FOOTPATH MAINTENANCE REPORTING OF PROBLEMS

Purton Parish has a network of 146 Footpaths While you are out walking and you see any problems and 21 Bridleways, totalling 46 miles (73.6 with the paths, stiles or kissing gates then please Kilometres). The Footpaths Team is a group of report these to the Parish Council by volunteers who are responsible for maintaining email [email protected]

this network; this includes keeping the pathways It is always a good idea if you go out for a walk to clear, mending stiles and kissing gates and take some secateurs with you, so that you can trim checking paths have clear signage. back any brambles that have overgrown onto a path, Alongside our Footpaths Team we have a stile or kissing gate. Walks in and around Ramblers Group who also help to maintain All Walks in this series are accessible by following footpaths within the Parish of public Rights of Way (RoW), as indicated on the the Parish of Purton If you are interested in joining the Footpaths accompanying maps. However, walkers should be Team, or to report any problems with Footpaths aware that the exact route on the ground may not in the Parish, contact the Council on 01793 always be on the RoW shown on the map. For (Updated 2017) 772646 or email [email protected]. example, a farmer may have provided a stile some Please also contact us if you are interested in metres away from its correct location. In addition, sponsoring a kissing gate to replace a stile. A individual farmers may put in place a temporary sponsored gate can have a plaque in memory of a diversion across any of their fields depending on the loved one. time of year and the needs of their livestock/crops. Walk 5 COUNTRY CODE FOR WALKERS Walkers are requested to respect such deviations and Respect other people report to the Parish Council any that are not clearly • Consider the local community and other people signed or accessible. CANALS AND enjoying the outdoors A map showing all the Public Rights of Way in the • Leave gates and property as you find them and Parish of Purton is now available to look at in RAILWAYS follow paths unless wider access is available Purton Library and copies can be purchased at the Protect the natural environment Parish Council Office. • Leave no trace of your visit and take your litter The Walk Leaflets are produced by the combined efforts of local home walkers and historians. Watercolour sketches are original work by This Walk Leaflet is one of a series • Keep dogs under effective control Christine Gill and Paul Dempsey. Maps reproduced by kind permission of the OS on behalf of HMSO © Crown copyright 2007. intended to update the Walk Booklets Enjoy the outdoors All rights reserved. OS Licence number 100038603. previously published in 2002 (Book 1) and • Plan ahead and be prepared 2007 (Book 2). All the details of previously • Follow advice and local signs Relevant OS maps for this walk: published walks are being checked and enhanced and some new Walks created. V1. 2 Oct 2017 OS Explorer 169 and OS Landranger 173. Swindon/Cheltenham Railway Swindon to Railway The “” from Swindon to Cheltenham was The Swindon to Cricklade Railway was part of originally built as the Cheltenham and Great Western Union The Midland & South Western Junction Railway in the 1840s. Purton railway station was opened in Railway running from Andover to Cheltenham. 1841, in Widham, but was closed in 1964. Within Purton It was independent of GWR when it was built parish the railway is crossed by 6 bridges and 1 level in the 1880s. Services closed before WW2 crossing for vehicles and by 8 level crossings for walkers. and much of the line was lost. In 1978 a Preservation Society was formed and currently a 2.5 mile section has a regular weekend service with steam and diesel. The Taw Valley Halt is currently the southern limit of this service but there are plans for a Fact: Mouldon Station as shown. 10. Cross steel/concrete Within Purton parish the Swindon/Glouscester railway is crossed by 6 bridges and 1 level crossing for vehicles and by 8 level crossings for walkers. It is also bridged over a path at one location. 9. This double stile is on N 300m bridge over wide ditch the L, 50 m further on. followed by stile. Cross and turn R to Continue straight across 12. After crossing road and stile opposite, walk follow the field field (NB electric wires diagonally across the field to the edge of the wood. boundary. 14:11 arriving at Taw with crossing points). Valley Halt 6. There are two stiles at this point. Take 13. Cross the stile and immediately turn R, crossing stile on R then bear R towards large tree in double stile/bridge into wood. At the Trotmans Wood corner of field. sign bear R and follow path thrgh edge of wood. Leave wood by further stile/bridge. Changes for master 4. Two double step stiles either side of the main Swindon - Cheltenham railway. 14. Cross bridge at entrance to Woodland Trust Cross with extreme caution before (Purton and Berriman's Wood). Follow the path proceeding straight ahead towards the 7. Cross bridge and 11. Reach road straight on ignoring the path that crosses L to R. steel gate. stile then turn L to by path through the next stile. farm property 15. After 200 m the path bears WIDHAM right. Head towards the 5-bar gate. 3. Straight on with stiles at thrgh the KG. 5. Straight either end. 16. Through KG beside on at stile. the 5-bar gate and 2. Immediately after 8. Straight on at turn L onto track. Purton and No.38 turn R, thrgh these three stiles. Berriman's Wood gate and take track beside the Telephone 27. Leave field by stile and 17. Cross bridge over River Ray and follow the path Exchange. After bear L along grass road verge by the side of Moulden Lake as far as the Angling 100m bear L for 100 m before crossing the Club notice board. Ignore the path on the right and towards KG. road and stile opposite. contine straight on. Pictures PBS Planned site 18. Before KG into car park take for Mouldon tarmac path to L. station Pips Cafe Mouldon Taw Valley Halt Toll Lake 1. Head down House Station Road Pill box 19. Before Main Road, take path 25. Thrgh KG, to R following old railway line P (but first, go L and see the Taw Village Hall 31. An interesting 29. Double stiles across bridge P stile with two and follow path Valley Halt on the START at Mus & Lib different ways to L around Lake. Swindon/Cricklade line.) 32. Continue with 28. Walk straight on Village cross! Bear sharp R At the T-junction turn L, recross 20. Path crosses entrance road. church spire in and keep hedge on keeping the field River Ray bridge over the river and retrace Hall . 33. Destination boundary on your canal aqueduct in sight at end view, thrgh three R. steps along track for 350 m. KGs onto track right. 21. Path goes under bridge. PURTON of lane. and then Hyde 30. Another stiled crossing of main 26. 50m after passing KG and 5- Mouldon Hill Lane. railway. Cross with extreme bar gates on R, take the bridge 22. As path comes up to caution. Bear R diagonally across and stile on L to leave wood. Bear main road, take field. slightly R across the field. After roadside pavement to R. 100 m keep field boundary on 23. Cross canal tunnel Purton and Berriman's Wood your R. About 100 m before Pill box, bear R towards house. (under road) and, as Purton and Berriman's Wood was footpath descends, take planted between 1998 and 2000 path on R to the canal. as part of the Great Western 24. Before fence at end of tow- Go L through KG and Community Forest. Species include path, take path to R , thrgh KG follow towpath for oak, ash, hazel and willow. It is then follow path to L around about 1.2 km. managed by the Woodland Trust field for 300 m. and the long-term intention is for the wood to develop into mature, native, broadleaved woodland with North Wilts Canal a healthy canopy of trees and an The 8 mile North Wilts Canal was opened in 1819 to link the Wilts & Berks understorey of woodland shrubs. In Canal (at, what is now, Fleming Way in Swindon) with the Thames & Severn 2010 a group from the village Canal just north of Cricklade. The route required a number of tunnels and celebrated the 10th anniversary of aqueducts, one of which can be seen on this walk. Initially the major trade was the wood by planting a variety of coal and grain. The canal first became profitable in the 1840s when it was used Mouldon Lake to transport construction material for the GWR but then fell into decline as native seeds and bulbs and fixing Aqueduct taking the old North bird and bat boxes to several trees railways took over. The last boat went through the canal in 1911. The Wilts & . Wilts canal over the River Ray Berks Trust hope to eventually restore the complete 5 mile section from the Purton Road tunnel (Point 23 on walk) to the Thames & Severn Canal.