

    On reaching the River we turn right along the bank.  There are a number of abandoned vessels, it is not clear how they came to be here.  Whilst being picturesque it is odd that a ship can be left tied up to rot in the water.

    This is a cracking spot to walk.  After months of walking from home it feels so good to be away and have some different views so we do not rush and frequently stop to just look around.

    We stay with the coast path as it goes through woodland on top of a cliff besides the river.  I am not keen on heights but feel comfortable walking along here. 

    The path leads around coves and then drops down to the attractive Cleave Quay.

    From here we go under the Torridge Road Bridge and head through houses to reach the Council Offices.  The path now runs alongside a car park at the side of Victoria Park and this leads us into Bideford.  We have decided to have a mooch around the town whilst avoiding busy areas.  We continue along the side of the river to reach Rowan Fawdon’s sculpture of Tarka the Otter.

    The plaque by the statue quotes a section from Henry Williamson’s book “Tarka passed under the ancient Long Bridge which the monks built across their ford …”.   The statue is right beside the medieval Old Bideford Bridge, or Long Bridge, it has 24 arches spanning 677 feet across the River Torridge; it is thought to be one of the longest remaining medieval bridges.  The bridge was widened in 1865 and 1925, but was struck by disaster on 19th January 1968 when a combination of heavy rain and high tide led to a couple of bridge arches collapsing.

    There is much to admire about Bideford, there are many old buildings including the attractive Panier Market.  Unlike nearby Appledore the town has yet to become popular with second home owners and holiday lets so some properties have a slightly neglected feel.  Architecturally there are some cracking buildings so we wander through the streets but Lynnie becomes more interested in securing a Hocking’s Ice Cream. We head back to the entrance to Victoria Park where a van is sited.

    We now wander through Victoria Park to the north west corner where we join Park Lane and turn right to reach Chanters Road where we turn left.  At the A386 we turn right and follow this as it heads uphill to the A39.  Here we cross and continue on the A386 toward Northam.  When the A386 forks right we keep on along the B3236 for a short distance and then turn right into Fore Street to head to the centre of Northam where we take a detour to look at St Margaret’s Church.  

    The last time we were here was for the sad occasion of the funeral of Lynnie’s Uncle Derrick.  I am not a man of faith but was stuck by the warm and sympathetic manner from the vicar who led the service.  Whilst Lynnie looks for the memorial stones to her relatives in the graveyard I wander around to locate the Ordnance Survey Flush Bracket which is on the church.

    Across the road from the church is an interesting flag pole on Bone Hill, it was first erected in 1897 and then rebuilt after it was damaged by a storm in the 1980’s.  Since we were last here names of ship captains have been painted on some of the stones.

    We now turn right and walk along Tower Street and then turn left into Diddywell Road which we follow through Northam to reach Diddywell where we turn left into Primrose Lane and then head back to the caravan park.

    To follow this walk you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 139 – Bideford, Ilfracombe and Barnstaple. 

    You can view this 7.5 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    19th April 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    ll information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Frost and a Monolith

    Frost and a Monolith

    The start of a new year sees me starting another “Walk the Year” challenge.  In 2021 I aim to walk 2,021 miles.  I started doing this annual challenge in 2018 so this is my fourth year.  In my quest I only count “Boots on Miles” which means the miles I notch up whilst wearing my walking boots.  Normal day to day walking does not count as far as I am concerned.  In 2020 I walked 2,542 miles which far exceeded previous years; 2,231 miles in 2019 and 2,229 in 2018.  

    It is a bright but frosty morning so ideal for walking at pace to keep warm and I intend to start the year with a good long morning walk from Pitton, my home village.

    I start my walk from the village pub, the Silver Plough, leaving the car park I turn left and then immediately left along The Green.  I ignore footpaths to the right and left and stay on the lane to reach a bridleway opposite Glebe House.  At the end of the bridleway I turn right to walk up the track, Winterslow Hollow.  

    I ignore a footpath on the left and then within 10 yards turn left to join the permissive path running along the fence line and then continue between fields to reach farm buildings.  The footpath goes to the left of the farmhouse and then on reaching a track I continue the short distance to a road.  I cross and carry on along a track alongside All Saints Church on the edge of Winterslow.

    Through a kissing gate I keep to the left hand side of the field to reach another kissing gate, here I keep close to the fence and soon reach another two kissing gates side by side.  I go through the one on the left and follow a fence lined path and stay with it as it leads into a copse. The path is easy to follow through the trees and soon turns to the left to descend to a sunken track, here I turn left and head downhill.  

    This is part of the Monarch’s Way, a route that follows the journey made by Charles II after the battle of Worcester.  The 625-mile route starts from Worcester and after a convoluted route reaches the Dorset coast and then heads east to finally end at Shoreham-on-Sea.  It is a walk I would love to do, but I would need a long pass from Lynnie before I could consider it!

    As I continue along the track I am mentally planning the logistics of tackling a walk of over 600 miles.  At the moment it feels like it will be some time before such a walk would be possible, but it is potentially something to add to my list of winter projects. The track leads to a road where I turn right and follow a path on the verge.  At a crossroads besides a wind pump I turn left back towards Pitton, after about a hundred yards I take a footpath on the right just after the entrance to Windmill Farm.  I am still on the Monarch’s Way.  

    This fenced path leads between fields then reaches a play area at the back of houses in Firsdown.  The route continues west, following the course of a Roman Road, to reach a copse.  I stay on the main path still heading west through the trees.  There are no other footpaths marked on the map for these woods, but obviously local dog walkers have established a few routes.  At a clearing in the hedge line I stop to look at the view back towards Pitton. 

    The next section of the walk looks a bit complex on the maps, but on the ground the footpaths are clear. I emerge from the wooded area and continue straight ignoring a path on the right.  Within a few yards I carry straight on at a crossing of tracks and then at the next crossing of tracks, within a hundred yards, I turn right.  This path is way-marked as the Monarch’s Way.

    A few hundred yards along this path I reach a stile on the left and cross this, still on the Monarch’s Way, from here I follow the path along the right hand edge of a field.

    The path passes through a gate before heading along a driveway to a stable to reach the A30.  On the far side I go through a gate and walk besides a field to reach a stile on the right giving access to the Neolithic and Iron Age site of Figsbury Ring.

    After wandering around a section of the ring I rejoin the Monarch’s Way, leaving the access land by a gate in the western corner of the field I join a track descending towards the Winterbournes. 

    I go through a kissing gate besides a farm gate and continue along a tarmac lane that goes under a railway bridge to reach the village.  The lane leads to the A338 where I turn left by St Michael and All Angels Church.  After a few hundred yards on the pavement besides the main road I turn right into Tanners Lane and follow this lane as it heads to the River Bourne.  I stay with the lane until it reaches a ford, here I take the footbridge and cross the river.

    After crossing the river I turn left along a track and then at a junction of tracks turn left to cross the river again.   At a junction I turn right into Hurdcott Lane and then after a couple of hundred yards turn right into Black Horse Lane and pass the Black Horse pub.

    At the end of the lane I join a footpath and follow this as it skirts the edge of a field and then goes through the hedge line into a second field to continue on to a footpath running behind houses.  This soon opens up into a driveway to properties and then reaches a minor road in Ford where I turn left and walk up to Broken Cross Bridge that crosses the railway line.  After carefully crossing the bridge I turn left into Old Malthouse Lane.  After a couple of hundred yards just as I reach industrial barns I take a footpath on the right and follow the path steadily uphill towards the A30.

    After crossing this busy main road the path continues on the far side through a hedge to follow a farm track along the side of a field.

    At the top corner of the field I turn right and follow the edge of the field to join a path leading through bushes to reach a kissing gate onto the open access land of Cockey Down Nature Reserve.

    When I was a nipper this hill briefly gained national notoriety when on 26th January 1969 a group of students from University College North Wales carved a chalk Panda onto the hillside as part of a RAG week stunt.  The Panda remained visible for some time, but has long since grown over.  It is a few months since I was last here and as I walk around the trees I am surprised to see a monolith has been erected.

    I walk away from the monolith on a path that descends steeply and continues south on Laverstock Down.  Here I bump into a couple heading up the hill and they inform me that the monolith appeared overnight and they are eager to catch a glimpse.  

    Continuing along the path I encounter a steady stream of people heading up the hill to view the new phenomenon (as it later turns out they were right to do so because 3 days later it was pulled down).  At a fork in the path I go left and head uphill to reach a kissing gate and then follow a hedge lined path to reach the gates for Clarendon Estate at Rangers Lodge Farm.  I turn left, now on the Clarendon Way and follow the Estate Road before forking right onto the footpath to cross a field heading towards King Manor Hill.

    The path continues up a track and as it bends to the right I continue straight on to visit the remains of Clarendon Palace.  This Royal Hunting Lodge was a major residence of Kings from the reign of Henry II to Henry VII.  When I was a youngster the site was overgrown and the ruins were lost in the undergrowth, now they have been cleared and it is an interesting, historic spot to visit.

    I leave the site of the palace by a gate in the north east corner and rejoin the Clarendon Way and turn left along a track.  Within a hundred yards I fork left leaving the track to follow the Clarendon Way sign into the woods.  I now stay with the Clarendon Way as it follows a clear path through the trees to reach farm buildings and then continues around the back of Four Cottages and back into Pitton.  At the crossroads I turn right and walk up White Hill to reach my starting point at the Silver Plough.

    My walk has covered just over 13 miles and has been a great start to my walking year.  It has been a very chilly day but the occasional sunshine has made for pleasant walking.  

    You can view this 13 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps OL130 Salisbury & Stonehenge and OL131 Romsey, Andover & Test Valley

    1st January 2021

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.