has worked with English a hotel. The surrounding estate Elizabethan Fawsley Hall, now the grounds around the ridge which descends to by following a long breezy The route leaves Everdon attractive local ironstone. have been built from the Everdon, where many houses bottom of the main street in a lovely country pub at the Capability Brown. And there’s and parkland designed by interesting churches; and lakes villages; historic houses and panoramic views and peaceful has just about everything: Northamptonshire countryside

metres lake known as The Canal. Looking west along the km 20 0 40 0 60 0 0 0 in the rolling This scenic walk ROGER BUTLER CHOSEN BY… 11 u Distance: 6½ miles/10.5km u miles/10.5km 6½ Distance: 2 EVERDON & FAWSLEY NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 4

6 on the way back to Everdon. and former mill at Snorscomb meet quiet tracks by the farm of a motte and bailey castle, to from here, passing the remains and beyond. Paths descend views back towards Fawsley to the church and its excellent where tightly-knit lanes lead village of Preston Capes, continues to the escarpment wooden door. The walk squeeze through the tiny though you almost have to by the lakes, can be visited – Mary the Virgin, in the pasture walk. The isolated Church of St several vantage points on the landmarks can be viewed from restoration and the lakes and scheme of historic landscape to prepare a comprehensive Heritage and Natural GR ADIENT PROFILE 8 Time: 4 hours u 4 hours Time: 10

12

Grade: Moderate Grade:

ROGER BUTLER BUTLER ROGER PHOTO: 1 forking L by last houses. After and take lane (Fawsley Road) past triangular village green, Everdon walk up High Street, 14 From pub and church in Start n o d r e v Landranger 152 E o t Maps OS Explorer 206; l e v a r t taxi required for onward station Long Buckby – transportPublic Nearest toiletsPublic None (01327 361606) collection of memorabilia pub complete with a large Inn at Everdon – a village Refreshments The Plough Nearest town Daventry PLANNING Stiles 17 short lengths of quiet lane and good farm tracks; Is it for me? Field paths grid ref SP594574 Everdon, NN11 3BL, Start/parking ROUTE PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN

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MIDLANDS ✁ route starts and finishes at the point on the main ridge. The climbing up to the highest an outlying hill, as well as explore a scenic valley and makes use of quiet paths to the east and this circular walk Mynd is less frequented than The western side of the Long views stretch way into Wales. of fresh air up here and the plateau. There’s always plenty across the high heathery old trackways twist and turn way into the steep slopes and Hills. Deep valleys cut their centrepiece of the moorland forms the popular and this seven-mile wedge of metres km 20 0 40 0 60 0 0 0 made for walkers The was ROGER BUTLER CHOSEN BY… 12 u Distance: 10 miles/16km u 2 LONG MYND & ADSTONE HILL SHROPSHIRE 4

6 top of the broad ridge. 1600 feet as they cross the open roads which climb to in winter snow can close the of colour in late summer, but heather provides a carpet can be seen higher up. The and several Bronze Age tumuli track of the ancient Portway Part of the walk follows the babbling River West Onny. name nestles next to the traditional pub of the same hamlet of Bridges, where a 1 and fork L, ahead and over Keep ahead through the trees cross stile on R after 400m. the oldest in the country) and past Youth Hostel (now one of Bridges, take the lane leading E GR ADIENT PROFILE From the road junction at Start Time: 7 hours u 7 hours Time:

8 Stiperstones and Long Mynd from Adstone Hill. Views of the 10 Grade: Moderate Grade: 12

ROGER BUTLER BUTLER ROGER PHOTO: 14 ROUTE Landranger 137 Maps OS Explorer 217; for full details shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk September - see www. Easter and the end of Bank Holidays between Mynd at weekends and operates across the Long shuttle bus service Stretton. An excellent rail station Church transportPublic Nearest toiletsPublic None pub (01588 650260) Refreshments The Bridges Nearest town PLANNING Stiles 17 ascents with a couple of steep across open moorland, tracks through fields and Is it for me? Paths and SO393964 SY5 0ST, grid ref opposite pub in Bridges, Start/parking Car park PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN A 16 B

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MIDLANDS DATE WALKED TIME TAKEN YOUR RATING

© Country Walking December 2018

5 DECEMBER 2018

1 START 4 IN ASSOCIATION WITH OS MAPS OS 6 miles/9.5km gate next L through Fork lfto.com/cwroutes OS MAPS ONLINE: VIEW ON THE WALK track, later lined by hedges, lined by later track, on R. Farm Snorscomb pass to and turn L gate to Proceed pass to along open track mill on L. restored 5 and, after bridge over stream, stream, bridge over and, after quickly pass on R to path take with footbridges two through ahead L and keep Trend stiles. around Walk in hedge. stile to at gate to edge of allotments ahead, Go R, with church lane. Everdon. to return to

3 2 4½ miles/7.25km 250m, turn L along After 3¼ miles/5.25km Preston R uphill, into Turn

hedge to go through bridleway bridleway go through hedge to gate next ahead to Walk gate. hedge after and turn R through uphill on farm 400m. Walk sharp bend first and at track track to hill. Return L over veer on near barns and continue 3 4 Capes, and then turn R onCapes, of rear to Walk Way. Church views. great for churchyard turn R and main lane, to Return phone opposite driveway take on gate take Immediately box. boundary on field. Keep R into and look stiles two L, go over and glimpse old motte L to straight Keep castle. bailey footbridge field to ahead over next Go over in hedge. and stile open lane and turn L. field to ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2018 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 007/18 MEDIA SURVEY. ORDNANCE 2018 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN

Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE EVERDON & FAWSLEY 1¾ miles/3km head of R around Turn OS Explorer map 206 u 200m, take stile on R and turn stile 200m, take stile. next L along hedge to 2 Go straight ahead over field to field to ahead over Go straight to gap in hedge and continue Walk another gap with stile. field, with ruined next over next on L, and go through farm slightly now gap in hedge, another gap. to downhill with hedge on R, Continue, to stile and pass Westcombe Westcombe and pass stile to at gate reach on R to Farm through over, Go straight lane. on L, with sheepfold gate farm in gate up field to and walk ahead path The top. at fence of swathe a large crosses with parkland trees pasture lane. at stile to and descends L and look for marker post marker L and look for a dip with to leading the way Go R along field in hedge. stile ahead, turn L and keep edge, footbridge barn on R, to past field to Go over corner. top at Way with Knightley footbridge next over down Walk marker. then veer in hedge, stile field to ridge and over corner, far L to lane. at stile to furrow, of church and continue across across and continue of church the between causeway a low Hall. Cross of Fawsley lakes Keep open pasture. into stile lake and take first gate on L, gate first and take lake with Estate, signed Fawsley was ahead. This church isolated the monks of by established Priory in the 13th Daventry a served and it once century village which has long since L to track Take disappeared. u 11

MIDLANDS ✁ DATE WALKED TIME TAKEN YOUR RATING

© Country Walking December 2018

4

DECEMBER 2018

3 5 8½ miles/13.5km on R, good track Take IN ASSOCIATION WITH OS MAPS OS lfto.com/cwroutes OS MAPS ONLINE: VIEW ON THE WALK 1.2km to the junction of tracks of tracks the junction 1.2km to Hill. the S end of Adstone at 6 through gate, and keep ahead and keep gate, through Hill, of Adstone along crest within tunnel ofand a section lead the stiles Three hawthorns. approximately N and, after way double gates to 2km, descend R-hand Go through the lane. by to turn L and return gate, 450m. after start

2

1 6 START After approximately approximately After 6¼ miles/10.25km

Leave the top by continuing continuing by the top Leave 450m. after road reach S to the tree-lined R, pass Turn Cottage of Pole enclosure barn) and (a corrugated R on track fork immediately W. descending 5 at foot of hillside. Go straight Go straight of hillside. foot at field and follow stile cross over, stiles more a couple over path with and a small footbridge, narrow reach hedge on R, to R and 900m. Turn lane after a minor ford, lane (over follow sharp bends and three around for Adstone) at the farm past 750m, and by a prominent a prominent and by 750m, gate bend, go R through through path/track take to Stanbach lane at to pasture ©CROWN COPYRIGHT 2018 ORDNANCE SURVEY. MEDIA 007/18 MEDIA SURVEY. ORDNANCE 2018 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN

Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop

SHROPSHIRE HILL MYND & ADSTONE LONG 4¼ miles/6.75km track L on obvious Fork 2¼ miles/3.75km 2.6km, for R on track Turn 1 mile/1.5km Way the Shropshire Follow OS Explorer map 217 u through heather and follow and follow heather through this for 1.7km to next road. Go road. next to 1.7km this for on and continue over straight high reach to 550m for track Bank, with trig Pole at point indicator. and viewpoint point u stile, after 450m. Continue Continue 450m. after stile, the path where stile, next to with plantation a conifer enters and go over below, stream a farm cross to another stile of small the bottom at track another stile Cross side valley. through path and follow of the foot at garden hamlet Hill. The Ratlinghope (pronounced of Ratlinghope is the with church, Ratchup), other side of Darnford Brook. 2 3 4 signs to join grass track/path, track/path, join grass signs to which and stiles, with gates the peaceful climbs into gently L of Keep Valley. Darnford Lower at the barns and ford swings and, as a track Darnford ridge, climb a grass R to N, fork Valley’. and then up ‘Golden At the top, a steel kissing gate gate kissing a steel the top, At the line of onto access gives track. the old Portway past the trig point on Betchcott on Betchcott the trig point past by a dip, to Hill, and continue head of High Park at conifers, the open up to Walk Hollow. on the Long now – you’re road 200m. Mynd – and turn R for 12

MIDLANDS