There are steep steps down the embankment behind the White Hart.
There are steep steps down the embankment behind the White Hart.
Go up Leather Lane. Shortly beyond where Butlers Way branches off on the right, there is a length of hedge on the right followed by an opening with a garage.
Cross over by the concrete footpath sign and go up the path which is to the left of the garage. It is a narrow path between trees on each side. Follow the path ahead as far as you can ignoring unofficial branches off to the right into the next field. The path then goes right leaves and continues on the field side of the hedge for a very short distance to a footbridge.
Cross the footbridge and turn right. Follow the farm track with the hedge on your right. Follow the track where the boundary first turns left ignoring the gap on the right, follow it as it bends right and left again before going through a gap on the right to a farm road with a concrete slab on the left, and then with hedges on both sides. Follow this short, straight track to a gate at the end.
At the gate go through the kissing gate and follow Spaynes Hall Drive to the main road. Go left until you are opposite the further end of the picket fence outside the White Hart. Cross over and go through the small gate (which is not very easy to pick out from the rest of the fence) it is level with a concrete footpath sign on the opposite side of the road, and just short of the 40 mph sign.
Go ahead across the lawn to the left of the White Hart and up the slope at the far end onto the abandoned railway embankment. If there is an event being held in the White Hart garden you have make your way between the guests. Descend by the steps on the far side, go right and along the farm access road to Toppesfield Road.
At Toppesfield Road go left until you are opposite the Sports Ground entrance. Cross over and go up the concrete private road onto the Sports Ground. Go left and right to follow the path along the top of the Sports Ground behind the pavillion and Scout hut.
You emerge into a corner of Smith's Field. Go ahead with the hedge on your left as far as a gap on the left. Go through the gap into Brickyard Field and go ahead with the hedge on your right. Go past the first gap on the right but go through the second gap which has a way marking post.
Once through the gap in the hedge then keep left and continue across Smith's Field with the hedge on your left past the end of the grass landing strip.
At the far side of the field go right along a concrete farm road and pass a farm implement shed on your left.
Go ahead to a gap in the embankment of the abandoned railway where the bridge has been removed. Go left up onto the embankment and continue until you see a gap on your right leading to path across a field. There is a sign informing you that keeping ahead beyond this point the track is a private.
Go through the gap on your right. And keep ahead across the end of a narrow field with a fence on your right.
Go ahead aross a footbridge and along a narrow path with fences on each side.
At the Ridgewell Road go right beside the road for a short distance before crossing over level with the end of the path opposite.
Having crossed the road go left away from the village along the path, which diverts up the bank beside an earlier road widening. In summer the wild flowers here attract large numbers of butterflies.
Go right up into the next field entrance between the house and portable building and go ahead along the unmade farm track down the hill to the spinney at the bottom of the hill.
Go right along the bottom of Gravel Pit Field. Follow the path ahead across the garden of The Change House, past the bottom of the school grounds to a tee junction. Go right up hill then left into Duncan Rise. Follow the road left and right onto North Road and go ahead to the Village Green.
4 Apr 2013