CHARFIELD AND BACK ‑ 3.7 MILES
From the Chipping take footpath 12 sign‑posted
to Charfield. Cross a stile into a field and head for a gate in the far hedge.
Beyond the gate bear to the right heading towards New Mills and a gateway with
a water trough beside it.
Cross two small fields, footpath 6, to a gateway and
then go diagonally across a larger field to a stile in the far corner by the
drive to Grange Farm. At a second stile take the left-hand footpath 8 down the
field and towards a large farm building in the distance. Pass over a stile by a
gate, then, keeping the hedgerow about 50 yards to the left, head towards a
large oak tree. A metal bridge crosses the Little Avon to the parish of
Charfield.
In the next field, keep close to the fence on the
left‑hand side until it changes to a hedgerow. Then bear right into the
field and head just to the right of a white cottage. A stile leads, via a short
path, to a lane. Turn left and follow the lane, then a rough track, past Hill
House Farm. The track continues parallel to the railway passing through two
fields.
At the far end of the second field there is an underpass for the railway. Turn left, away from this and follow the hedge down to a bridge across the river. Footpath 10 leads up the field, near to the right‑hand hedge and close to the rear of Day House Farm. A stile by a small clump of trees leads into a paddock and a further stile brings the walker to Wickwar Road. Cross over and go down the drive of Highwood Farm, footpath 30. Immediately after crossing a
bridge among trees turn left at the marker post,
footpath 24, and skirt the corner of a field to a gate about 100 yards further
on. Through the gate turn right towards a gate with farm buildings beyond it.
Continue diagonally across the next field, with the
farm buildings now on the left to the far corner of the field and a stile set
in a thicket of trees. Turn left beyond the stile and cross two more fields in
close succession. Just to the left a small stone bridge marks the route of the
medieval Trench Lane and the farm buildings mark the site of the first
Kingswood Abbey.
Proceed up the field to a gate at the top. In the
next field keep close to the hedge, under a line of oak trees. At the end of
the field pass through a gate, cross a stile in a wire fence, and continue with
the hedgerow on the left and Upper Barns Farm on the right. At the end of the
field turn left over a stile and then immediately right over another stile by a
trough.
Continue through the next two fields with the hedge
on the right until the outskirts of Kingswood are reached. 350 yards along
Hillesley Road brings you back to the Chipping.