magazine autumn 2010 magazine autumn 2010 Central England Central England 07 Shepreth, Cambridgeshire 08 Edge Hill, Warwickshire ● Distance 12km/7½ miles ● Time 2-2½hrs ● Type Foraging, farmland and woods ● Distance 13km/8 miles ● Time 4-5hrs ● Type Rolling countryside, wooded escarpment
NAVIGATION FITNESS NAVIGATION FITNESS 2 LEVEL 2 2 LEVEL 2 1/2 LEVEL 1/2 2 LEVEL 2
Plan your walk Plan your walk ● Hardwick WARWICKSHIRE ● Cambridge Mollington ● CAMBRIDGESHIRE Bourton Barrington EDGE HILL ●
● Whittlesford Drayton ● ● SHEPRETH Shutford ● ●
● Banbury Kneesworth
Wykham ●
● IS A H Royston TH OL E ID K A A with Y ! M Ramblers
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WHERE: Circular walk WHERE: Circular walk Countrywide k w u w . Holidays o from Shepreth via from Ratley via Hornton . c ra . m e Barrington and Harlton, and Edge Hill. b id lers ryw PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY PHOTOGRAPHY: PHOTOGRAPHY: PHOTOLIBRARY PHOTOGRAPHY: count in the Upper Cam Valley. START/END: Ratley START/END: Shepreth This pretty walk in the Upper bridge. Turn L along Angle Lane Village Hall (SP382475). Among the peaceful south down beside it past the train station (TL393481). Cam Valley offers plenty of leading round to a railway TERRAIN: Field and Warwickshire countryside, in attractive honey-brown Hornton TERRAIN: Mainly flat opportunities to forage for a crossing, cross over and follow the woodland paths and the fi elds below the Edge Hill stone houses to the historic The footpaths and tracks, wealth of autumnal fruits in the path past blackberry bushes on tracks, with stretches escarpment, the fi rst major battle Rose & Crown pub. It’s worth with two fairly steep abundant hedgerow en route (see your L. Continue straight on to the of waymarked routes. of the Civil War took place on 23 having a look at the nearby ascents/descents. Some the Wild-food diary on p36 for corner of the fi eld, turning R MAPS: OS Explorer 206; October 1642. With approximately 14th-century Church of St Peter swing gates and a more on what to look out for). along the boundary, then L onto Landranger 151. 12,000 men per side (estimates AD Vincula (St Peter in Chains) railway crossing. Starting in the pretty village of the fi rst of two footbridges that GETTING THERE: Nearest vary), the Royalists deployed on before heading on past the pub MAPS: OS Explorer 209; Shepreth, the route crosses the cross a fi eld drain and then the mainline trains arrive at the Edge Hill ridge, while the to a fork and signpost. Bear R Landranger 54. River Rhee – a tributary of the River Rhee. Banbury. Then a daily Parliamentarians occupied the and follow the track until you GETTING THERE: There Cam – and continues through (not Sundays) but limited ground below to the south east of reach a footpath and stile on the is an hourly train service Barrington, with its fi ne example 2. Continue on the ascending path 269 bus service to/from Kineton. The Royalists descended R. Turn down the path. The small to Shepreth from of the village green. It then climbs through a kissing gate and up to a Banbury and Stratford, and a fi erce battle ensued. The stream you cross marks the Cambridge and London onto the Mare Way, an ancient road junction in Barrington. Turn connects with Ratley result was inconclusive, but not Warwickshire-Oxfordshire county (www.firstcapitalconnect. trackway running along a ridge R along the pavement for a short (✆ 01564 797070, www. surprisingly there were many boundary, so you are now in the co.uk). about 65m/213ft above sea distance before crossing the road johnsonscoaches.co.uk). casualties. It’s not possible to visit latter. Continue on the bridleway EATING AND DRINKING: level with superb views of the to join a narrow lane opposite. EATING & DRINKING: the actual battle site today since it to Poplars Farm where you join Hare and Hounds, Harlton valley, before descending via a Follow the lane as it curves round The Rose & Crown, Ratley lies within a huge MOD depot, but a track leading to the road. ✆ 01223 262672, www. disused clunch pit to Harlton, to the L, with a small recreation (✆ 01295 678148); you can enjoy the views from the Carry straight on down into thehareandhoundspub. attractively covered by mature ground on your R. Just before the The Dun Cow, Hornton ridge, along which run two long- the village of Hornton. net); Royal Oak, deciduous trees and bushes. track narrows, turn R through a (✆ 01295 670524); distance paths – the Macmillan Barrington You then return to Shepreth gate signposted for Harlton, The Castle Inn, Edgehill Way and the Centenary Way. Short 2. Leave the road where it (✆ 01223 870791, via an alternative route back following a track beside a fi eld (✆ 01295 670255, www. stretches of two other waymarked turns L and follow the track www.royaloak.uk.net). to Barrington. which eventually forks either side castleinnedgehill.com). trails, the d’Arcy Dalton Way and waymarked as the d’Arcy Dalton GUIDEBOOKS: Walks in of a hedge. Taking either, SLEEPING: The Castle Inn Battlefi elds Trail, are also included Way, named after Col W P d’Arcy South Cambridgeshire by 1. START Head from the station continue to a T-junction with a B&B, Edgehill (see above); in this relatively gentle walk. Dalton who worked for over half Cambridge Ramblers (TL393481) into the village, farm access road to Wilsmere Springfi eld House B&B, a century to preserve rights of passing the village hall on your L Down Farm (TL389508). As you 1. START From the Village Hall way in Oxfordshire. The route ▲ (£4.50, ISBN 952251833) – ▲ Warmington ▼ and continuing over a small approach the farm, look for ▼ (SP382475), follow the lane links four major paths that Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 continued… continued...
(✆ 01295 690286, www. available from 52 Maids stayatspringfield.co.uk). Map not to scale. Causeway, Cambridge Map not to scale. VisitoR infoRmation: Representation of Representation of Landranger MAP 151 CB5 8DD or go to the OS Explorer MAP 209, Warwick TIC (✆ 01926 1:50,000 website: www.ramblers. 4 1:25,000 492212) or visit www. www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk START org.uk/info/publications. www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk battlefieldstrust.com. 5 FINISH LocaL RambLeRs GRoup: Guidebooks: 50 Walks 1 Cambridge Ramblers in Warwickshire & West (✆ 01354 677537). Midlands by Roger Noyce 3 (£9.99, AA Publishing, ISBN 9780749562953); blackberries in the hedge. 50 Walks in the Cotswolds 5 by Nick Channer et al 3. Cross the farm track and take (£9.99, AA Publishing, the path ascending round the 3 ISBN 9780749555948). side of a field. After turning the LocaL RambLeRs GRoups: corner and climbing further, Banbury & North Oxfordshire look for crab apples and Ramblers (✆ 01295 710227, blackberries in the adjacent www.ramblers-oxon.org.uk); hedge. Upon reaching a belt of Mid Warwickshire Ramblers trees running along the summit (✆ 01926 493585, www. of the ridge, turn R onto a path midwarksramblers.org); 2 2 along the edge of a field. When Bear Walking Group you reach the hedge boundary, (✆ 01926 452074, www.bear turn L and immediately R onto a walkinggroup.co.uk). path running through trees. 4 4. This is the ancient trackway cross the county. After an initial known as the Mare Way. Take the next footpath on the L climb through the trees, the 3 track runs over level ground leading down to the top of the 1 to the A422. clunch pit. Here the route START becomes steep in places as it FINISH 3. Turn R along the verge for slopes down through trees, around 300m, then L onto a eventually emerging onto an side road. Almost immediately enclosed path descending to Steepness of walk Steepness of walk there’s a path on the R, the Harlton. Before the road 200 ongoing route of the d’Arcy 600 junction, turn L on path along a Dalton Way. The path crosses field edge, passing the rear 150 several fields, then drops down 400 garden of the Hare and Hounds pub. Look for elderberries in the to a junction with the Macmillan 100 200 Way. Turn R along the new Way adjacent hedge. At the corner of Elevation (m) which follows a valley north- the field, turn L (look out for 50 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 13 west, continuing up the hillside good blackberries in the Elevation (m) Total distance of walk (km) to reach a road that runs along hedgerow) and shortly fork L 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 the Edge Hill escarpment. trees provides an opportunity to striking octagonal Radway Tower onto a path climbing back up to Total distance of walk (km) savour the views of the plains, was built to commemorate the ridge. Turn R at the summit 4. Cross the road – back into before you head back into the the 100th anniversary of the on to the Mare Way, which back to Wilsmere Down Farm. office then R onto a minor road Warwickshire – and go down woods. At the A422, turn L down Battle of Edgehill. winds through the band of After about 500m, turn R onto a leading to a footpath along the the track opposite for a short the road then a R, taking great trees, continuing on until you signposted path across a field, River Rhee. After the second distance, then R up a path (still care crossing the road. Continue 5. Turn L then immediately R, eventually cross a stile leaving passing through a gap in footbridge, turn L along a path the Macmillan Way) through along the ridge-top path until and at the next road turn R the woods. Turn L here at the hedgerow and continue in the running beside a field then R onto trees. A bit further on, another you reach a path junction with and immediately L onto a junction with a public right of same direction to Barrington, with a path across the field, following a path joins this ridge-top route the signposted Battlefields Trail – footpath. Follow it along a way that first climbs then more blackberries in the adjacent line of telephone poles. At the far from the L – this is the Centenary a 32km/20-mile route that links field boundary to a T-junction descends to the bend in the hedge. Eventually the path comes side, turn L onto a path back to Way, devised to celebrate 100 three of Britain’s most important with another footpath, and Barrington/Orwell road. out at the village green, with the the railway crossing and Angle years of Warwickshire County battlefields. Turn R up to the turn L to return to Ratley. cricket pavilion on the L. Cross the Lane, returning you to Shepreth. Council. A short break from the road and the Castle Inn pub. Its Route devised by Fiona Barltrop 5. Turn L along the track leading main road and turn L past the post Route devised by Jonathan Spain